Keto falafels

Keto falafels

Falafel is a healthy, plant-based alternative to meat that's low carb, high-protein and tastes great! Mix up the spices to make Italian, Greek or Mexican-flavored keto vegan meals. Great for meal prep as they're easy to prepare and freeze well.

Keto falafels

Falafel is a healthy, plant-based alternative to meat that's low carb, high-protein and tastes great! Mix up the spices to make Italian, Greek or Mexican-flavored keto vegan meals. Great for meal prep as they're easy to prepare and freeze well.
USMetric
4 servingservings

Ingredients

  • ½ cup (213 oz.) 120 ml (65 g) pumpkin seeds
  • ½ cup (2½ oz.) 120 ml (70 g) almonds
  • 8 oz. (3¼ cups) 230 g (800 ml) mushrooms, sliced
  • ½ cup 120 ml light olive oil, divided
  • ¾ cup (2¾ oz.) 180 ml (80 g) vegan pea protein powder (unflavored)
  • ¼ cup 60 ml water
  • ¼ cup (123 oz.) 60 ml (50 g) chia seeds
  • 2 2 garlic clove, mincedgarlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tbsp 2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp 1 tsp ground coriander seed
  • ¼ tsp ¼ tsp ground black pepper
This recipe has been added to the shopping list.

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
  2. Heat a large dry frying pan over medium heat, and roast the almonds and pumpkin seeds until lightly browned and fragrant. Put them in a food processor and pulse for a couple of minutes.
  3. Fry the mushrooms in a large frying pan in ⅓ of the olive oil until soft. Add the mushrooms and the remaining oil to the mixture in the food processor together with the rest of the ingredients. Mix for a couple of minutes. Let sit for about 5 minutes.
  4. Shape the mixture into 1-1/2 inch (4 cm) balls. Place the balls on a baking sheet.
  5. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until crispy. Serve warm, together with the side dish of your choice.

Can I freeze the keto falafels?

Yes, they freeze well! Make a double batch and put the leftovers in the freezer for another day.

Spice it up!

Replace the seasoning in the recipe with one of the suggestions below. The measurements are based on 4 servings.

Italian: 1 pressed garlic clove, 0.5 cup of chopped fresh basil, and 2 tbsp sugar-free tomato paste.

Greek: 1 pressed garlic clove, 1 tbsp oregano, and 0.5 cup olives, finely chopped.

Mexican: 1 tbsp Tex-Mex seasoning , 2 tsp onion powder, and 0.5 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped.

Is protein powder really healthy?

Although we generally recommend choosing non-processed foods, vegans on a low-carb diet may find it very challenging to meet their daily protein needs through whole foods alone. Including plant-based protein powders can help bridge the protein gap while adding very few carbs.

A few organic, less-processed options are Garden of Life Organic Protein Powder, Foods Alive Organic Pea Protein Powder, and Jarrow Formulas Organic Pumpkin Seed Vegan Protein Powder.

You might also like

DD+ MEMBERSHIP
Healthy meal plans
Meal plans that work

Want to lose weight and improve your health? Try a ketogenic (keto), low-carb, or high-protein diet. Stay on track by following our nutritionally reviewed meal plans.

Low-carb recipes
1,333 💙 Low-carb recipes

Whether you’re looking for high-protein, strict keto, or liberal low-carb recipes, here you’ll find tons of tasty recipes to choose from. Discover our wide range of healthy recipes.

The Diet Doctor food policy
Our food policy

There are many thoughts and ideas about what foods are and aren’t part of a healthy diet. Learn more about what foods you can expect from our recipes.


💬 Have you tried this recipe?

What did you think? Please share your thoughts in the comment section below!

19 comments

  1. Nadia Steiner
    Hi,
    I'm not vegan but would like to try this recipe. Could you please advise on a swap for the pea protein powder? I have collagen powder which I have heard of being used in baking? Or could I just leave out the protein powder?
    Thanks.
    Reply: #2
  2. Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor

    Hi,
    I'm not vegan but would like to try this recipe. Could you please advise on a swap for the pea protein powder? I have collagen powder which I have heard of being used in baking? Or could I just leave out the protein powder?
    Thanks.

    We have not tested these with whey protein isolate (unflavored/unsweetened) but it may work well.

