Vegetables to Avoid When Losing Weight

Looking to lose some weight? You’re probably going to be adding a lot of fruits and vegetables to your diet, as is recommended. On another page, we list a number of vegetables that are great for losing weight. But guess what? Not all vegetables are created equal, and not all are the wisest choices when it comes to shedding fat.

It sounds a little bit against convention, but it’s true. If you want to trim some fat, here are some of the vegetables to avoid when losing weight.

Avoid These Vegetables for Weight Loss

Ready to find out what to keep out or your vegetable portions in your weight loss diet? Here we go!

Starches

When you’re trying to cut unwanted weight, one of the most important aspects of your diet is avoiding foods that are high on the Glycemic Index (GI). This is a measurement of how quickly your blood glucose levels increase in response to food (on a scale of 1 to 100). You want a lower score on the GI. While they may be America’s favorite vegetable, potatoes clock in very high on the GI, with a whopping score of 84. Along with potatoes, other starchy veggies such as sweet corn, squash, and carrots are at the high end of the spectrum as well. You can have these vegetables in moderation, but don’t make them the foundation of your veggie consumption. Instead, eat more asparagus, leafy greens, and cucumbers, all of which are low carb and low on the GI.

Gassy Veggies

In other words, vegetables that make you fart. You know the ones – broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, brussels sprouts. The reason behind this is because all of these are rich in sulphate and raffinose. Sulphate is what causes your horrible smelling gas, while raffinose is a sugar that goes undigested through your stomach until it hits the large intestine. Once there, it gets fermented into the gassy bacteria. Neither are good for your bowels, nor for those in close proximity to you!

Non-Organic

The debate about organic vs. conventionally grown vegetables will always go on in terms of nutritional quality. However, there is no denying that the pesticides used in conventional crops can have an effect on your stomach. Side effects range from stomach pain, nausea, diarrhea. To lessen these stomach issues, go with organic when you’re trying to lose weight.

Salty

Know one way to make a vegetable less healthy? Mass produce it and put it in a can! There is so much sodium in canned vegetables to preserve them longer. There is as much as 400 mg in one can of green beans! Next time you’re shopping for veggies and can’t buy any fresh items from the produce section, skip the canned aisle and go to the freezer aisle instead. The freezer contains some of the cheapest (and most nutritious) produce you can buy. Some studies have even found that there are even greater amounts of some vitamins in the frozen produce than in their fresh counterparts.

Fat-Free

While fat-free options are usually a good choice, you may be doing yourself a disservice if you reach for a fat-free dressing for your salad. Sure, you’ll consume fewer calories, but research has shown that even a small amount of monounsaturated fat can assist your body in absorbing carotenoids in vegetables – the molecules in veggies that help ward off heart disease and cancer). Instead of grabbing a fat-free dressing, use vinaigrette or olive oil instead, both of which contain healthy fats.