Food category
Vegetables
Non-starchy vegetables should fill half your plate.
Educational guidance only — not a personal diet prescription. Content is medically reviewed and based on recognised clinical guidelines — see references. If you have feedback or a suggestion to improve this website, .
Aloo gobi
potato cauliflower
Cauliflower is great; the potato counts as carbohydrate.
Portion: 1 cup (about 150 g)
Avial
aviyal
Mixed vegetables in coconut and curd.
Portion: 1 cup (about 150 g)
Baingan bharta
bhurtha, eggplant mash
Roasted aubergine — a filling, low-carbohydrate side.
Portion: 1 cup (about 150 g)
Bhindi masala (okra)
bamia, bhindi, okra
Fibre-rich okra — dry-roast or stir-fry instead of deep-frying.
Portion: 1 cup (about 160 g)
Bitter gourd (karela)
ampalaya, bitter melon, pavakkai
A healthy vegetable — but not a replacement for diabetes medicine.
Portion: 1 cup cooked (about 125 g)
Boiled potato
aloo, batata, patatas
A starchy vegetable — count it like rice.
Portion: 1 medium (about 150 g)
Boiled sweet potato (kamote)
camote, shakarkandi
Starchy vegetable — treat it like rice, not like salad.
Portion: 1 medium (about 130 g)
Bottle gourd (lauki)
doodhi, ghiya, upo
Very low in carbohydrate — a good base for curries and dal.
Portion: 1 cup cooked (about 150 g)
Broccoli
brokoli
Excellent non-starchy vegetable.
Portion: 1 cup cooked (about 156 g)
Cabbage thoran
palya, poriyal
Stir-fried vegetables with a little coconut.
Portion: 1 cup (about 150 g)
Carrot
gajar, jazar, karot
Healthy vegetable — fine raw or cooked.
Portion: 1 medium (about 61 g)
Cauliflower
gobi, qarnabeet
Can replace some rice ('cauliflower rice').
Portion: 1 cup cooked (about 124 g)
Coconut chutney
thengai chutney
Coconut is rich in saturated fat — take a small spoon.
Portion: 2 tablespoons (about 30 g)
Cucumber salad
kheera, khiyar, pipino
Eat freely before your meal.
Portion: 1 cup (about 120 g)
Fattoush
fatoush
Mixed salad — ask for less fried bread.
Portion: 1½ cups (about 150 g)
Ginisang ampalaya
ampalaya with egg
Bitter gourd with egg — healthy everyday dish.
Portion: 1 cup (about 150 g)
Laing
taro leaves in coconut
Leafy greens, but rich coconut milk adds fat.
Portion: 1 cup (about 150 g)
Lumpiang sariwa
fresh spring roll
Vegetable roll — the sweet sauce adds sugar.
Portion: 1 roll (about 150 g)
Mixed vegetable sabzi
mix sabzi
Fill half your plate with sabzi like this.
Portion: 1 cup (about 150 g)
Mutabal
baba ghanoush
Roasted aubergine dip — low in carbohydrate.
Portion: 3 tablespoons (about 60 g)
Palak / sarson saag
palak sabzi, saag
Leafy greens cooked with a little oil — eat freely, go easy on butter.
Portion: 1 cup (about 180 g)
Pinakbet
pakbet
Mixed vegetables — go easy on bagoong (shrimp paste) for salt.
Portion: 1 cup (about 150 g)
Rasam
chaaru, saaru
Light tamarind-tomato soup — low in carbohydrate.
Portion: 1 cup (about 200 g)
Spinach (plain cooked)
kangkong (similar), palak, sabanekh
Very low in carbohydrate and rich in folate and magnesium.
Portion: 1 cup cooked (about 180 g)
Sweet corn
bhutta, mais
Starchy vegetable — keep it to half a cup.
Portion: ½ cup (about 80 g)
Tabbouleh
tabouli
Parsley salad with a little bulgur — an excellent side.
Portion: 1 cup (about 120 g)
Tomato
kamatis, tamatar, tamatim
Very low in carbohydrate.
Portion: 1 medium (about 123 g)