There is no denying that vegetables are healthy for us. Studies have shown that eating a diet rich in vegetables as part of an overall healthy diet can help reduce cardiovascular disease risk, cancer, Type 2 diabetes and obesity. A vegetable rich diet can also help to lower blood pressure. Vegetables are nutrient dense - loaded with vitamins, minerals, disease fighting antioxidants and fiber. Fiber is an important nutrient when it comes to managing weight and diabetes.
Fiber helps to keep you full, pulls cholesterol away from your heart and can help to regulate blood sugars by slowing down digestion. One of the best ways to increase your fiber content is to increase your vegetable intake, preferably non-starchy vegetables. Non-starchy vegetables contain about 25 calories, 0 g fat, 5-6 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, and 0.5-2 g protein per 1/2 cup cooked or 1 cup raw. In addition to being a low calorie, and low carbohydrate food, non-starchy vegetables add texture, flavor, bulk, and rich color to any meal.
Here is a list of non starchy vegetables:
- Artichoke
- Artichoke hearts
- Asparagus
- Bamboo shoots
- Beans (green, wax, Italian - do not confuse this with legumes - white beans, navy beans, black beans, etc)
- Bean sprouts
- Brussels sprouts
- Broccoli
- Cabbage (green, bok choy, Chinese, red)
- Carrots (note: 1 baby carrot is about 1 g of carbohydrate)
- Cauliflower
- Celery
- Chicory
- Chayote
- Coleslaw (packaged, no dressing)
- Cucumber
- Dandelion
- Daikon
- Eggplant
- Greens (collard, kale, mustard, turnip)
- Hearts of palm
- Jicama
- Kohlrabi
- Leeks
- Lettuce: endive, escarole, leaf, ice berg, Romaine
- Mushrooms
- Mustard greens
- Okra
- Onions
- Pea pods
- Peppers (all types)
- Radishes
- Rutabaga
- Salad greens (chicory, endive, escarole, lettuce, romaine, spinach, arugula, radicchio, watercress)
- Snow peas or pea pods
- Scallion
- Sprouts
- Squash (cushaw, summer, crookneck, spaghetti, zucchini)
- Sugar snap peas
- Swiss chard
- String beans
- Tomato
- Turnips
- Water chestnuts
- Zucchini