  3. Patricia Carrillo
    I prepared them today with whey protein isolate, and worked perfectly😉. Go for it!
  4. Derya
    I am thoroughly disappointed, even disgusted with the ingredients.
    Diet Doctor promotes whole foods, right?

    I am very curious about the explanation, how pea protein powder is not utter crap and an extremely processed „food“, similar to the whey isolate powder in Kirstie‘s pizza recipe, where - more than a year later - no staff has answered the concern that this stuff triggers insulin.

    Diet Doctor IS LETTING US DOWN, IF NEWS AND ARTICLES ARE REVIEWED BY DOCTORS AND RECIPES ARE NOT.
    (Although Dr Eric Westman is fed that whey isolate protein powder pizza in the video. I wonder where precisely on his famous „page 4“ that ingredient makes an appearance.)

    I‘ll just leave you to the Weston A. Price Foundation‘s quote:

    „Pea protein is the latest legume powder on the market. One manufacturer describes pea protein isolate as “made from high quality non-GMO peas, by the processes of isolation, homogenization, flash evaporation, sterilization and spray-drying.” That sounds like three applications of high temperature! Peas may be much lower in isoflavones than soybeans, but they still contain many problematic compounds, such as phytic acid and difficult-to-digest oligosaccharides. These can be neutralized by proper soaking and traditional long cooking—but that is not how pea protein isolate is made.„

    https://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/abcs-of-nutrition/the-prob...

    Replies: #7, #16
  5. 2 comments removed
  6. Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor

    I am thoroughly disappointed, even disgusted with the ingredients.
    Diet Doctor promotes whole foods, right?
    I am very curious about the explanation, how pea protein powder is not utter crap and an extremely processed „food“, similar to the whey isolate powder in Kirstie‘s pizza recipe, where - more than a year later - no staff has answered the concern that this stuff triggers insulin.
    Diet Doctor IS LETTING US DOWN, IF NEWS AND ARTICLES ARE REVIEWED BY DOCTORS AND RECIPES ARE NOT.
    (Although Dr Eric Westman is fed that whey isolate protein powder pizza in the video. I wonder where precisely on his famous „page 4“ that ingredient makes an appearance.)
    I‘ll just leave you to the Weston A. Price Foundation‘s quote:
    „Pea protein is the latest legume powder on the market. One manufacturer describes pea protein isolate as “made from high quality non-GMO peas, by the processes of isolation, homogenization, flash evaporation, sterilization and spray-drying.” That sounds like three applications of high temperature! Peas may be much lower in isoflavones than soybeans, but they still contain many problematic compounds, such as phytic acid and difficult-to-digest oligosaccharides. These can be neutralized by proper soaking and traditional long cooking—but that is not how pea protein isolate is made.„
    https://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/abcs-of-nutrition/the-prob...

    Vegans who wish to be low carb need sources of adequate protein. If you are not a vegan, you can use egg white protein powder.

  7. Derya
    The need for proteins doesn’t justify your suggestion of harmful substances that aren’t even food.

    You do realise that you only answered “they need protein”?

    You do NOT say, “I’m so glad you asked, actually I’ve done my research and all of these substances are well researched and harmless.”

    You do NOT say, “Use them, but you need to be aware we cannot guarantee they aren’t hazardous.”

    You do say something like “Yeah, well, I suggested they drink Cola Light, as they don’t drink water, because they have to drink SOMETHING!”

    You create recipes on a health platform?
    Do your research and don’t ACTIVELY ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO COOK WITH TOXINS.
    And be gracious enough to react responsibly. People eat that stuff, you know, not everyone is in a position to question your content.

  8. Derya
    VEGAN PROTEIN
    SOURCES:

    1 cup cooked spinach: 7 g

    1 cup cooked green beans: 13 g

    100 g pumpkin seeds: 19 g

    100 g sunflower seeds: 21 g

    100 g macadamia nuts: 8 g

    100 g almonds: 21 g

    100 g pecans: 9 g

    etc.

  9. 2 comments removed
  10. Derya
    I do wonder though, if the non-vegans would still be willing to voluntarily ingest that white egg powder.

