High-satiety vegetables: the best options

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High-satiety vegetables

High-satiety vegetables include several categories of non-starchy plants. Aside from radishes and a few other exceptions, non-starchy vegetables grow mainly above the ground. They generally have lower calorie counts and lower net carb counts than their starchy counterparts, which grow mainly below the ground. They’re also higher in fiber. In fact, some high-satiety vegetables contain more fiber than net carbs!

Leafy greens

Spinach and other leafy greens are excellent high-satiety vegetables. For starters, they have high protein percentages. Plus, they’re low in net carbs and rich in fiber, which can help you feel full.

Finally, they are versatile, easy to prepare, and widely available. You can eat greens in salads, such as our Spicy shrimp salad. Another great option is using lettuce to wrap a burger or meat, like this exotic Keto Thai chicken lettuce wrap.

Here are the satiety scores and grams of protein, fiber, and net carbs for leafy greens:

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Cruciferous vegetables

Cruciferous, or Brassica, vegetables include broccoli, cauliflower, kale, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts. When chopped or cooked, these vegetables release compounds that have a familiar strong sulfur aroma. Other cruciferous vegetables are less odorous, such as bok choy, radishes, turnip greens, and collard greens.

Cooking cruciferous vegetables enhances their taste and texture, especially if you add a little butter or a creamy sauce, as we’ve done in our Keto cauliflower chicken Alfredo recipe.

Here are the satiety scores and grams of protein, fiber, and net carbs for cruciferous vegetables:

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Pro tip: Did you know that you can cook radishes? They can be a great substitute for potatoes! Check out our Pan fried radishes with bacon recipe.

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“Fruit” vegetables

The non-starchy vegetables in this group are technically low-sugar fruits. However, they’re not sweet, and they’re often consumed in salads or cooked, like vegetables. So, most people consider them to be vegetables.

While their satiety scores are a bit lower than those of leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables, this familiar produce is still a great option for all diets, including keto and low carb.

Enjoy them cooked or raw, depending on your preferences. For example, roasted vegetables are featured in our Tuscan sheet pan chicken with zucchini and tomatoes, while raw veggies star in our Prosciutto-wrapped mozzarella sticks with tomato basil salad.

You may notice that avocados and olives are missing from this list. Although they are low in net carbs, these fruits have lower satiety scores due to their high fat content. Avocados score 39, and olives score 36.

Here are the satiety scores and grams of protein, fiber, and net carbs for high-satiety “fruit” vegetables:

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Other high-satiety vegetables

The vegetables in this section don’t belong to any specific category, but like other non-starchy vegetables, they’re low in calories and carbs. Many of them have high protein percentages.

Mushrooms are technically not vegetables; they’re fungi. However, mushrooms are often grouped with vegetables because they share similar nutrition profiles.

What about English peas, or shelling peas? They aren’t included here because they are technically a legume and are considered a protein source rather than a vegetable. 

Choose whichever vegetables you like from this group. You should cook most of them before you eat them, although you can also enjoy mushrooms and celery raw. See our Hake fish in green sauce with wild asparagus and Keto chicken and mushroom casserole recipes for inspiration.

Here are the satiety scores and grams of protein, fiber, and net carbs for other non-starchy vegetables:

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Combining high-satiety vegetables with other foods

How do scores change when vegetables are cooked in butter or oil, when butter is added to steamed vegetables, or when a salad is tossed with an oily dressing? Take a look at the chart below.

As you can see, adding fat causes the scores to go down substantially. But remember, vegetables (with or without fat) don’t make an entire meal! You need a good protein source, too. 

When you combine vegetables with a small amount of fat and a generous amount of meat, seafood, eggs, or tofu, you end up with a high-scoring nutritious meal that’s filling and flavorful.

For example, a dinner of two chicken drumsticks (with skin) paired with one cup of green beans cooked in two teaspoons of butter has an impressive satiety score of 76. If you use three teaspoons (one tablespoon) of butter instead, the satiety score remains high at 70. 

Interested in more high-satiety meal ideas? Check out our delicious dishes featuring vegetables, a generous portion of protein, and enough fat to make your meal enjoyable:

Moderate-satiety vegetables

Starchy vegetables have satiety scores between 40 and 59, so they’re classified as moderate-satiety vegetables. Most starchy vegetables grow below the ground, including root vegetables like carrots, beets, onions, potatoes, and sweet potatoes. However, although winter squashes grow above the ground, they’re listed in this section due to their higher carb content.

Should you include these vegetables in your diet? That depends on your dietary approach, your health goals — and the amount you eat. Learn more, below.

Root vegetables

Root vegetables are so named because they grow under the ground, like the roots of a tree. 

Carb counts vary quite a bit among this group. If you eat a Mediterranean, vegetarian, vegan, or liberal low carb diet, you may be able to enjoy a daily serving or two of any vegetables on this list. 

However, on keto and most low carb diets, you’ll need to eat small portions of these vegetables, if any. 

Although you can eat carrots and onions either raw or cooked, you should cook most root vegetables before consuming them. 

For a tasty seafood dish with a combination of root and non-starchy vegetables, try our Pan-fried cod with beet salad and brown butter.

Here are the satiety scores and grams of protein, fiber, and net carbs for root vegetables:

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Winter squash

As mentioned above, winter squash grows above the ground but is a starchy vegetable. By contrast, summer squash (mainly zucchini) is a non-starchy vegetable.

Some types of winter squash, such as pumpkin and spaghetti squash, are lower in net carbs than many root vegetables. Therefore, if you eat a keto or low carb diet, you can probably enjoy a small portion of winter squash. If your diet allows more carbs, you can eat winter squash in larger amounts. 

Like root vegetables, winter squash should be thoroughly cooked before it’s consumed. For a hearty recipe featuring squash, try our Keto harvest pumpkin and sausage soup.

Here are the satiety scores and grams of protein, fiber, and net carbs for several popular winter squashes:

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Low-satiety vegetables

How can you end up with a low-satiety vegetable? Take high-satiety or moderate-satiety vegetables and batter and deep-fry them. Or add butter and sugar to sweet potatoes. Vegetables’ satiety scores drop dramatically when they’re combined with fat and refined carbs. If your goal is to lose weight while feeling fuller and more satisfied, avoid or minimize the options below.

Here are the satiety scores and grams of protein, fiber, and net carbs per serving of low-satiety vegetables:

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High satiety eating: Vegetarian meal plan

Summary

High-satiety vegetables provide nutrients and short-term satiety for very few calories. They add flavor, texture, and variety to your meals, too. 

Enjoy eating as many high-satiety vegetables as you like. Include smaller amounts of moderate-satiety vegetables if they’re a good fit for your dietary approach and health goals. 

Also, make sure to combine vegetables with a generous amount of protein — such as meat, seafood, eggs, beans, or tofu — and a small amount of fat for an enjoyable, balanced meal that is more likely to deliver high-satiety levels.