Starchy and non-starchy vegetables - table
Starchy vegetables contain starch, which is converted during digestion into glucose, which is the most common form of polysaccharides in nature.
Therefore, the division of vegetables into starchy and non-starchy, which was originally part of the theory of separate nutrition, has found a place in a universal healthy diet.
Non-starchy vegetables are real helpers in losing weight, but you should be careful with starchy ones!
But how not to get confused? A table with a list will help you choose the healthiest vegetables for yourself.
Are foods containing starch an indication of whether there are many fast carbohydrates in your diet?
As you know, excess fast carbohydrates in the diet contribute to weight gain, and if you pay close attention to their quantity, then you will be able to regulate the caloric content of your diet.
When losing weight, it is always recommended to eat low-starch vegetables, but how do you know whether vegetables are starchy or non-starchy?
Starchy vegetables contain more carbohydrates and calories
Some types of starchy vegetables, including potatoes and corn, have generated controversy due to their high levels of starch.
Although some people believe that starchy vegetables should be avoided completely, they contain a range of beneficial nutrients and can be a healthy addition to your diet when consumed in moderation.
Compared to non-starchy vegetables, starchy vegetables contain more carbohydrates and calories.
Carbohydrates
One big difference between starchy and non-starchy vegetables is their carbohydrate content.
Starchy vegetables contain 3-4 times more carbohydrates than non-starchy vegetables - approximately 11-23 grams of carbohydrates in every 70-90 grams (, , ,).
For this reason, if you have diabetes or are following a low-carb diet, you may want to limit your intake of starchy vegetables.
This is because they contain the same amount of carbohydrates as bread, rice and cereals. Starchy vegetables can raise your blood sugar faster than non-starchy vegetables ().
However, all starchy vegetables, with the exception of potatoes, have a low to medium glycemic index (GI). This is a measure of how much and how quickly a food raises blood sugar levels after consumption ().
Therefore, most starchy vegetables raise blood sugar slowly and only slightly, despite the carbohydrates they contain ().
If consumed in moderation (70-180 grams per serving), starchy vegetables may be suitable for people with diabetes or people on a low-carb diet ().
Calories
Due to their high carbohydrate content, starchy vegetables also contain more calories—about 3 to 6 times more calories than non-starchy vegetables.
While calorie content varies by type, most starchy vegetables provide 60-140 calories per 70-90 gram serving, compared to 15-30 calories for the same amount of non-starchy vegetables (, , , ).
So be mindful of portion size and cooking method when you prepare and eat starchy vegetables, especially if you're trying to lose weight. Calories can add up quickly ().
However, consuming 70-180 grams of boiled, fried, baked or steamed starchy vegetables at each meal is unlikely to lead to excess weight gain when included in a healthy diet.
Summary:
Starchy vegetables have 3-6 times more calories and carbohydrates than non-starchy vegetables. As a result, it's important to eat starchy vegetables in moderation, especially if you have diabetes or want to lose weight.
The starchiest vegetables
The highest percentage of starch content is found in root vegetables and large grains, which accumulate nutrients to continue growth and provide a “food supply” for the plant embryo.
It is believed that the champion in starch content is potatoes, but this is not entirely true; it contains from 16-18%.
In processed form, in the form of chips and fries, there is more starch. And in boiled potatoes and mashed potatoes - 11 -14%
The recommendations of nutritionists are quite strict - eat less potatoes, but they do not recommend giving up altogether. Therefore, everything needs moderation and a reasonable amount. Excess of any food, as well as overeating, will always lead to weight gain.
Starchy vegetables complete list. Starchy vegetables are rich in resistant starch and proteins
Another distinctive feature of starchy vegetables is their high level of resistant starch and valuable proteins.
Resistant starch
Resistant starch, according to Chinese scientists, is found in large quantities in potatoes and other root vegetables, as well as in most beans.
The main advantages of resistant starch are:
- Improving the health of the digestive system. It has been proven that dietary fiber improves the composition of microflora, is useful in the presence of infectious and autoimmune intestinal pathologies, inhibits chronic inflammation in the intestinal wall and increases the efficiency of enzymatic breakdown of food.
- Help in losing weight. Indigestible starch activates the production of satiety hormones (peptide YY, glucan-like peptide, leptin), which, acting on the brain, lead to a feeling of satiety and satiety in the body.
- Improved absorption of nutrients. This type of dietary fiber increases the bioavailability of calcium, phosphorus, iron, zinc and magnesium. The effects have been proven by scientists from the USA.
- Reducing total cholesterol in the blood. According to Spanish experts, resistant fiber inhibits cholesterol synthesis by affecting the activity of 9 genes responsible for this process.
- Decreased blood glucose. It has been proven that butyrate, which is formed during the interaction of intestinal microflora with resistant starch, increases the sensitivity of peripheral tissues to insulin and leads to increased utilization of glucose from the blood.
- Strengthening the immune system. Dietary fiber normalizes the functioning of local factors of the immune system in the lumen of the digestive apparatus and ensures the prevention of autoimmune and allergic diseases.
- Improved vision. American scientists have proven that sustainable dietary fiber increases the density of photoreceptors on the retina.
What to eat starchy vegetables with?
It is recommended to consume starchy vegetables, if at all, then only in combination with green non-starchy vegetables, fats (both vegetable and animal), avoiding the gastronomic tandem with proteins, sugar and acid.
The rule is: one meal - one type of starchy vegetables.
Non-starchy vegetables are the basis of the menu for weight loss!
The products from this list go well with all types of starchy and protein foods, are perfectly digestible and do not create any problems for the gastrointestinal tract or waist.
Milk is the only undesirable companion for non-starchy vegetables, and you should avoid not only regular whole milk, but also sauces based on it (such as bechamel).
The founder of separate nutrition, Herbert Shelton, classified cauliflower as a moderately starchy vegetable, on the one hand, in terms of compatibility and dietary properties, classifying it among its non-starchy counterparts, and on the other, noting that, nevertheless, you should eat a little cauliflower, and better together with fats.
Shelton's followers have expanded the list of moderately starchy vegetables, adding new participants who, although they contain starch, are not in criminal quantities.
Please note that eggplant, in different interpretations, can also refer to both non-starchy and moderately starchy vegetables. (see tables below).
The tomatoes, adored by many, on which the popular tomato diet is based, have not found a place either among starchy or non-starchy vegetables, although in the popular imagination this is the most salad vegetable (though from a botanical point of view, a tomato is a berry).
Shelton found that the main thing in the nutritional characteristics of a tomato is its acidity, and not its starch content.
Due to the high percentage of citrus, malic and oxalic acids in their composition, red-cheeked tomatoes are an acidic food and cannot be eaten with anything starchy, but they can be eaten with leafy vegetables and fats.
Using the lists, you can easily navigate the variety of vegetables, choosing effective products for losing weight and staying in shape.
But I would like to say a few words in defense of starch