    “EGG WHITE POWDER is spray dried at very high temperatures and is likely to be highly allergenic.” (Weston A. Price Foundation)

  11. Derya
    Well?

    Are you leaving my concerns unaddressed then?

    My account on your website starts with this:
    „Trustworthiness is a core value at Diet Doctor“.

    Reply: #14
  12. Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor

    Well?
    Are you leaving my concerns unaddressed then?
    My account on your website starts with this:
    „Trustworthiness is a core value at Diet Doctor“.

    With apologies for the delayed response, I have asked for further clarification from our Recipes Team to better address your concerns.

  13. Derya
    Thank you, I appreciate that.
  14. Franziska Spritzler, RD Team Diet Doctor
    Hello Derya, I'm Franziska Spritzler, one of the registered dietitians who works for Diet Doctor. I'm also a certified diabetes educator.

    It's true that Diet Doctor advocates a diet comprised mainly of whole or minimally processed foods. However, we do say that some processed foods can be used in small amounts. This is true for plant-based products like pea protein powder that can help people on vegan diets meet their protein needs, as well as whey protein powder and egg white powder for people on vegetarian diets. Yet we still recommend that they consume mostly whole or minimally processed foods.

    At Diet Doctor, we base our recommendations on the strongest science to date -- and we update these recommendations based on the ever-evolving field of nutrition research. When tested in trials, these protein sources haven't been shown to cause any adverse effects on health. The Weston Price Foundation website does not provide any convincing scientific evidence supporting their claims that pea powder or egg white powder are harmful.

    It can be very difficult for vegetarians and especially vegans to consistently meet their protein needs on a very-low-carb diet. However, we understand and respect that some vegans and vegetarians want to avoid or greatly minimize their consumption of processed foods.

    We make a point of excluding any ingredients in our recipes that scientific evidence has shown to be harmful. And we believe that whether to include some processed protein sources in one's diet is an individual choice.

    If you prefer to avoid processed foods and consume only whole foods, we fully support that decision. We have many recipes on our site that contain no processed ingredients.

    Thank you,

    Franziska Spritzler, RD, CDE

  15. Derya
    Thank you, Franziska, for trying to answer this.

    I disagree on the strong science data though.
    But first have a look at this delicious product and its manufacturing process:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=29&v=pzBWZNoAFMg...
    Why would you eat that?
    When Nina Teichholz tells us that margarine is a by-product and literally garbage turned into something edible, and seed oils are gunk in their first stage and higly modified to resemble something like food, Diet Doctor applauds (and rightfully so), but protein powders are a wonderful alternative to nuts?

    https://www.theguardian.com/food/2020/feb/13/how-ultra-processed-food...
    "Over the past decade, large-scale studies from France, Brazil, the US and Spain have suggested that high consumption of UPFs is associated with higher rates of obesity. (...) In 2018, a study from France – following more than 100,000 adults – found that a 10% increase in the proportion of UPFs in someone’s diet led to a higher overall cancer risk."
    "It turned out that, during the weeks of the ultra-processed diet, the volunteers ate an extra 500 calories a day, equivalent to a whole quarter pounder with cheese. Blood tests showed that the hormones in the body responsible for hunger remained elevated on the ultra-processed diet compared to the unprocessed diet (...)"

    https://world.openfoodfacts.org/nova
    "Group 1 - Unprocessed or minimally processed foods
    Group 2 - Processed culinary ingredients
    Group 3 - Processed foods
    Group 4 - Ultra-processed food and drink products"
    "A multitude of sequences of processes is used to combine the usually many ingredients and to create the final product (hence 'ultra-processed'). The processes include several with no domestic equivalents, such as hydrogenation and hydrolysation, extrusion and moulding, and pre-processing for frying.
    The overall purpose of ultra-processing is to create branded, convenient (durable, ready to consume), attractive (hyper-palatable) and highly profitable (low-cost ingredients) food products (...)"

    https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/the-hidden-dangers-of-...
    "Earlier this year, a nonprofit group called the Clean Label Project released a report about toxins in protein powders. Researchers screened 134 products for 130 types of toxins and found that many protein powders contained heavy metals (lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury), bisphenol-A (BPA, which is used to make plastic), pesticides, or other contaminants with links to cancer and other health conditions. Some toxins were present in significant quantities. For example, one protein powder contained 25 times the allowed limit of BPA."
    "We don't know the long-term effects. "There are limited data on the possible side effects of high protein intake from supplements," McManus says."

