Hobart Personal Trainer | Hobart Fat Loss | Hobart Personal Training

Non starchy vegetables are something you will have read about in my posts here. But it occurred to me (well it hit me like a brick when one of my clients told me!) that I hadn’t detailed exactly what these vegetables are. To save you the time looking up every vegetable on the nutrient database, I have compiled a list of the most common non starchy vegetables for you.
And here’s the beauty of these little wonders, you can pretty much eat as much of these as you want. Did you ever hear of someone packing on the pounds from eating too much broccoli?!?

• Any leafy greens – ‘fancy’ lettuces (please don’t eat iceburg because it has no nutritional value either), spinach, swiss chard, etc.
• Any type of sprouts (bean sprouts, alfalfa, etc.)
• Asparagus
• Avocado
• Bamboo Shoots
• Bok Choy
• Broccoli
• Brussels Sprouts
• Cabbage
• Capsicum
• Carrots
• Cauliflower
• Celery
• Cucumber
• Eggplant
• Fennel
• Green Beans
• Hearty Greens – collards, mustard greens, kale, etc.
• Herbs – parsley, cilantro, basil, rosemary, thyme, etc.
• Leeks
• Mushrooms
• Onions
• Pumpkin
• Radishes
• Snow Peas
• Squash
• Tomatoes
• Turnips
• Zucchini

Lots of good food there, and plenty of options. Think summer salad, winter boiled vegetables, salsa etc. Remeber to try different combinations and different recipies. If there is something on the list that you haven’t tried, get out there and give it a go. You can’t not like something if you haven’t even tried it (haha, that’s the dad in me coming out!)

If you think vegetables have to be boring have a look here, and discover a heap of ways to spice things up.

Want to boost your fat loss and your health? Then get some colours into your diet.

You want to be getting at least one item from each of the groups below on a daily basis.

To qualify, the food also needs to be an unprocessed, natural food. Sorry guys, you can’t just grab a box of Fruit Loops and call it a day!

Remember not to over do the starchy vegetables and fruit though.

Yellow/Orange

These foods contain carotenoids which have been shown to reduce the risk of developing cancer, lower the chance of heart attack and reduce age related macular degeneration.

* Yellow apples
* Apricots
* Beans
* Squash
* Cantaloupe
* Carrots
* Grapefruit
* Lemons
* Mangoes
* Nectarines
* Oranges
* Papayas
* Peaches
* Pears
* Yellow capsicum
* Pineapple
* Pumpkin
* Sweet corn
* Sweet potatoes

Green

Eat your greens. Your mom told you, so they must be good for you! The chlorophyll and leutin contained in these foods can help to keep your vision in top order. Broccoli for fighting cancer and spinach for massive forearms, green vegetables are the business.

* Apples
* Artichokes
* Asparagus
* Avocados
* Beans
* Broccoli
* Brussels sprouts
* Cabbage
* Celery
* Cucumbers
* Grapes
* Honeydew melon
* Kiwi
* Limes
* Green onions
* Peas
* Green capsicum
* Spinach
* Zucchini

Blue/Purple

This group contains the antioxidant rich anthocyanins. Protecting against cell damage they have been shown to reduce the risk of cancer, stroke and heart disease. Blueberries may also help with improving your memory, but only if you remember to eat them!

* Beetroot
* Blackberries
* Blueberries
* Eggplant
* Figs
* Plums
* Prunes
* Grapes
* Raisins

Red

Here you will find both lycopene and anthocyanins.  Lycopene gives the red colour and may help reduce risk of several types of cancer, especially prostate cancer. To get the full benefit you should be looking to get some of it raw and some cooked.

* Red apples
* Red cabbage
* Cherries
* Cranberries
* Grapefruit
* Grapes
* Red capsicum
* Pomegranates
* Red Onion
* Radishes
* Raspberries
* Rhubarb
* Strawberries
* Tomatoes
* Watermelon

Grab a couple from each list, everyday, and you will be making a huge investment in yourself.

Did I miss your favourite food? Leave a comment below.

James