When it comes to figuring out carbs, many of us have inherited a vast amount of confusion and controversy, stemming first from the heart disease scare of the 1960s and 70s and then followed by the heightened concern over obesity during the 1980s and 90s. When cardiologists linked animal fats to coronary heart disease, the food industry began a campaign of pushing low-fiber white flour food products and refined low-fat snack foods (popcorn, nachos, cookies, etc) which have been depleted of all naturally occurring fiber. Later, when dieticians began to realize that these foods were related to metabolic problems (like diabetes 2, blood-sugar issues, insulin resistance) these high-carb low-fat diets faced severe scrutiny and some diet philosophies, like the Dr Atkins Diet and the South Beach Diet swung the pendulum in the opposite direction, suggesting that carbs themselves were the inherent ‘evil’.
In today’s world, thank goodness, we can live somewhere in the middle. We know that refined carbs like processed sweets (doughnuts, cookies, cakes), low-fiber sweetened cereals, white breads and soft drinks to name a few are NOT the carbs we are looking for. On the contrary, we want complex carbs such as bran cereals, potatoes, oatmeal, rice and wheat pasta. Complex carbs are healthy carbs that provide sustained amounts of energy. As with anything, eaten in excess they WILL cause excessive weight gain, especially if you are pairing them with cheeses, heavy sauces, and high amounts of fat-think pizza, Pasta Carbonera and bagels with cream cheese.
The World Health Organization, the US Government Diet Guidelines and the World Cancer Research Fund all recommend that 50-55 percent of our daily calories come from ‘good’ carbs. Note that carbohydrate sugars contained in manufactured goods are refined sugars and should be limited as they provide minimal fiber, nutrition and water. If you are having trouble figuring out which carbs are ‘good’ and which carbs are ‘bad’ think about the food’s source-did it come from the ground (like potatoes, rice, wheat, vegetables) or did it come from a box (processed cereals, ice cream, brownies, etc)? This will go a long way in helping you make sound carbohydrate choices.
Of special note are fruits, because they contain what are known as ‘simple’ sugars, meaning they are still different from the non-nutritious carb sugars present in processed and manufactured foods. Fruits are still a good choice of carbs because of their high water and fiber content, not to mention their vitamins and minerals. Both fresh fruits and vegetables provide vital phyto-chemicals and additional micro-nutrients that provide protection from serious diseases such as cancer and heart disease.
Listed below are some good sources of healthy carbs, but just remember to choose wholegrain, whole wheat, brown or high fiber versions. When reading the ingredient list on any packaging, it must explicitly say ‘whole’ wheat or ‘whole’ grain, which means that they are higher in fiber and give you longer lasting levels of energy.
-Bread
-Oats
-Rice
-Potatoes
-Rice
-Pasta
-Lentils