Vegetables are essential to any healthy diet—especially when it comes to weight loss. Vegetables like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and kale are packed with nutrients that will help your body burn fat. However, not all vegetables are created equal. While the best vegetables for weight loss are low in calories, other vegetables can cause you to gain weight because they’re high in starch and, therefore, calories. In general, there are certain vegetables that just shouldn’t be eaten in excess.
To learn more about the vegetables you should avoid if you want to lose weight, we reached out to Nataly Komova, registered dietitian at JustCBD and fitness expert, Sara Chatfield, MPH, RDN, a nutritionist at HealthCanal, and Melissa Mitri, MS, a registered dietitian at Zenmaster Wellness. They say that while beans and legumes and white potatoes are rich in fiber and protein, they can be the worst vegetables for weight loss because of their high starch and can unnecessarily boost your calorie intake. Find out more below!
READ MORE: The Worst Fruits For Weight Loss, According To Nutritionists
1. Beans And Legumes
Although certain beans can help boost your metabolism to lose weight, the galacto-oligosaccharides found in beans and legumes can cause indigestion and stomach inflammation.
Beans, like lentils and peas, Komova explains, have high raffinose quantities, which is a complex sugar that is hard to digest. "They also can increase gassiness due to their high amounts of fiber," she says, "I recommend you limit intake of these foods if your stomach has regular indigestion problems."
While beans and legumes are a great source of protein and fiber, they can cause symptoms such as gas and bloating if you are not used to eating them, Chatfield says. These negative effects also arise if you "eat a large portion," she adds, or if you are "sensitive to the galacto-oligosaccharides in them."
Galacto-oligosaccharides are made up of plant sugars and provide food for the good bacteria in your gut. However, Chatfield clarifies, since they pass partially undigested into the large intestine, "this can cause symptoms such as gas and bloating, especially if you have irritable bowel syndrome, which can result in more difficulty digesting these compounds."
Beans and legumes like peas, lima beans, lentils, pinto beans, kidney beans, etc. are incredibly starchy. To put it plainly, starchy vegetables contain empty calories and provide little nutritional benefit. That's why it's probably best to pick your beans carefully and not eat them in excess if you want to lose weight.
2. White Potatoes
Similarly, potatoes are a great source of many vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. However, if you eat too many you could end up gaining weight because of their starch. "The starchy vegetables to avoid if you want a flat stomach are white potatoes," Mitri says.
White potatoes also have a particularly high glycemic index (GI). GI is a measure of how quickly a food will spike your blood sugar, she explains. "A higher GI means it has a tendency to raise your blood sugar very quickly," Mitri continues. "Over time, if your blood sugar keeps spiking, this can put you more at risk for inflammation and weight gain, especially in the belly area."
She also points out that "white potatoes are also the highest calorie starchy vegetable." Instead, Mitri recommends eating lower-calorie vegetables like sweet potatoes (which can help reduce visceral fat!) and butternut squash.
The Bottom Line
At the end of the day, experts like Komova, Chatfield, and Mitri say that beans/legumes and white potatoes can be the worst vegetables for weight loss if eaten in excess because of their high starch content. You can either limit your intake of these vegetables or switch to lower-calorie options like sweet potatoes. Your body will thank you for it!
