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The Best Vegetables to Eat on a Low Carb Diet

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By Jessica Blue
eHow Contributing Writer
(1 Ratings)
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When you're looking to cut carbs, veggies are your best bet. High in fiber and flavor, low in carbs and fat, vegetables are also a natural way to improve your health while watching your carbohydrate intake.

Want to get the most out of your low-carb veggies? With a little knowledge and ingenuity, you can eat low-carb and have a tasty, varied diet too. Here's how:

    Check the fiber

  1. Avocado is low-carb
     
    Avocado is low-carb
    You may already know that you can subtract the fiber from your food's carbohydrate count. Unless you are sensitive to fiber, your body doesn't process it; if your food has more than 5 grams of fiber per serving, subtract the entire fiber content from the number of carbohydrates to find out what you're really getting.

    For example, if your food has 28 grams of carbohydrates and 6 grams of fiber per serving, you're only processing 22 fiber grams.

    Vegetables are famously high in fiber and low in carbs -- as long as you choose wisely. Avocado (technically a fruit) is your best choice, with 17 grams of carbs and 11 grams of fiber. Also try artichokes, beans, broccoli and leafy greens.
  2. Get creative

  3. Miner's Lettuce
     
    Miner's Lettuce
    When you're trying to lose weight, your options can sometimes seem limited. But lifetime veggie lovers know there are tons of interesting flavors in the vegetable realm.

    For example, miner's lettuce (Claytonia perfoliata), pictured here, is a native green in Western states. It's got more flavor than lettuce, and more nutrition -- plus, it dresses up any salad.

    Take your next chance to go to a farmer's market and talk to the growers about their crops. Ask them what tastes best, what's in season, and how they prepare it. You might pick up some new favorite foods and recipes.

    Try roasting your veggies with plenty of spices, making veggie kabobs, chopping up a slaw-style salad and mixing new flavors.
  4. Low-carb veggie list

  5. Green Beans
     
    Green Beans
    Here's a general list of vegetables that are low-carbohydrate (all the veggies listed have 10 net carbs or less) and high in fiber:
    Artichoke
    Arugula
    Asparagus
    Avocado
    Bell Peppers
    Bok Choy
    Broccoli/Broccoli Rabe
    Cabbage
    Cauliflower
    Celery
    Chard
    Corn
    Cucumber
    Daikon
    Edamame
    Eggplant
    Endive
    Fennel
    Green Beans
    Hearts of Palm
    Jicama
    Kale
    Lettuce
    Mushrooms (most varieties)
    Okra
    Onion
    Peas (Green, Snow, Sugar Snap)
    Pumpkin
    Radicchio
    Radishes
    Rhubarb
    Spinach
    Squash (some varieties)
    Tomatoes
    Turnips
    Zucchini
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eHow Article: The Best Vegetables to Eat on a Low Carb Diet

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