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Top 15 Vegetables Highest in Sugar

Written by Daisy Whitbread, MScN
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Top 15 Vegetables Highest in Sugar

Of all food groups, vegetables are typically low in sugar, while being a great source of healthy vitamins and minerals. Despite this fact, you may want to be aware of how much sugar certain vegetables contain.

In this article, both grams and teaspoons of sugar are listed for each vegetable. One packed teaspoon of sugar is equal to 4 grams.

Vegetables high in sugar include sweet potatoes, beets, onions, green peas, sweet corn, peas, canned pumpkin, winter squash, rutabagas, carrots, and tomatoes. They range from providing 3.5g to 14g (1 to 3.5 teaspoons) of sugar per cup.

For more high sugar vegetables, see the nutrient ranking of 200 vegetables high in sugar.

List of Vegetables High in Sugar

Sweet Potatoes

#1: Sweet Potatoes

Up to 5.5% Sugar
Sugar per Cup MashedSugar per 100g
13.9g (3.5 tsp)5.5g (1.4 tsp)
Source: Nutrition Facts for Mashed Sweet Potatoes
While sweet potatoes have more sugar, regular potatoes typically have more carbs. In terms of regulating blood sugar, sweet potatoes are preferred over regular potatoes (Russet, White, Red, etc..)
Red beetroot

#2: Beets

Up to 8% Sugar
Sugar per Cup CookedSugar per 100g
13.5g (3.4 tsp)8g (2 tsp)
Source: Nutrition Facts for Cooked Beets
Onions

#3: Onions

Up to 4.7% Sugar
Sugar per Cup CookedSugar per 100g
9.9g (2.5 tsp)4.7g (1.2 tsp)
Source: Nutrition Facts for Cooked Onions
Green Peas

#4: Green Peas

Up to 5.9% Sugar
Sugar per Cup CookedSugar per 100g
9.5g (2.4 tsp)5.9g (1.5 tsp)
Source: Nutrition Facts for Cooked Green Peas
Yellow Sweet Corn

#5: Sweet Corn

Up to 6.3% Sugar
Sugar per Cup CookedSugar per 100g
9.1g (2.3 tsp)6.3g (1.6 tsp)
Source: Nutrition Facts for Yellow Sweet Corn
Pumpkins

#6: Canned Pumpkin

Up to 3.3% Sugar
Sugar per CupSugar per 100g
8.1g (2 tsp)3.3g (0.8 tsp)
Source: Nutrition Facts for Canned Pumpkin
Butternut Squash

#7: Winter Squash

Up to 3.3% Sugar
Sugar per Cup CookedSugar per 100g
6.8g (1.7 tsp)3.3g (0.8 tsp)
Source: Nutrition Facts for Cooked Winter Squash
Rutabagas

#8: Rutabagas (Swedes, Neeps)

Up to 4% Sugar
Sugar per Cup CookedSugar per 100g
6.7g (1.7 tsp)4g (1 tsp)
Source: Nutrition Facts for Cooked Rutabagas (Neeps, Swedes)
Carrots

#9: Carrots

Up to 4.7% Sugar
Sugar per Cup ChoppedSugar per 100g
6.1g (1.5 tsp)4.7g (1.2 tsp)
Source: Nutrition Facts for Carrots
Tomatoes

#10: Tomato

Up to 2.5% Sugar
Sugar per Cup CookedSugar per 100g
6g (1.5 tsp)2.5g (0.6 tsp)
Source: Nutrition Facts for Cooked Tomatoes
Sweet Bell Peppers

#11: Red Bell Peppers

Up to 4.4% Sugar
Sugar per Cup CookedSugar per 100g
5.9g (1.5 tsp)4.4g (1.1 tsp)
Source: Nutrition Facts for Cooked Red Bell Peppers
Shiitake Mushrooms

#12: Shiitake Mushrooms

Up to 3.8% Sugar
Sugar per Cup CookedSugar per 100g
5.6g (1.4 tsp)3.8g (1 tsp)
Source: Nutrition Facts for Cooked Shiitake Mushrooms
Turnips

#13: Turnips

Up to 3.8% Sugar
Sugar per CupSugar per 100g
4.9g (1.2 tsp)3.8g (1 tsp)
Source: Nutrition Facts for Turnips
Yellow Summer Squash

#14: Summer Squash

Up to 2.6% Sugar
Sugar per Cup CookedSugar per 100g
4.7g (1.2 tsp)2.6g (0.6 tsp)
Source: Nutrition Facts for Cooked Summer Squash
Half a Red Cabbage

#15: Red Cabbage

Up to 3.8% Sugar
Sugar per Cup ChoppedSugar per 100g
3.4g (0.9 tsp)3.8g (1 tsp)
Source: Nutrition Facts for Red Cabbage

See All 200 Vegetables High in Sugar

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View more food groups with the nutrient ranking tool, or see ratios with the nutrient ratio tool.

Data Sources and References

  1. USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 28.
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