We always heard we should eat more vegetables. And this is excellent advice since vegetables contain various minerals, vitamins, antioxidants, high fiber content, and a healthy dose of carbohydrates.
Therefore, including vegetables in your diet helps you lead a healthier lifestyle.
But if you are trying to cut down on carbohydrates and starch, you will want to avoid some vegetables, which are rich in both of these things.
All vegetables are different from each other. One can be rich in vitamin C, while the other can contain iron, etc.
Do vegetables have carbohydrates?
If you are trying to increase your carbohydrate intake, you should include vegetables high in carbohydrates.
On the other hand, if you want to limit carbohydrate consumption, you should avoid vegetables rich in starch and carbohydrates.
Vegetables can be grouped into two categories:
- Starchy vegetables
- Non-starchy vegetables
Most vegetables (starchy and non-starchy) contain carbohydrates. But the carbohydrate content is usually higher in starchy vegetables compared to non-starchy ones.
Unless there is a reason to avoid high-carb vegetables, most vegetables are not bad for your health.
They can be considered an excellent addition to any healthy and balanced diet.
High-carb vegetables
Let’s look at some of the most common and widely popular vegetables that are high in carbohydrates.
(The values listed below are based on a 100 gram serving)
Potatoes = 17 grams
Pumpkin = 12 grams
Corn = 20 grams
Beets = 10 grams
Sweet potato = 20 grams
Peas = 14 grams
In case you don’t know, the main source of energy for the body is carbohydrates.
The energy supplied by carbohydrates is then used in the brain, muscles, blood cells, etc.
Low carb vegetables
Now that we know the vegetables that are high in carbohydrates, we are going to see results are the vegetables low in carbohydrates:
(The values listed below are based on a 100 gram serving)
- Lettuce = 2.9 gram
- Spinach = 0.6 gram
- Onion = 9 grams
- Celery = 2.5 grams
- Cauliflower = 5 grams
- Turnip = 6 grams
- Cabbage = 6 grams
- Red cabbage = 7 grams
- Okra = 7 grams
- Bell pepper (green and red) = 9 grams
As you can see, there are also many vegetables widely used in the kitchen daily with a minimal amount of carbohydrates.
High carb vegetables and weight loss
If you are planning to lose weight or are already following a diet plan, you must have heard to avoid carbohydrate-rich foods.
Especially the famous ketogenic or keto diet places great emphasis on limiting carbohydrate intake while eating high-fat foods.
If you are following this type of diet, you will want to avoid high-carb vegetables.
But if your weight is balanced and healthy, then there is no point avoiding them.
As we saw earlier, carbohydrates are used for energy and are used by the body for various functions.
Want to learn more about low carb and gluten free options?
- Check this post about what is blanched almond flour and how you can use it.
- In here we share the best coconut flour substitute
- Learn everything about what is carbalose flour and why it’s the next it thing in low carb baking
- Is tapioca flour keto? Everything you need to know!
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