Everyone knows how important vegetables are in a healthy and balanced diet.
Packed with essential vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber, veggies are an insanely good food source that keeps our bodies functioning their best.
However, it goes without saying that not every veggie you pick up from the store is grown equal.
Though all veggies are healthy in their own way, each type is packed with varying levels of goodness.
For example, green vegetables like broccoli and spinach are exceptionally high in vitamins, minerals, and nutrients whereas other more starchy vegetables aren’t quite so nutrient-loaded.
The same can be said for carbs as some veggies are considered high carb while others are inherently low in carbs.
Carbs are obviously necessary for brain and body function as they give us energy.
However, too much of a good thing is never a good thing. So, this article will, for better, or worse, show you which veggies are high in carbs.
What Are High Carb Vegetables?
Vegetables that are high in carbs are also known as starchy vegetables. Though starchy and non-starchy vegetables contain carbs, the starchy varieties contain many more carbs.
We know you are looking at us like; does that mean my favorite potato salad recipe is officially off the menu?
In short, no, no it is not. Just because a veggie is high in carbs doesn’t automatically make it the enemy.
Remember, our bodies need carbs to function efficiently and effectively.
Can High Carb Vegetables Be Good for Us?
Do you know what they say about everything in moderation? Well, it’s true.
High-carb vegetables can be an important part of a healthy and balanced diet granted they aren’t all we eat.
What’s more, some of the carbs found in vegetables are in fact fibrous.
Fiber is a great thing to be getting every day as it slows digestion and prevents blood sugar spikes.
In essence, what this means is that fiber helps us feel fuller for longer while also fueling our bodies.
Another thing to consider is that just because a vegetable is classed as “high carb” doesn’t necessarily mean it has no other beneficial vitamins and nutrients to be found.
Eating high-carb vegetables is still a whole lot better for your body than eating fried foods and other carb-heavy foods such as processed white bread.
What Are Some High-Carb Vegetable Varieties?
Now that you know high-carb vegetables aren’t the sworn enemy, it is time to take a deeper dive into which vegetables are high in carbs.
From potatoes to corn and a few in-between, these are the most carb-heavy vegetables on the veggie patch.
Potato
If you had a hunch that potatoes were in fact the vegetable with the most carbs to its name, you would be correct.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has stated that one potato of medium size typically has 37 grams of carbohydrates in it.
The same medium-sized potato will also have about 170 calories, four grams of fiber, and less than two grams of sugar.
Though there is no denying that, for one potato, 37 grams is a fair amount of carbs, potatoes have plenty of other good things going for them.
That same medium-sized potato could also offer you 20% of your daily potassium, 12% of your daily magnesium, 16% of your daily vitamin C, and 10% of your iron.
Pretty cool right? Also, it is recommended that an average adult should consume between 225 and 325 grams of carbs per day as part of a healthy and balanced diet.
So a few potatoes mixed into a salad or another dish is certainly not going to break the daily carbohydrate piggy bank.
Corn
Here in the U.S, corn is a hugely popular and widely consumed high-carb vegetable.
Whether it’s chili corn on the broiler, sweet corn in a salad, or fried corn tortillas, the influence of Mexican cooking on American soil has meant that we gobble down corn every chance we get.
Maybe one of the reasons why we love corn so much (aside from its sweet taste) is because it is so good at filling us up.
Corns’ unflinching ability to fill our bellies is a direct result of its carb content. Take your corn off the cob for a moment and picture those sweet corn kernels mingling together in a 1-cup serving size.
One cup of sweet corn typically features 31.3 grams of carbs, making it next in line in the most carb-heavy veggies of the patch.
Along with its 31.3 grams of carbs, one cup of corn will also have 3.5 grams of fiber and 143 calories to its name.
Corn also might be one to avoid if you are on a low-sugar diet. Why? Because all that sweetness doesn’t come from anywhere and corn has 6.8 grams of sugar per cup. Some good news?
Other notable nutrient amounts include 7% of an average adult’s daily potassium, 8% of their daily zinc, 9% of their vitamin C, and 9% magnesium.
Peas
Peas may not be the first veggie you suspect to be high in carbs but don’t let its green sheen fool you, peas pack them in.
Though their carb content pails in comparison to what potatoes and corn are packing, peas are still very much considered high carb.
Go back to visualizing your one-cup serving, fill it with peas, and in it, you will have 21 grams of carbs along with 117 calories.
Other things to consider include its high fiber content at 8.3 grams as well as its 8.2 grams of sugar.
All this means is that you shouldn’t be sitting down to a towering bowl of peas every day. Mix them into tonight’s dinner, however, and you will have yourself a healthy portion of delicious peas.
Conclusion
So there you have it. You are now all the wiser about three of the world’s most carb-heavy veggies and their nutritional information.
We hope this article has made you realize that high-carb vegetables can and should be incorporated into a healthy and balanced diet.
One of the most common things I talk to my clients about is calories, but so few of them actually know anything about them.
Calories is not a dirty word. If you remove emotion from it, it is simply a unit of energy.
We need calories to live and thrive, and knowing how many to consume is important to ensure that you’re living a healthy lifestyle.
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