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Originally Posted by svd201
Building on JP's question: What rationale did you use in suggesting your list of fruits and veggies (glycemic index? glycemic load?)
I'm frequently offered out-of-the-ordinary vegetables like Yucca and was wondering if there was a guideline I can refer to rather than simply post a question here...
Thanks!
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I don't think there's a hard and fast rule. The starchier they are, the less you should eat them. It's a combination of fiber, GI/GL, and caloric density that make it a "free" veggie. Also, how much of it one typically eats.
Carrots, for example. High GI, but low GL, plenty of fiber, low calorie. How many carrots are you going to eat, really? Then sweet potatoes. Low GI, higher GL, plus more fiber, but they are high calorie for the amount you eat. Skip them.
You must become one with your veggies. Know them...
Some of the exotics aren't on a lot of charts, as far as GI, GL, and fiber go, but you can usually find the calories for them. A good guideline is to look a the serving size that you'd eat and compare the calories to ones that you KNOW are okay. You might normally eat 2 servings of asparagus and some peppers. 50 calories. How many sweet potato calories is in the amount you'll eat? For me, it's around 200! Too many AND not all that satisfying at that amount. What about corn on the cobb? An ear: 70 calories. Not bad and plenty satisfying. A large bowl or raw spinach and greens? 25 calories! Eat up.