Most non-starchy vegetables are very low in carbs and calories. Avoiding high-starch vegetables has several possible benefits depending on the diet an individual is following. Individuals with diabetes can control blood sugar by monitoring their intake of sugars or foods that are high on the glycemic index, meaning they produce a faster spike in blood sugar compared to low-glycemic vegetables. Vegetables considered to be starchy include potatoes, corn and peas.
Canned
Nearly any canned vegetable besides peas, potatoes, corn and beans, not including green beans, is low in carbohydrate. Canned vegetables with added sugar, though, may be high in carbs, even if they're normally a low-carb food. Some common non-starchy vegetables that are often canned include beets, green beans, wax beans, okra, tomatoes and water chestnuts. A half-cup of canned, pickled beets contain 18.6 g of carbs, 1 cup of bamboo shoots contain 4.2 g of carbs and a half-cup of asparagus contains 3 g of carbs, according to the Atkins Nutritionals website.
Frozen
When choosing frozen vegetables, like canned, it is important to choose those that have no added ingredients. Many low-carb vegetables get mixed in with starches in stir-fry or pre-packaged kits.Lower-carb choices include sugar snap peas, cauliflower, carrots, Brussels sprouts and green beans. The Atkins site points out that a half-cup of frozen cauliflower boiled contains 3.4 g of carbohydrate, a half-cup of frozen, boiled carrots contain 6 g of carbs and a half-cup of Brussels sprouts contain 4.9 g of carbs.
Fresh
Fresh vegetables are free of added ingredients, making them the safest low-carb option. Some excellent choices include mushrooms, jicama, eggplant, bean sprouts, asparagus, artichoke hearts, cucumber, celery and leafy greens like kale, collards, cabbage, mustard greens, beet greens and lettuce. The exact carbohydrate count per vegetable changes depending on the serving size. A half-cup serving of raw broccoli contains 2.3 g of carbs. Bok choy contains 1.5 g per 1 cup serving, raw asparagus spears contain 3.7 g per 6 medium spears and a half-cup of bamboo shoots contain 4 g of carbs. The lowest carb content can be found in 1 tablespoon of chilles and 1/4-cup of green onions, with each containing zero total carbs. Other significantly low-carb raw vegetables include watercress, butterhead lettuce and enoki mushrooms.
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