    Am J Clin Nutr. 2005 Jul;82(1):69-75. doi: 10.1093/ajcn.82.1.69.
    Effect of Whey on Blood Glucose and Insulin Responses to Composite Breakfast and Lunch Meals in Type 2 Diabetic Subjects
    "Whey proteins have insulinotropic effects (...)"

    Nutr Metab (Lond). 2012; 9: 48.
    The insulinogenic effect of whey protein is partially mediated by a direct effect of amino acids and GIP on β-cells
    "Whey protein increases postprandial serum insulin levels."

    Metabolism
    Glucose-lowering effect of whey protein depends upon clinical characteristics of patients with type 2 diabetes
    "Effects of WP supplementation on glycemia in T2DM depend on the baseline characteristics. Lower body weight, normal triglyceride and lower GLP-1 levels predict glucose lowering. In contrast, obesity, hypertriglyceridemia and high baseline GLP-1 predict increased glucose response."

    You say ONE'S DIET IS AN INDIVIDUAL CHOICE. That's quite obvious. I could be stupid and defend margarine and seed oil, and you would still write that obviously it is my prerogative to do as I please. But YOUR DUTY would be to offer a scientifically proven, harmless, possibly beneficial alternative. I will not even start to list quotes on stevia etc., that are not being recommended, but tolerated, on this very website. Your website takes a stance on those, but protein powder is just accepted without further ado.
    This doesn't make sense, and - no offence meant - shows poor judgement.

    Reply: #18
  16. Franziska Spritzler, RD Team Diet Doctor
    Hi Derya, I realize you disagree with some of the content on our site. However, as I said, we rely on the strongest, most current evidence available when making recommendations. I reiterate our position that although we advise people to use mainly whole foods, we think including some processed foods is ok. And we feel that using plant-based, whey, and egg-white protein powders can help vegans and vegetarians meet their protein needs if they choose to eat a very-low-carb diet.

    As far as whey protein powder, yes, it does raise insulin levels temporarily, as does every other protein source (including beef, poultry, and fish). However, a 2019 systematic review of 37 randomized controlled trials (the strongest, most robust evidence) found that whey protein reduced blood sugar, decreased waist circumference, and demonstrated other beneficial effects in overweight and obese people with metabolic syndrome: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1871402119305624.

    Regards,

    Franziska Spritzler, RD, CDE

  17. Derya
    Dear Franziska,

    in terms of studies and who finances them it is, again, not my duty to explain that when industry pays, industry gets what it wants (Dr Fung has an excellent presentation on YouTube on biased studies, you should try sometime).

    I‘ll leave this now, clearly we are getting nowhere.

    Thank you anyway.

  18. Lizzie
    I was looking for some reviews on how these tasted and how well they stuck together etc. Anyone tried them, with or without this highly debated protein powder? Many thanks x
    Reply: #21
  19. Crystal Pullen Team Diet Doctor

    I was looking for some reviews on how these tasted and how well they stuck together etc. Anyone tried them, with or without this highly debated protein powder? Many thanks x

    If a recipe doesn't have comments regarding the taste, you can always check the star rating under the name of the recipe at the top left to see how people rated the recipe.

  20. Jolanda
    Can the protein powder be replaced by something else or omitted? Not because of the contentious nature of protein powder but because I don't have any and it is expensive to buy just for a few recipes here and there. I am not vegan or vegetarian so don't need the additional protein. But I'd like to make this recipe, sounds tasty. Coconut flour? Is it to make the consistency less wet so it binds together and get's crunchy on the outside and ?
    Reply: #23
  21. Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor

    Can the protein powder be replaced by something else or omitted? Not because of the contentious nature of protein powder but because I don't have any and it is expensive to buy just for a few recipes here and there. I am not vegan or vegetarian so don't need the additional protein. But I'd like to make this recipe, sounds tasty. Coconut flour? Is it to make the consistency less wet so it binds together and get's crunchy on the outside and ?

    We have not tried this with alternatives, but whey protein isolate or egg white protein powder may be more likely to be successful substitutes than coconut flour.

Leave a reply

Reply to comment #0 by