5 Diabetes-Friendly Veggies (Plus Recipes!)

How’s your daily veggie intake? The American Diabetes Association recommends eating at least 3-5 servings of vegetables per day (but more if you can!) A single serving is equal to a cup of raw vegetables or a half cup of cooked vegetables/vegetable juice. We recommend getting at 30-60 grams of carbohydrate per meal, and we’ve measured out each vegetable’s carb count below. Farmer’s markets are a great place to get fresh, locally sourced fruits and vegetables to add to your meal plan. Check out these diabetes-friendly foods that are in season now!

Bell peppers

• Carb count: 2-1/2 cups raw = 15g carbohydrate
• Health benefits: Nutrient-dense peppers are very rich in Vitamins A and C (just one cup can provide 100% of your daily intake), which contain beneficial antioxidants and help the immune system.
• Try them in this recipe: Chicken and Sweet Pepper Linguine Alfredo (from Diabetic Living)

Carrots

• Carb count: 1-1/3 cups raw = 15g carbohydrate
• Health benefits: Carrots are chock full of Vitamin A and beta-carotene, which improves your vision and acts as an antioxidant to prevent cell damage.
• Try them in this recipe: Asparagus & Carrots with Asian Vinaigrette (from Diabetic Living)

Cucumbers

• Carb count: 5 cups = 15g carbohydrate
• Health benefits: Cucumbers are 96% water, but also contain Vitamin A and K along with potassium. These vitamins and minerals help maintain good vision, produce proteins required for blood clotting, and maintain normal heart activity.
• Try them in this recipe: Greek Vegetable Salad (from Diabetic Living)

Tomatoes

• Carb count: 3 medium tomatoes = 15g carbohydrate
• Health benefits: Tomatoes are associated with reducing the risk for heart disease, since they contain important nutrients such as vitamin B6, niacin, and folate.
• Try them in this recipe: Salmon with Roasted Tomatoes and Shallots (from Diabetic Living)

Zucchini

• Carb count: 3 cups chopped = 15g carbohydrate
• Health benefits: This low-calorie vegetable is high in fiber, water, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and potassium, meaning you don’t have to sacrifice nutrients for weight management.
• Try it in this recipe: Stuffed Zucchini with Black Beans, Corn, and Poblano Pepper (from Diabetic Living)

Don’t see anything you like on this list? Remember, you can find more non-starchy veggies in the produce or frozen sections at the grocery store, such as artichokes, cauliflower, celery, mushrooms, leeks, and more. photo credit: NatalieMaynor via photopin cc