Eating your vegetables seems to be a pretty straightforward way of improving your health and losing weight.
Processed foods have nutritional labels that break down their nutritional value, but fresh produce doesn’t. Sure, you can research most of this information online, but it isn’t always straightforward to navigate through.
Most vegetables are pretty low in carbohydrates to begin with, and they all contain vitamins and minerals that play an essential role in your body.
In fact, eating more vegetables:
- Lowers your risk of high blood pressure and stroke
- Lowers risk of certain types of cancer
- Reduces risk of kidney stones and bone loss
- Increases scores on cognitive tests
- Increases antioxidant levels
- Lowers biomarkers for oxidative stress
- Lowers risk for Alzheimer’s disease
- Decreases digestive problems
- Lowers risk for eye diseases
- Reduces risk of type 2 diabetes
If you’re looking to lose weight, eating more low carb vegetables is an important lifestyle change to make.
What are Carbohydrates?
Carbohydrates are a type of calorie-providing macronutrient found in foods and some beverages. The occur naturally in plant-based foods.
Carbohydrates provide fuel for the central nervous system and muscles. Since your body uses carbohydrates as its first source of energy, they also prevent protein from being used as energy and enable fat metabolism.
There are two kinds of carbs:
- Simple carbs- called monosaccharides and disaccharides- contain just one or two sugars, such as fructose, galactose, sucrose, lactose, or maltose.
- Complex carbohydrates (polysaccharides) have three or more sugars.
Simple carbohydrates are quickly broken down into their simple sugars, causing a rapid increase in blood sugar. Consequently, these foods increase your risk of heart disease or type 2 diabetes. Complex carbs, on the other hand, supply a steady stream of energy.
After eating a meal, your liver stores the sugars your cells don’t need as glycogen. Once your liver is full, any excess sugars are stored as fat. Hence, decreasing your carbohydrate intake can help your body burn stored fat.
A daily intake of 50 to 150 grams of net carbohydrates is typical with a low-carb diet. This means that only 200-600 of your daily calories should come from carbohydrates. The other calories should come from fat or protein.
Carbohydrates vs. Fiber
“Fiber” usually refers to resistant starch, which doesn’t get digested by your body. Instead, it plays a role in absorbing bile and bulking up stool. It also slows down the digestion of carbs to prevent blood sugar spikes and helps you feel full after a meal. Fiber is key to digestive health and preventing some cancers.
Dietary fiber is included in the total carbohydrate content on a nutritional label. Since your body doesn’t digest these carbohydrates, they can be subtracted from the total carb content to give you the net carb value. To summarize, you need to take the total amount of carbohydrate in a serving minus the carbohydrate in the fiber.
Low Carb Vegetables (Alphabetical Order)
Here are some of the best low carb vegetables to eat if you’re watching your carb intake. All carb counts are based on a quantity of 100 grams.
| Vegetable | Total Carbs | Dietary Fiber | Sugars | Net Carbs | Main Nutrient | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acorn Squash | 10 | 1.5 | 0 | 8.5 | Vitamin C | 40 |
| Alfalfa sprout | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | Vitamin K | 23 |
| Artichoke | 11 | 5 | 1 | 6 | Folate | 47 |
| Arugula | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | Vitamin A | 25 |
| Asparagus | 3.9 | 2.1 | 1.9 | 1.8 | Vitamin K | 20 |
| Avocado | 9 | 7 | 0.7 | 2 | Pantothenic acid | 160 |
| Baby Beet Greens | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | Vitamin K | 22 |
| Bamboo Shoots | 5 | 2.2 | 3 | 2.8 | Vitamin B6 | 27 |
| Banana Pepper | 5 | 3 | 2 | 2 | Vitamin C | 27 |
| Bean sprout (Mung Bean) | ||||||
| Beet | 10 | 2.8 | 7 | 7.2 | Vitamin C | 43 |
| Bell Peppers, Green | 4.6 | 1.7 | 2.4 | 2.9 | Vitamin C | 20 |
| Bell Peppers, Red | 6 | 2.1 | 4.2 | 3.9 | Vitamin C | 31 |
| Bell Peppers, Yellow | 6 | 0.9 | 0 | 5.1 | Vitamin C | 27 |
| Bitter Melon | 4 | 0.8 | 0 | 3.2 | Vitamin C | 20 |
| Bok Choy (Pak Choi) | ||||||
| Broccoli | 7 | 2.6 | 1.7 | 4.4 | Vitamin K | 34 |
| Broccoli Rabe, Rapini | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | Vitamin K | 22 |
| Broccolini | 6 | 1 | 2 | 5 | Vitamin C | 35 |
| Brussels Sprout | 9 | 3.8 | 2.2 | 5.2 | Vitamin K | 43 |
