Why Non-Starchy Vegetables Are Key to a Healthy Diet

Vegetables, especially non-starchy vegetables, are a healthy and important part of your diet. They’re packed with vitamins, minerals, disease-fighting antioxidants, and fiber.

Studies show a vegetable-rich diet can help lower your blood pressure and reduce your risk of:

• Cardiovascular disease
• Cancer
• Type 2 diabetes
• Obesity

This article looks at which vegetables are starchy and non-starchy and how to add more non-starchy veggies to your daily diet.

What Are Starchy and Non-Starchy Vegetables?

Non-starchy vegetables are low in calories and carbohydrates. In addition to adding key nutrients to your diet, non-starchy vegetables add texture, flavor, bulk, and rich color to any meal.

Typically, non-starchy vegetables contain roughly the following per serving of 1/2 cup cooked or 1 cup raw (without any added fat):

• 25 calories
• 0 grams (g) fat
• 5-6 g carbohydrate
• 3 g fiber
• 0.5-2 g protein

List of Non-Starchy Vegetables 

The non-starchy vegetable group is a large one. There are a lot of options to choose from, including some from each type of vegetable.

Non-starchy green vegetables include:

• Artichokes and artichoke hearts
• Asparagus
• Brussels sprouts
  
• Broccoli
• Cabbage (green, bok choy, Chinese, red)
• Celery
• Chicory
• Chayote
• Cucumbers
• Dandelion greens
• Leeks
• Okra
• Peppers (all green types)
• Scallions
• Zucchini

Lettuces and greens in the non-starchy category include:

• Arugula
• Chicory
• Collard greens
• Endive
• Escarole
• Iceberg lettuce
• Kale
• Leaf lettuce
• Mustard greens
• Radicchio
• Romaine lettuce
• Spinach
• Swiss chard
• Turnip greens
• Watercress

Some non-starchy red and orange vegetables are:

• Carrots
• Pea pods
• Peppers (all red and orange types)
• Pumpkin
• Snow peas
• Squash (cushaw, summer, crookneck, spaghetti)
• Sugar snap peas
• Sweet potato
• Tomatoes

Beans, peas, and legumes on the non-starchy list include:

• Bean sprouts
• Green beans
• Italian beans
• String beans
• Wax beans

Other non-starchy veggies are:

• Avocado
• Bamboo shoots
• Cauliflower
• Daikon
• Eggplant
• Hearts of palm
• Jicama
• Kohlrabi
• Mushrooms
• Onions
• Radishes
• Rutabaga
• Turnips
• Water chestnuts
  

List of Starchy Vegetables

Starchy vegetables are higher in carbohydrates and increase your blood sugar more than the non-starchy ones. That’s important to keep in mind if you have diabetes or are on a low-carb diet.

You don’t need to cut these veggies completely out of your diet, but you may want to limit them to a quarter of your meal or less.

Starchy vegetables include:

• Acorn and butternut squash
• Beets
• Breadfruit
• Cassava
• Corn
• Green peas
• Hominy
• Parsnips
• Plantains
• Potatoes
• Taro
• Yams

The starch content you get from these varies depending on how they're cooked. They're healthiest when they’re:

• Baked
• Steamed
• Boiled
• Microwaved
• Broiled or grilled

If you’re cooking vegetables in oil, choose a healthy oil such as extra virgin olive oil, and use as little as possible.

What Are the Health Benefits of Non-Starchy Vegetables?

Non-starchy vegetables are low in calories and carbohydrates, while rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber.

Due to their nutrition profile, non-starchy vegetables offer many health benefits, such as:

• Weight management: Because non-starchy vegetables are low in calories, it allows you to eat a larger amount of them without gaining weight.
• Diabetes management: Since non-starchy vegetables are low in carbohydrates, they won't cause a spike in blood sugar.
• Improved blood pressure: Consuming a lot of fruits and non-starchy vegetables as part of an eating pattern, such as the DASH diet or a Mediterranean diet, has been shown to lower blood pressure.
• Improved heart health: Eating non-starchy vegetables has also been linked to lower cholesterol levels and less blood vessel stiffness, which helps lower the risk of developing heart disease.
• Cancer prevention: Non-starchy vegetables contain a variety of disease-fighting antioxidants that can help lower the risk of developing cancer.
• Overall health: The variety of vitamins and minerals found in non-starchy vegetables provide the nutrients we need daily to maintain optimal health.

