What makes apples or cauliflower so magical? They—and all the other fruits and vegetables that made the cut—tend to be higher in belly-filling fiber. They also had a lower glycemic load, making them less likely to cause blood sugar spikes. (Tofu is sort of the exception here, and we're not even sure why it was categorized as a vegetable to begin with. While it contains almost no fiber, it does deliver a hefty dose of protein for relatively few calories. A 1/2-cup serving packs 10 g of the stuff for less than 100 calories.)
But that's not all: Eating more of certain types of vegetables was actually associated with a small weight gain. Which ones? If you guessed starch bombs like potatoes, peas, and corn, you'd be right. Presumably, it's because they're higher on the glycemic index, researchers say. But they also pack way more calories than their non-starchy counterparts: It would take more than 5 cups of broccoli to deliver the 160 calories in just one medium baked potato.
All of which is a more scientific way of telling you what you probably already know: If you want to lose weight, eat more high-fiber, low-starch fruits and vegetables. That doesn't mean you have to skip things like potatoes and corn altogether. Just treat them like substitutes for bread or rice—not cauliflower or kale.
