This first group of leaves is one that should be familiar to most readers: the lettuce family. These vegetables, often eaten raw, are commonly known as essential salad ingredients. They are all low in carbs and have negligible glycemic indices and glycemic loads. This, along with being high in essential vitamins and minerals, means that I highly endorse eating as many leaves from the lettuce family as possible for those of you on a low carb diet.
Most of the common lettuces, such as romaine and iceberg, have been cultivated over the years due to their neutral flavor. Compare this with chicory and endive, which still retain the bitter taste of the original vegetable from which these plants originally descended. Many people are also surprised to learn that dandelions, those ubiquitous weeds found naturally on all continents, provide commonly-eaten edible leaves as well.
| Name | Serving Size | Effective Carbs (g) | Glycemic Index | Glycemic Load |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicory | 1 cup, chopped | 0.2 | N | N |
| Dandelion Greens | 1 cup, chopped | 3.7 | N | N |
| Endives | 1/2 cup, chopped | 0.1 | N | N |
| Lettuce | 1 leaf | 0.3 | N | N |
N: Negligible
Sources:
CalorieKing
David Mendosa