Non-starchy vegetables are also rich in fiber, which is important for managing weight and diabetes. It helps keep you full and stabilizes blood sugar by slowing down digestion. Fiber can also help lower cholesterol levels.

Purchasing Produce 

If possible, purchase produce that’s in season. You’ll also reduce your carbon footprint by purchasing local produce. The less time the vegetables spend traveling, the better their taste, too.

If your vegetables tend to spoil before you eat them, consider frozen versions. Nutritionally, frozen vegetables are equal to—or even better than—fresh vegetables. That’s because they’re flash-frozen at peak freshness, which retains vitamins and minerals.

Frozen vegetables are also easy to prepare because they’re already washed and cut up.

How Many Non-Starchy Vegetables Should You Eat?

The amount of vegetables you need daily depends on your age, sex, height, weight, and physical activity. It can also depend on whether you are pregnant or breastfeeding. In general, the dietary guidelines recommend at least 2 to 3 cups of vegetables daily for adult women and 3 to 4 cups of vegetables for adult men.

These guidelines include both starchy and non-starchy vegetables, but the majority of your vegetable intake should be non-starchy.

How to Prepare Non-Starchy Vegetables

You can prepare non-starchy vegetables in numerous ways.

• Sauté them: Use a small amount of garlic and oil, such as olive or canola. 
• Roast your vegetables in the oven: Place them on a cookie sheet with salt, pepper, and a little bit of oil. Add your favorite herbs, like rosemary, thyme, oregano, or basil. 
• Add them to your salad: To soften the vegetables and brighten up their color, try blanching your vegetables before tossing them into your salad.
• Add leftover vegetables: Add vegetables to omelets, egg scrambles, sandwiches, soups, and pasta sauce.
• Avoid boiling: This can cause the vitamins to leach into the water. 
• Avoid fatty toppings: Adding large amounts of butter, cream, cheese, salad dressing, or oil to your vegetables can significantly increase the calorie and fat content.

Getting Non-Starchy Vegetables Into Your Diet 

Non-starchy vegetables are pretty versatile. You can include them in sandwiches, salads, side dishes, omelets, soups, and stews. You can also top protein, like lean meats, fish, tofu, or legumes, with vegetables. 

Here are a few more tips for getting non-starchy vegetables into your diet:

• Aim to eat a variety of colored vegetables: The American Diabetes Association recommends eating about three to five servings of vegetables (1/2 cup cooked or 1 cup raw each) per day to boost your vitamin, mineral, and fiber content.
• Make vegetables the base of your meal: Eat lunch or dinner-sized salads, substitute spaghetti squash for pasta or make zucchini pasta, and make or buy cauliflower rice. 
• Incorporate vegetables into your snacks: Pair carrots, peppers, celery, broccoli, or whatever you like with hummus or guacamole for a low-carb, protein and fiber-rich snack. Peanut butter or almond butter works as a protein-rich dip, as well. 
• Make 1/2 your plate vegetables: This will help you to reduce your carbohydrate and calorie intake.
• Make food swaps: Substitute cauliflower rice instead of rice; use lettuce wraps instead of burger buns or taco shells; try spiralized veggie noodles or spaghetti squash instead of pasta.
• Experiment with different cooking methods: Try grilling vegetables, instead of boiling them.
• Add herbs and spices: Cooking with herbs and spices adds flavor that can make eating vegetables more enjoyable. Try adding garlic, spices like chili powder, paprika, turmeric, and onion powder, or herbs such as rosemary, basil, oregano, and thyme.
• Buy frozen non-starchy vegetables: Keep frozen vegetables on hand for quick and easy preparation. Since they are already washed and cut, frozen vegetables can be ready in just a few minutes.

Summary

Non-starchy vegetables have many health benefits because they are low in calories and carbohydrates, while rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber. Eating at least 2 to 3 cups of non-starchy vegetables per day is a great way to get more fiber and nutrients into your diet.

Non-starchy vegetables can be added to omelets, salads, sandwiches, soups, and more to help keep you full, balance your blood sugar, and lower your risk of heart disease, obesity, and cancer.

Choose frozen or fresh non-starchy vegetables and try incorporating them in new ways to increase the amount you eat each day.