Vegetables provide vitamins, minerals, and fiber. They are low in carbohydrate.

Examples of vegetables are

* lettuce
* broccoli
* vegetable juice
* spinach
* peppers
* carrots
* green beans
* tomatoes
* celery
* chilies
* greens
* cabbage

How much is a serving of vegetables?

If your plan includes more than one serving at a meal, you can choose several types of vegetables or have two or three servings of one vegetable.

What are healthy ways to eat vegetables?

* Eat raw and cooked vegetables with little or no fat, sauces, or dressings.
* Try low-fat or fat-free salad dressing on raw vegetables or salads.
* Steam vegetables using water or low-fat broth.
* Mix in some chopped onion or garlic.
* Use a little vinegar or some lemon or lime juice.
* Add a small piece of lean ham or smoked turkey instead of fat to vegetables when cooking.
* Sprinkle with herbs and spices.
* If you do use a small amount of fat, use canola oil, olive oil, or soft margarines (liquid or tub types) instead of fat from meat, butter, or shortening.