Non Starchy Vegetables

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.

Eating Made Simple – Carbs

Carbs, carbs, carbs. Good for you one minute, bad for you the next. Part of one fad diet and left out of another.

If you have spoken to me about food, you will know I have some pretty simple rules to follow. Now generally speaking, if it comes in a bag, box or can then it’s not going to be too good for you. The less processed a food is, the less preservatives it contains, the closer it is to the way nature intended it to be, the better it will be for you.

Take a look at the list below, each food has a serving amount beside it. Print it out if you want to, it can be very handy when preparing your meals.  In general you want to get four serves per day. One for each main meal (breakfast, lunch, dinner) and half each for morning and afternoon tea.

Vegetables

• Beans 1.25 cups
• Beetroot 3/4 cup
• Broccoli 2 cups
• Cabbage (shredded) 2 cups
• Brussels sprouts 5 sprouts
• Carrots 3/4 cup
• Chick peas 3 tbsp
• Celery 3 cups
• Cauliflower 1.5 cups
• Chinese cabbage 6 cups
• Kidney beans 1/4 cup
• Cucumber (sliced) 3 cups
• Leeks 2/3 cup
• Lentils, raw 1 tbsp
• Capsicum (chopped) 1 1/2 cups
• Hummus 3 tbsp
• Pumpkin (cubed) 1 cup
• Pumpkin (mashed) 1/2 cup
• Lettuce, Mixed (chopped) 6 cups
• Mushrooms (chopped) 3 cups
• Snow peas 30 pods
• Onions (chopped) 1 cup
• Spaghetti squash (cooked) 1 cup
• Salsa 1/2 cup
• Spinach 4 cups
• Tomato (chopped) 1 cup

Fruit/Berries

• Apple (medium/large) 1/2
• Apple (small) 1
• Banana 1/3
• Blackberries 2/3 cup
• Blueberries 1/2 cup
• Cantaloupe (cubed) 3/4 cup
• Cherries 1/3 cup
• Grapefruit 1/2
• Grapes 1/2 cup
• Honeydew 1/2 cup
• Kiwi 1
• Mango 1/3 cup
• Nectarine 1/2
• Orange 1/2
• Peach 1/2 large
• Pear 1/3
• Pineapple (cubes) 1/2 cup
• Pineapple (rings) 1
• Plum 1
• Raisins 1 tbsp
• Raspberries 2/3 cup
• Strawberries 3/4 cup
• Tangerines, small 1
• Watermelon (cubed) 1/2 cup

Here’s the good stuff. I know you probably looked through the list above and wondered ‘where’s the bread, potatoes and rice?’ Well never fear, you can eat some of these. In fact they could also help you lose some extra belly fat by doing so. But make sure you read this through before you go stuffing your face with these starchy carbs and singing ‘James said it was ok!’
The only time you want to be eating the foods on the list below is 30 minutes either side of an intense fat burning workout. This is a fair dinkum, wish it would end soon type of workout, not a walk around the block or a few light weights, swim and a spa. If you have earnt it, feel free to eat between two and four serves listed below afterwards, or split it up and have half either side of the fat burning workout.

Starchy Foods

• Bread, whole grain 1/2 slice
• Couscous 1/2 oz
• Gatorade/Powerade (powder) 1/4 cup
• Oat bran (dry) 2 tbsp
• Oatmeal (cooked) 1/3 cup
• Oatmeal (dry) 3 tbsp
• Orange juice 1/3 cup
• Potato (mashed) 1/3 cup
• Rice, brown (cooked) 1/4 cup
• Rice, white (cooked) 1/4 cup
• Sweet potato 1/3
• Sweet potato (mashed) 1/4 cup
• Tortilla, corn 1
• Tortilla, flour (whole grain) 1/2

The absolute key here is timing. 30 minutes is non negotiable. If you can’t stomach food that close before a workout, opt for the juice or sports drink. Instead of having to cook afterwards, have the starchy carb of choice cooked and ready to go in a Tupperware container or the like.

Stick to these foods in the most natural form possible and both your health and your waistline will thank you.

If your favorite food isn’t listed above, and you truly think it deserves to be, then leave a comment below. I am more than happy to add to this list if warranted.

Next time we will look at another controversial food subject – FAT.

Eating the Rainbow

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