ZeroPoint cheat sheet: Vegetables

Is popcorn a ZeroPoint™ food? We’ve got the answer.
Published December 20, 2017

Your mom was right: Vegetables are good for you!  Veggies are rich in vitamins, fiber, and other nutrients that can help you feel satisfied. They're also chock full of antioxidants, which can keep cells healthy; and they're a better source of antioxidants than supplements are. 

How can I tell which vegetables are a ZeroPoint food? 

All fresh and frozen vegetables and those canned without oil or added sugar are ZeroPoint foods.

The following are not ZeroPoint foods: 

  • Dried vegetables that are a snack-food type like popcorn

  • Instant (or powder versions) refried beans, dried chickpeas, dried peas, dried or Peruvian corn, lentil chips, bean chips, etc.

  • Vegetables that have been ground to make flours or pastas: (including bean flour, corn flour, or polenta) 

Other vegetables that are not ZeroPoint foods are: 

  • Avocados

  • Parsnips

  • Potatoes

  • Sweet potatoes

  • Yams

  • Cassava/Yuca/Manioc

  • Olives

  • Nuts and seeds (including quinoa and other grains)

Why are potatoes not a ZeroPoint food if other starchy vegetables are?

Potatoes are easier to overeat, so we recommend tracking them. That doesn’t mean that they’re off the menu! That's what your SmartPoints Budget is for! 

Why is corn a ZeroPoint food, but popcorn is not?

Corn in its whole form is a ZeroPoint food because the risk of overeating it is relatively small. Popcorn is a snack food. We recommend that you monitor your portion sizes of popcorn as it’s easier to overeat. That said, without added fat, popcorn is still very low in SmartPoints values and a great, healthy snack.

Will dried or cooked versions of ZeroPoint foods also be zero? (i.e. chickpeas that are dried/toasted?)

When fruits and vegetables have been dried, their calories increase per ounce. Dried vegetables are essentially a snack food that is easy to overeat, so they don’t meet the criteria for ZeroPoint foods.

If I use the Barcode Scanner in the WW app on a packaged meal, like a salad, will it automatically remove the ZeroPoint ingredients? 

Yes. If we have the nutritional data in our database, the SmartPoints value shown will have had the ZeroPoint ingredients removed. 

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