Trying to lose weight but sick of feeling hungry or eating small portions?
Nonstarchy vegetables can help! Being low in carbohydrates and calories and high in beneficial nutrients and antioxidants make nonstarchy vegetables a great go-to, especially if you are trying to improve your health or lose weight. To promote weight loss, fill half of your plate with a variety of nonstarchy vegetables at every meal. This will allow you to have a much larger volume of food, but still lose weight! A larger volume means you won’t have to go hungry but rather can feel satisfied after a meal. This is one of the many healthy ways to handle hunger.
Popular nonstarchy vegetables include:
- Artichoke
- Asparagus
- Baby corn (commonly found in Asian-style cuisine)
- Beans (green, wax, purple, yard-long)
- Bean sprouts (Hmong, soybean)
- Beets
- Bok choy
- Broccoli
- Brussels sprouts
- Cabbage
- Carrots
- Celery
- Cucumber
- Eggplant
- Greens (collard, kale, mustard, turnip)
- Lettuce (all varieties)
- Mushrooms
- Okra
- Pea pods (snow peas)
- Peppers (all types)
- Radishes
- Rutabaga
- Spinach
- Summer squash (yellow, zucchini)
- Swiss chard
- Tomatoes
- Turnips
- Water chestnuts
Nonstarchy vegetables contain a lower amount of calories and carbohydrates compared with their starchy counterparts. The most common starchy vegetables include:
- Corn
- Peas
- Potatoes
- Sweet potatoes
- Winter squash
Think about starchy vegetables more like grains or starches rather than as vegetables. They a healthy choice, but you should focus on increasing your nonstarchy vegetable intake and replacing more processed starches with starchy vegetables.
For more information on losing weight without the constant hunger, visit or call Olivera Weight Loss today for a Nutrition Consultation and for our FDA approved Medical Weight Management services.
Written by Cassandra Towns, RDN, LDN, CD, CLC
