Diet Tips & Fitness

Some types of vegetables are considered to have low calories and these are great to eat if you are dieting or you want to lose weight. These include carrots, cucumbers, radishes, fresh green beans, celery, cauliflower, cabbage, cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, and lettuce. It is clear that you don’t have to go all green when you’re on a vegetable diet. Look at all the choices you can gather for yourself! These are not only containing the least calories, they are also packed with essential nutrients as well.

Do I need to be more specific? You probably heard that for those who are on a low carb diet munching on vegetables is the way to go. However, just as there are vegetables that contain low and high calories, there are also vegetables that are low and high in carbohydrates. Do not generalize that just because they are vegetables they are immediately low in carbohydrates.

Vegetables that are low in carbohydrates include but are not limited to:

• Sprouts

• Leafy greens

• Hearty greens

• Herbs

• Sea vegetables

• Broccoli

• Mushrooms

• Avocado

• Peppers

• Summer squash

• Scallions

• Asparagus

• Bamboo shoots

• Leeks

• Eggplants

• Artichoke hearts

• Okra

…and more.

Of course, low calorie vegetables are also low in carbs so you can take your pick.

To be cautious, here’s some of the vegetables that are starchy and are high in carbohydrates. These include beets, corn, parsnips, peas, all types of potatoes, and winter squashes.

Other types of vegetables that should be included in your diet are the ones which are full of fiber. But hey don’t be confused by this statement. Though vegetables in general are good sources of fiber, there are certain types of vegetables that contain more fiber than others. Examples of these rich in fiber vegetables include brussel sprouts, carrots, cooked beans and peas, and spinach. Cruciferous vegetables are also good sources of fiber such as cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower.

These vegetables are good sources of soluble fiber, which helps keep you feeling full and therefore makes it easier for you to resist eating too much food.

Generally, vegetables are not harmful to your weight loss efforts if you are on a diet. Again, keeping a few tips in mind to be careful is always better. You might have lost weight but you got sick in the process so what’s good in that? Here are a few tips:

• When you pick out vegetables, try to go to the organic produce section.

• If you can’t get hold of organically grown products then wash your vegetables thoroughly.

• Remember that, vegetables that are not organically grown contain pesticides which are harmful to your health.

• When you are picking out vegetables, choose the freshest among the lot. You can tell when it’s fresh if it’s brightly colored and are blemish-free or has the least amount of blemishes.

• In-season vegetables are guaranteed to be fresh so buying vegetables growing in their season is a good idea.

• You shouldn’t plan on storing vegetables for too long. Buy only the vegetables you plan to be eating in a few days. Other than that you should discard vegetables that have been stored too long.

• When you eat vegetables, try to leave as much edible skin on them as possible. The skin on vegetables contains their own nutrients which can benefit your health.

• Eating vegetables raw is also a good idea as cooking them can take away some of the nutrients and add fat from the oil you used.

Vegetables are great, quick and cheap alternatives to fatty foods that bring on the ounces on your weighing scale. Veggies are low in fat, cholesterol, sodium and calories naturally, so they have been advocated to dieters since the beginning of time.