Proponants of low-carbohydrate diets, such as the Atkins, Zone and South Beach diets, suggest lower carbohydrate intake may help with weight loss. These diets limit carbohydrate foods, focusing on protein and fat instead. Although vegetables are carbohydrate foods, a low-carb diet should include vegetables in order to provide sufficient nutrition. Choosing the right types of vegetables can help you fit plenty of veggies into your low-carb diet plan.
Vegetables in a Low-Carb Diet
The average low-carb diet limits carbohydrate intake to 50 to 150 g daily, according to MayoClinic.com. To stay within this range, limit your intake of grain products such as bread and pasta as well as beans, legumes, fruit and starchy vegetables. Focus your diet on low-fat meats, fish, eggs and low-starch vegetables instead. By choosing low-starch, lower-carbohydrate vegetables, you can keep your total carbohydrate intake low while still getting the vital nutrients vegetables provide.
Low-Carbohydrate Vegetables
A low-carbohydrate diet can include low-starch vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes, cucumber, celery, peppers, some types of squash and greens like lettuce, cabbage and spinach. Low-starch vegetables typically provide around 5 g carbohydrates per 1/2 cup cooked or 1 cup raw serving, note American Diabetes Association experts. A medium tomato contains just 0.78 g carbohydrates. A 1-cup serving of raw cauliflower contains 5.32 g carbohydrates, 1 cup spinach contains 1.09 g, 1 cup raw sweet red pepper contains 8.98 g carbohydrates and 1 cup boiled spaghetti squash provides 10 g carbs.
High-Carbohydrate Vegetables
Because they provide valuable nutrients, starchy plant foods like potatoes, corn, peas, parsnips and starchy squashes can also be part of a low-carbohydrate diet, but in more limited quantities. One medium baked potato delivers 36.59 g carbohydrates. A medium baked sweet potato has 23.61 g carbohydrates, making it a high-carb food, but a better choice than white potatoes. Unlike spaghetti squash, acorn squash and butternut squash are high in carbs, with 29.89 g carbohydrates in 1 cup baked acorn squash and 21.50 g in baked butternut squash. Green peas are slightly lower in carbohydrates, with around 20 g per cup.
Meeting Your Requirements
For sufficient nutrition, women ages 19 to 50 need at least 2 1/2 cups vegetables daily, while men of this age need at least 3 cups daily, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture guidelines. These recommendations include 5 cups starchy vegetables each week for women ages 19 to 50 and 6 cups weekly for men in this age group. Dark green, red and orange vegetables are also important, so include ample amounts of low-starch veggies from these color groups.
References
- Mayo Clinic, Low-Carb Diet; May 1, 2010
- National University of Health Sciences: Moderate Low-Carb Diet for Kids is Okay
- American Diabetes Association: Food and Fitness: Non-starchy Vegetables
- USDA National Nutrient Database
- American Diabetes Association: Food and Fitness: Whole Grain Foods
- USDA ChooseMyPlate.gov: How Many Vegetables are Needed Daily or Weekly?
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