Diet Plans Low-Carb Diets Foods The Best Low-Carb Vegetables By Laura Dolson Laura Dolson is a health and food writer who develops low-carb and gluten-free recipes for home cooks. Learn about our editorial process Laura Dolson Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Richard Fogoros, MD on May 20, 2016 Richard N. Fogoros, MD, is a retired professor of medicine and board-certified internal medicine physician and cardiologist. He is Verywell's Senior Medical Advisor. Learn about our Review Board Richard Fogoros, MD Updated on July 25, 2019 Print Verywell / Joshua Seong Table of Contents View All Leafy Vegetables Stem Vegetables Seeded Vegetables Root Vegetables Higher-Carb Vegetables Low-Carb Alternatives to Potatoes Fruits and Fungi Vegetables are considered a cornerstone of a low-carb diet, but some are better choices than others. Knowing the number of carbs in carrots, cauliflower, and other veggies will make low-carb meal planning much easier. Overall, choose vegetables that are less sweet and starchy. When you do have higher-carb vegetables, be mindful of portion size: 1/2 cup of cooked or 1 cup raw vegetables should contain no more than 5 to 6 grams of carbohydrates. Vegetables are broadly classified as leafy, stemmed, seeded, or root, and carb count will vary according to type. Carb counts also differ depending on whether you eat your veggies raw or cooked. Leafy Vegetables Leafy vegetables have the fewest carbohydrates and the lowest impact on blood sugar. The carbs they do have are mostly fiber, which digests slowly and keeps you feeling full for longer. Dark leafy greens are also rich in vitamin K, phytonutrients, and minerals. While greens are the obvious choice for salads, they're also great additions to smoothies, omelets, and wraps. You can even replace a slice of bread or roll with a leaf of lettuce to create a low-carb sandwich or burger. Leafy Vegetables Carbs Per Serving* Alfalfa sprouts 0.7 grams Bok choy 1.5 grams Collard greens 2 grams Kale 1.4 grams Lettuce, green leaf 1 gram Mustard greens 2.6 grams Spinach 1.1 grams Swiss chard 1.4 grams *Per cup, raw. Carb count increases when cooked. Raw vs. Cooked The carb count of some greens increases when they're cooked. Eaten raw, spinach has 1.1 grams of carbs per cup. Cooked up, a 1-cup serving of spinach will have about 6.8 grams of carbs. Similarly, a 1-cup serving of cooked Swiss chard has about 7.2 grams of carbs. Stem Vegetables While you can't eat the stem on just any plant, some vegetables have more edible bits than others. In fact, some are entirely edible. Although many vegetables have a substantial amount of stem tissue, the term "stem vegetables" only refers to above-ground stem vegetables. While these veggies have slightly more carbohydrates per serving than leafy vegetables, they're still a good option for low-carb diets. Since these veggies are technically the plant's strong stems, the crisp, firm texture holds up well when put through various cooking methods. They're also rich in flavor and packed with vitamins. Stem Vegetables Carbs Per Serving* Asparagus 5.2 grams Broccoli 6 grams Brussels sprouts 7.9 grams Cabbage 7.4 grams Cauliflower 5.3 grams Celery 3 grams Fennel 6.4 grams *Per cup, raw. Carb count may change when cooked. Raw vs. Cooked When cooked, the carb count of vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower will actually decrease: one half-cup of cooked cauliflower has 2.6 grams of carbs. One half-cup of cooked broccoli has 5.6 grams (opposed to 6 grams raw). A vegetable's carb count may change depending on whether you eat it raw or cooked. Seeded Vegetables Botanically speaking, edible plants are considered fruits if they have seeds. If it is seedless, it is a vegetable. However, some plants are mislabeled because they lack sweetness. Unlike vegetables, these fruits tend to be considerably higher in carbs. Look for options under the 6-gram threshold. Seeded Vegetables Carbs Per Serving* Avocados 12 grams Cucumbers 3.8 grams Eggplant 4.8 grams Green beans 7 grams Green bell peppers 4.3 grams Okra 7 grams Peas 4.8 grams Summer squash 3.8 grams Zucchini 3.5 grams *Per cup, raw. Carb count may change when cooked. Raw vs. Cooked When cooked, the carb count of zucchini and summer squash changes. A 1-cup serving of cooked zucchini has 4.8 grams of carbohydrate. A 1-cup of cooked summer squash has 7 grams. Peas, on the other hand, actually have fewer carbs when eaten raw. When cooked, the carb count increases to 11 grams per 1-cup serving. Low-Carb Pasta Substitutes Root Vegetables When you think of root vegetables, you probably think of tubers like potatoes—which are notoriously high-carb. The