Making Sense of Carbs

If you look again at the list of carbohydrate foods in the last post, it can seem overwhelming to sort them out and know which foods it's wiser to eat. You may have heard people say "don't eat any white foods" or that they are going on a low-carb/ high protein diet, or that they are carb-counting. We'll try to apply the KISS principle here, and keep it all a little simpler!

Let's start with the carbohydrates you want to eat the most of: the complex carbs.  This group includes "whole" grains like oats, barley, brown rice and whole wheat. They are complex because they have not been bleached or had their fiber-rich coatings "refined" away.  These are the grains you want to choose when you choose grains.You can be comfortable having one of these complex carb choices at eat meal.

Other complex carbs include vegetables and fruits - great sources of vitamins C, A, calcium, iron and other minerals - and - again! - FIBER!  A point to remember is that the more colorful the vegetable or fruit (red, orange, dark green or dark blue) the more vitamin-packed it is likely to be. Using color as your cue,  it follows that blueberries, greens like spinach, bell peppers, broccoli, raspberries, carrots, yams, and green beans are going to be our fruit and vegetable high-fiber powerhouses. Again, you can choose from this group at every meal.

Notice I didn't list potatoes and corn there? That's because they are vegetables that fall into the starch category.  Starchy veggies are as detrimental to our weight loss program as other high calorie starches like pancakes, waffles, muffins, cookies, dinner rolls and some breakfast cereals. So limit them if you are watching your weight.

When you make your shopping list this week, make sure you have included the non-starchy complex carbs we've listed!