| Butterhead Lettuce | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | Vitamin K | 13 |
| Butternut Squash | 12 | 2 | 2.2 | 10 | Vitamin A | 45 |
| Cabbage | 6 | 2.5 | 3.2 | 3.5 | Vitamin K | 25 |
| Carrots | 10 | 2.8 | 4.7 | 7.2 | Vitamin A | 41 |
| Cauliflower | 5 | 2 | 1.9 | 3 | Vitamin C | 25 |
| Celery | 3 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 1.4 | Vitamin K | 16 |
| Celery Root (Celeriac) | ||||||
| Chard | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 | Vitamin K | 19 |
| Chayote | 4.5 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 2.8 | Vitamin C | 19 |
| Chi Qua | 2 | 1.7 | 0.3 | 0.3 | Vitamin A | 15 |
| Chicory greens | 5 | 4 | 2 | 1 | Vitamin K | 23 |
| Chicory root | 18 | 1.5 | 9 | 16.5 | Vitamin B6 | 72 |
| Choy Sum | 3.5 | 2 | 0 | 1.5 | Vitamin C | 23 |
| Collard Greens | 5 | 4 | 0.5 | 1 | Vitamin K | 32 |
| Cress | 6 | 1.1 | 4.4 | 4.9 | Vitamin A | 32 |
| Cucumber | 3.6 | 0.5 | 1.7 | 3.1 | Vitamin K | 16 |
| Eggplant | 6 | 3 | 3.5 | 3 | Vitamin B1 | 25 |
| Endive | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | Vitamin A | 17 |
| Escarole, Curly Endive | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | Vitamin A | 17 |
| Fennel | 7 | 2.1 | 0 | 4.9 | Vitamin C | 31 |
| Gai Choy (Chinese Mustard Greens) | 4.7 | 2.4 | 1.2 | 2.3 | Vitamin C | 23 |
| Gai Lan (Chinese Broccoli) | ||||||
| Green Beans | 7 | 3.4 | 0 | 3.6 | Vitamin C | 31 |
| Iceberg Lettuce | 2.9 | 1.3 | 0.8 | 1.6 | Vitamin A | 15 |
| Jalapeno Pepper | 7 | 2.8 | 4.1 | 4.2 | Vitamin C | 28 |
| Jicama | 9 | 4.9 | 1.8 | 4.1 | Potassium | 38 |
| Kale | 9 | 1 | 0 | 8 | Vitamin K | 49 |
| Kangkong (Water Spinach) | ||||||
| Kohlrabi | 6 | 3.6 | 2.6 | 2.4 | Vitamin C | 27 |
| Leek | 14 | 1.8 | 3.9 | 12.2 | Vitamin A | 61 |
| Lotus Root | 17 | 4.9 | 0 | 12.1 | Vitamin C | 74 |
| Mushroom, Brown (Italian or Crimini) | ||||||
| Mushroom, Portabella | 5 | 1 | 2 | 4 | Riboflavin | 26 |
| Mushroom, Shiitake | 14 | 2 | 4 | 12 | Riboflavin | 56 |
| Mushroom, White (Button) | ||||||
| Mustard Greens | 4.7 | 3.2 | 1.3 | 1.5 | Vitamin K | 27 |
| Nori | 5 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 4.7 | Vitamin A | 35 |
| Okra | 7 | 3.2 | 1.5 | 3.8 | Vitamin K | 33 |
| Onion | 9 | 1.7 | 4.2 | 7.3 | Biotin | 40 |
| Poblano Pepper | 6.4 | 1.8 | 0 | 4.6 | Vitamin A | 27 |
| Potato, Sweet | 20 | 3 | 4 | 17 | Vitamin A | 86 |
| Potato, White | 17 | 2.2 | 0.8 | 14.8 | Vitamin C | 77 |
| Pumpkin | 7 | 0.5 | 2.8 | 6.5 | Vitamin A | 26 |
| Radish | 3.4 | 1.6 | 1.9 | 1.8 | Vitamin C | 16 |
| Romaine | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | Vitamin A | 17 |
| Rutabaga | 9 | 2.3 | 4.5 | 6.7 | Vitamin C | 38 |
| Scallion (Green Onion) | ||||||
| Sin Qua | 3.4 | 3.3 | 0.1 | 0.1 | Calcium | 11 |
| Snake Bean (Yardlong, Chinese Long Bean) | ||||||
| Spaghetti Squash | 7 | 1.5 | 2.8 | 5.5 | Vitamin A | 31 |
| Spinach | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | Vitamin K | 23 |
| Sugar Snap Peas(Snowpeas) | ||||||
| Summer Squash | 3.4 | 1.1 | 2.2 | 2.3 | Vitamin C | 16 |
| Tomatillos | 6 | 1.9 | 3.9 | 4.1 | Vitamin C | 32 |
| Tomatoes, Cherry | 4 | 1 | 3 | 3 | Vitamin C | 18 |
| Tomatoes, Green | 5 | 1.1 | 4 | 3.9 | Vitamin C | 23 |
| Tomatoes, Red | 3.9 | 1.2 | 2.6 | 2.7 | Vitamin C | 18 |
| Tomatoes, Yellow | 3 | 0.7 | 0 | 2.3 | Vitamin C | 15 |
| Tung Ho | 3.9 | 3.9 | 0 | 0 | Vitamin A | 24 |
| Turnips | 6 | 1.8 | 3.8 | 4.2 | Vitamin C | 28 |
| Water Chestnut | 24 | 3 | 4.8 | 21 | Vitamin B6 | 97 |
| White Radish (Daikon) | ||||||
| Yam | 28 | 4 | 0 | 24 | Vitamin C | 118 |
| Yellow Wax Beans | 7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | Vitamin C | 31 |
| Yu Choy Sum | 3.5 | 0 | 0 | 3.5 | Vitamin C | 23 |
| Yucca (Cassava) | 38 | 2 | 2 | 36 | Vitamin C | 160 |
| Zucchini (Courgette) | 3.1 | 1 | 2.5 | 2.1 | Copper | 17 |
Low Carb Eating Tips
Here are other tips to help you on your low-carb journey:
- Replace as many as possible high-carb foods in your diet with healthy lower carb alternatives.
- Include protein and fat whenever you eat a high-carb food.
- Choose low-carb whole grains over refined as often as possible.
- Reduce the blood-sugar impact of any food by pairing it with one that has a lower glycemic index.
- If it’s a leaf, you can definitely eat it!
- Control your portions: aim for 2 cups of leafy low carb vegetables, 1 cup of non-starchy veggies.
There you have it: a list of low carb vegetables to keep you full while you burn up any of the fat your body may have stored. Who says you have to compromise to live healthily?
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