association leads to the assumption that all root vegetables must be high in carbohydrates. Adding root vegetables to your low-carb diet is doable as long as you keep preparation and portion in mind. As you can see from the table below, the carb count and the fiber content of root vegetables vary a great deal depending on how you cook them. Preparation of Root Vegetable Carbs (grams) Fiber (grams) Potato1 cup unskinned, diced, raw potato1 cup boiled mashed potato1 cup boiled skinned potato1 large unskinned baked potato 2630.431.363.2 3.24.42.76.6 Turnip1 cup raw cubed turnip1 cup boiled cubed turnip1 cup boiled mashed turnip 8811.6 2.33.14.6 Rutabaga1 cup raw cubed rutabaga1 cup boiled mashed rutabaga1 cup boiled cubed rutabaga 1216.411.6 3.24.33.1 Sweet potato1 cup raw cubed sweet potato1 cup boiled mashed sweet potato1 medium boiled sweet potato 26.858.126.8 48.23.8 Yam1 cup raw cubed yam1 cup boiled cubed yam 41.837.4 6.25.3 Celery root (Celeriac)1 cup raw celeriac1 cup boiled celeriac pieces 14.49.1 2.81.9 Carrot1 cup raw chopped carrot1 cup boiled sliced carrot 12.36.4 3.62.3 Parsnip1 cup raw sliced parsnip1 cup boiled sliced parsnip 23.426.5 6.55.6 Beet1 cup raw cubed beet1 cup boiled sliced beet 1316.9 3.83.4 Radish1 cup raw sliced radish1 cup boiled sliced radish 3.95 1.92.4 Some root vegetables, such as scallions (green onions) and leeks can be used in soups. A half-cup of raw scallions has 3.5 grams of carbs, but when used as a garnish for a salad or to flavor a soup, you may not even need a full serving. Similarly, raw leeks have 6.5 grams of carbs per half-cup. But if you're only adding a few to your omelet (to give it a milder flavor than onions, for example), you may not need a full half-cup. Higher-Carb Vegetables Vegetables with a sweeter taste and starchier texture are higher in carbs. Here are a few vegetables to avoid on a low-carb diet. Higher Carb Vegetables Carbs Per Serving* Artichoke 13.6 grams Corn 18 grams Parsnip 13 grams Sweet potato 41.4 grams Water chestnut 14.8 grams Winter squash, such as butternut and acorn 15 grams Yellow plantain (baked) 29 grams Yellow plantain (boiled) 20 grams *Per 1/2 cup. Carb count may change when cooked. Low-Carb Alternatives to Potatoes One small baked potato with skin has over 29 grams of carbohydrates. One-half cup of boiled potatoes (with or without skin) has about 16 grams of carbohydrates. Potatoes are also very high in starch and have a high glycemic index (the only root vegetable with a higher glycemic index is parsnip). Carbohydrates in foods with a high glycemic index are rapidly turned into sugar and absorbed into your blood. You don’t have to avoid root vegetables entirely, though: When baked and roasted, radishes make great low-carb potato swaps. With half the carbs, mashed turnips work well as a substitute for mashed potatoes, and sliced rutabaga makes a great swap for french fries. For an even lower carb count, try cruciferous vegetables like cauliflower. One cup of cooked cauliflower has only 5.2 grams of carbs. Once cooked, cauliflower can be lightly seasoned and mashed. If you’re missing other carbs, like pasta, make cauliflower "rice" by pulsing whole, cooked, cauliflower in a food processor until it's cut down into a rice size. Larger chunks can be used as a base for low-carb potato salad. Fruits and Fungi Though technically a fruit, tomatoes are a frequent addition to salads, stews, and pasta dishes. One half-cup of raw, chopped, or sliced tomatoes has 3.5 grams of carbohydrate. Cooked, they'll pack 4.8 grams. Using the same fruits-as-veggies logic, olives are another popular choice. With 7 grams of carbohydrate per cup and plenty of inflammation-fighting properties, olives are great as a topping or popped on their own as a quick snack. Finally, while they're not technically a vegetable—or even a plant—mushrooms are another low-carb option. The nutrition-packed fungus can be used to top salads, thrown into an omelet, or eaten in slices. A cup of raw white mushroom pieces has just 2.3 grams of carbohydrates. Cooked, they're 4 grams per one-half cup. Useful Ideas and Resources for Low-Carb Recipes Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Looking to start a low-carb diet, but not sure where to start? Sign up to get our free recipe book and enjoy delicious low-carb meals. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Fit uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Slavin J, Carlson J. Carbohydrates. Adv Nutr. 2014;5(6):760-761. doi:10.3945/an.114.006163 Additional Reading United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Service. USDA Food Composition Databases. Washington, D.C. Published April 2018.