Your Guide to Eating Healthy Carbs

Make the Right Choice

Carbs are needed for energy. They are the main fuel for body.

There are two types of carbs simple and complex.

Simple carbs or refined are quick burning fuels as they break down fast into sugar in your system so you need to consume less from this type.

Complex carbs break down slow thus keep blood sugar more stabilized and you need to eat more from this type.

Read the "Fine Print"

You need to read nutrition facts on products label as it can offer the amount of sugar per serving and always look for the words ending with "ose".

The chemical name for table sugar is sucrose. Other names you might see include fructose, dextrose, and maltose. The higher up they appear in the ingredients list, the more added sugar the food has.

Just Avoid Simple Carbs?

Processed food with added and simple sugar are not a healthy choice and you need to avoid them. But simple carbs occur naturally in some foods that are part of a balanced diet. For example, most milk and other dairy products contain lactose, or milk sugar.

Get Smart About Bread

Choose always bread made with whole grains like barley, rye, oats, and whole wheat.

What About Fruit?

Fruits contain simple sugar but they are healthy choices as they contain fiber, antixoidants in addition to vitamin C and potassium.

Fruits with skins you can eat, such as pears, apples, and berries, are especially high in fiber.

Watch What You Drink

Sodas contain high fructose corn syrup and you can find it easily on the label. Twelve ounces of a regular soda can pack 39 grams of carbs, all coming from the sugar in it.

Think Fall

Autumn food are mainly complex carbs.

Try starchy vegetables such as sweet potatoes, squash, and pumpkin.

Sweeten With Caution

You can quickly add up on simple sugar without noticing this. Go easy on brown sugar, maple syrup, honey, and molasses.

And don't overdo it on fancier-sounding sweeteners, like turbinado and agave nectar. They're also sources of simple carbs.

Bring on the Beans

You can choose variety of beans as they are good source of complex carbs and fiber.. You may choose kidney, white, black, pinto, or garbanzo beans.

While you're on that aisle in the grocery store, think about picking up some lentils or split peas, another way to add complex carbs to your diet.

A Guilt-Free Treat

Popcorn is a whole grain. That means it's got complex carbs and fiber. Your healthiest choice is air-popped, without any added fat and salt. Season it with your favorite dried herbs and spices instead.

Great Grains to Try

Quinoa and other grains are good choices for complex carbs.

Some grains to look for are millet, a staple from Africa and Asia, bulgur, which is used in Middle Eastern dishes, and triticale, a hybrid of wheat and rye.

Which Kind of Rice?

White rice is a "refined" grain, meaning it has lost some key nutrients during processing, like fiber. But brown rice is a whole grain, a good source of complex carbs.

Sources:

https://www.webmd.com/diet/ss/slideshow-your-guide-to-eating-healthy-carbs

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/320959.php