Can eating more vegetables make you fatter? Many people don’t know this and still eat them every day…

Vegetables are an essential food for maintaining health. It is recommended to eat more than 5 kinds of vegetables every day, covering as many types as possible. If you really can't eat such a rich diet every day, try to do it every week.

1. Leaves, flowers and tender stems : rapeseed, spinach, cauliflower, green vegetables, celery, bamboo shoots, etc.;

**2. Root vegetables and tubers: **white radish, carrot, beet, taro, yam, etc.;

**3. Solanaceae: **Pumpkin, cucumber, eggplant, tomato, green pepper, etc.;

**4. Fresh beans: ** kidney beans, peas, lentils, broad beans, long beans, etc.;

**5. Garlic and onion: **Garlic, scallions, shallots, leeks, onions, etc.;

**6. Aquatic vegetables: ** lotus root, wild rice stem, arrowhead, water chestnut, etc.;

**7. Fungi and algae: **Shiitake mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, black fungus, white fungus, kelp, wakame, seaweed, etc.;

**8. Others: ** Tree lettuce such as Chinese toon, Sophora japonica, etc. Wild vegetables such as alfalfa and shepherd's purse, etc.

Generally, an adult can eat 300-500 grams (raw weight) of vegetables every day. For those who are overweight, they should eat more vegetables, up to 500-750 grams (raw weight) every day. However, the types must be chosen carefully, because eating certain "vegetables" can even make you gain weight more than staple foods.

Not long ago, a paper published in the British Medical Journal analyzed data from 130,000 people to study the relationship between carbohydrates from different sources and weight changes.

The researchers broadly categorized carbohydrate sources in food into whole grains, refined grains, fruits, non-starchy vegetables and "starchy vegetables."

The results found that the most fattening food was "starchy vegetables", which had a fattening effect even more than starch and added sugar. An extra 100g of "starchy vegetables" per day was associated with an extra 2.6kg of weight gain over four years. Non-starchy vegetables and fiber were associated with less weight gain.

The "starchy vegetables" in the study refer to root vegetables such as corn, beans and potatoes. It should be noted that fried foods such as French fries and potato chips are also classified as starchy vegetables in the study. People in Western countries eat French fries in large quantities and with high frequency.

There is no doubt that many foods that are considered vegetables are very high in starch.

However, from a nutritional point of view, the "starchy vegetables" mentioned in the above study should be classified as staple foods, because the main component of these foods is starch, which is consistent with the composition of staple foods and is the main source of energy for the human body.

If you eat a lot of "starchy vegetables" while eating staple foods normally, it will cause the body to take in too much starch and gain weight. For example, eating a plate of shredded potato rice is equivalent to eating two servings of staple foods. This diet is absolutely wrong.

What's worse, if such food is fried and eaten, such as French fries which are often the staple food in some Western countries, this practice will make you fatter. If you do this for a long time, you will easily become overweight.

Of course, "starchy vegetables" are still worth eating. On the contrary, eating "starchy vegetables" correctly and appropriately will not only not make you fat, but will also help you lose weight.

Image source: Pixabay

**"Starchy vegetables" are rich in dietary fiber,** have a good taste, and are easy to feel full. To some extent, they are also very effective in reducing weight and beautifying the body. If we expand on this, "starchy vegetables" also have certain benefits in the prevention and treatment of some malignant tumors.

When eating, you should first pay attention to controlling the amount. If there are "starchy vegetables" on the table, it is best to reduce the amount of staple food so that the body's starch intake is just right, neither too much nor too little.

Secondly, pay attention to the cooking method. Do not fry potatoes, which will cause extra fat intake. Steaming and boiling are recommended. Also, try not to process them too finely. For example, the glycemic index of mashed potatoes is much higher than that of boiled potatoes. Also, try not to bake them at high temperatures. For example, the glycemic index of baked sweet potatoes is over 80, which is more than 30 higher than that of steamed sweet potatoes!

For people with weak gastrointestinal function, don't eat too much starchy vegetables at a time. Some people are prone to heartburn and acid vomiting if they eat too much. Especially for dinner, you should eat less, otherwise the gastrointestinal discomfort will be more serious when you lie down to sleep.

References

[1] Wan Y, Tobias DK, Dennis KK, et al. Association between changes in carbohydrate intake and long term weight changes: prospective cohort study. BMJ. 2023;382:e073939. Published 2023 Sep 27. doi:10.1136/bmj-2022-073939

Planning and production

Source: Eat three meals a day

Author: Yu Kang, Department of Clinical Nutrition, Peking Union Medical College Hospital

Editor: Zhong Yanping