Vegetables, by and large, are low in carbohydrates. If you’re looking to hop on a diet or to bolster your weight loss goals, you can’t go wrong with a healthy serving of vegetables with every meal. However, some vegetables are better for you to lose weight than others. Certain vitamins and minerals in vegetables bestow additional benefits beyond a trimmer waist line. Furthermore, some contain a surprising amount of carbs due to high levels of natural sugars and starches. To help you sort out which vegetables work best for you, here is a quick list of some of the best low carb vegetables out there.

Leafy Greens

These green and leafy vegetables are some of the most ideal vegetables to consume if you are looking to cut out carbs from your diet. Not only are starches and sugar practically nonexistent in this grouping of produce but the health benefits from eating these deep green veggies can bolster your dietary health through meaty servings of vitamins and minerals that are good for bone strength, muscle growth, lowering your blood sugar and keeping your skin clear. Fiber is also a benefit of this grouping that aids in weight loss. Good examples of leafy greens to add to your diet include spinach, alfalfa, lettuce, chard, bok choy, cabbage and kale.

Beans

Green beans and wax beans are good dietary compliments not only for their low carb count but also because they are rich in protein and bestow health benefits similar to the deep green leafy vegetables.

Broccoli and Cauliflower

All those memories of your mother making you wait at the table while you finished your broccoli may come flooding back into your mind with this grouping but she does have a point. These vegetables are not only versatile in soups and as a side dish but are low in carbs and high in vitamins.

Peppers

This colorful grouping of low carb vegetables has the added benefit of coming in a dazzling array of shapes and hues. While green peppers are more common, opt for red and yellow peppers for vital nutrients and plenty of antioxidants that not only keep you healthy by eliminating free radicals but will also help you look young longer.

Tomatoes

Perhaps one of the most versatile low carb vegetables of them all, tomatoes are in pretty much every style of cooking out there. Not only can you add tomatoes to your meal for a flavorful and low carb vegetable boost, but they also contain lycopene, a proven anti cancer agent that fights off many forms but, most prominently, prostate cancer.

Eggplant

This funny looking vegetable often gets snubbed because of its shape and color but don’t get fooled by this piece of odd ball produce, an eggplant is a great low carbohydrate vegetable that contains nutrients that lower the risk of heart disease and protects the body’s cells against damage.

Remember, portion size ultimately determines carbohydrate content in a low carb diet. Small portions come with smaller price tags. However, with these low carb vegetables feel free to eat all you want when bikini season comes calling.

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