How To Choose Carbohydrates Wisely? 5 Tips

Carbohydrates are not harmful, but some of them are healthier than others. Read below why carbohydrates are important for health and what kind of carbohydrates should be chosen for your diet.

Carbohydrates have a bad reputation, especially in terms of weight management. However, not all carbohydrates are harmful. Because of their many benefits, carbohydrates have earned their place in a healthy diet, and the body actually needs them for its normal functioning. However, carbohydrates should be chosen wisely. In this article, we’ll give you five tips to help you choose sources of good carbs.

Before we understand what “good” carbohydrates are and why they should be included in our daily diet, we need to understand exactly what a carbohydrate is and how it behaves in the body.

Information on carbohydrates

You should choose carbohydrates from healthy sources

Carbohydrates should be high in the diet, although they should be healthy carbohydrates.

Carbohydrates are a type of macronutrient found in many foods. Most of them are obtained from plant-based foods such as cereals. Carbohydrates are also added to processed products in the form of starches or added sugar.

The most common sources of natural carbohydrates include:

Fruit
Vegetables
Nuts
Cereals
Seed
Legumes

Various carbohydrates

There are three types of carbohydrates in the diet:

Sugar. Sugar is the simplest form of carbohydrate found naturally in fruits, vegetables, milk and dairy products. These carbohydrates include fructose (fruit sugar), sucrose (regular sugar) and lactose (milk sugar).
Starch. Starch is a complex carbohydrate, that is, it is made up of several interconnected sugar molecules. Starch is found naturally in many herbal products. In this sense, the less processed or cooked a food is, the higher its concentration.

Fiber. Fiber is also a complex carbohydrate. It is found naturally in fruits and vegetables such as whole grains and seeds.

How Many Carbohydrates are Needed?

According to a report by the World Health Organization (WHO), energy needs should be met mainly by carbohydrates, which should account for 55-75% of the daily diet. However, the proportion of simple sugars should be less than 10%.

So if a person eats 2000 kilocalories a day, 900-1,300 kilocalories of them should be from carbohydrates.

How to choose carbohydrates wisely? 5 tips

Intake of carbohydrates is very important because it is a very healthy source of energy. However, not all sources of carbohydrates are as good.

Here are some tips on how to choose carbs wisely for a balanced diet.

1. Increase the consumption of high-fiber fruits and vegetables

You should choose carbohydrates from fruits and vegetables

Fruits and vegetables contain healthy sugars.

Look for fresh, frozen or canned fruits and vegetables without added sugar. Other options are fruit juices and dried fruits that have natural sugar in a concentrated form and therefore contain more calories.

Fruits and vegetables also provide fiber and fluid, as well as essential vitamins and minerals. All of this makes you feel fuller with fewer calories.

2. How to choose carbs wisely: choose whole grains

Whole grains are better sources of fiber and other important nutrients such as B vitamins than processed grains. Processed cereals have undergone a process of removing certain parts and thus some of the nutrients and fiber.

3. Eat low-fat dairy products

Dairy products are rich in healthy sugars such as lactose, as well as calcium and vitamins.

Milk, cheese, yogurt and other dairy products are good sources of calcium and protein. In addition, they contain many other vitamins and minerals. To limit your intake of calories and saturated fat, you may want to choose low-fat dairy products. And also beware of dairy products with added sugar.

4. How to choose carbs wisely: Eat more legumes

Legumes such as beans, peas and lentils are the most versatile and nutritious food. They are usually low in fat and high in folate, potassium, iron and magnesium, as well as good fats and fiber.

Legumes are a good source of protein and can be a healthy substitute for meat that contains more saturated fat and cholesterol.

5. Limit your intake of added sugar

Soft drinks are high in added sugar.

The added sugar is not likely to be harmful in small amounts, but its regular consumption does not benefit health in any way. The dietary guidelines therefore recommend limiting your intake of added sugar to less than 10 percent of your daily calories.

Confectionery, processed foods and soft drinks, among others, contain the most added sugar. For this reason, their intake should be reduced.

Carbohydrates should therefore be chosen wisely. Limit your consumption of processed grains and foods with added sugar, such as sugary drinks, desserts, and sweets that are high in empty calories and have no nutrients at all. Eat fruits, vegetables and whole grains instead.