They may also help lower cholesterol and blood sugar. Fiber is found in many foods that come from plants, including fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans, and whole grains. Which foods have carbohydrates? Common foods with carbohydrates include Grains, such as bread, noodles, pasta, crackers, cereals, and rice Fruits, such as apples, bananas, berries, mangoes, melons, and oranges Dairy products, such as milk and yogurt Legumes, including dried beans, lentils, and peas Snack foods and sweets, such as cakes, cookies, candy, and other desserts Juices, regular sodas, fruit drinks, sports drinks, and energy drinks that contain sugar Starchy vegetables, such as potatoes, corn, and peas Some foods don't have a lot of carbohydrates, such as meat, fish, poultry, some types of cheese, nuts, and oils.
Which types of carbohydrates should I eat? But it's important to eat the right kinds of carbohydrates for your health: When eating grains, choose mostly whole grains and not refined grains: Whole grains are foods like whole wheat bread, brown rice, whole cornmeal, and oatmeal. They offer lots of nutrients that your body needs, like vitamins , minerals , and fiber.
To figure out whether a product has a lot of whole grain, check the ingredients list on the package and see if a whole grain is one of the first few items listed. Refined grains are foods that have had some of the grains removed. This also removes some of the nutrients that are good for your health. Eat foods with lots of fiber. The Nutrition Facts label on the back of food packages tells you how much fiber a product has. Try to avoid foods that have a lot of added sugar. These foods can have many calories but not much nutrition.
Eating too much added sugar raises your blood sugar and can make you gain weight. You can tell if a food or drink has added sugars by looking at the Nutrition Facts label on the back of food package.
One way to cut down on added sugar is to ban soda and other sugar-sweetened beverages. Consider these facts:. So limit juice to 4—6 ounces — ml for kids under 7 years old, and to no more than 8—12 ounces — ml for older kids and teens. It isn't always easy to tell which foods are good choices and which aren't.
The Nutrition Facts on food labels can help. Although carbohydrates have just 4 calories per gram, the high sugar content in snack foods means the calories can add up quickly, and these "empty calories" usually have few other nutrients.
Make good carbohydrate choices buy whole grains, fruits, veggies, and low-fat milk and dairy products , limit foods with added sugar, and encourage kids to be active every day. And don't forget to be a good role model. Kids will see your healthy habits and adopt them, leading to a healthier lifestyle in childhood and beyond. Reviewed by: Jane M. Larger text size Large text size Regular text size.
What Are Carbohydrates? The two main forms of carbs are: simple carbohydrates or simple sugars : including fructose, glucose, and lactose, which also are found in nutritious whole fruits complex carbohydrates or starches : found in foods such as starchy vegetables, whole grains, rice, and breads and cereals So how does the body process carbs and sugar? As the sugar level rises, the pancreas releases the hormone insulin, which is needed to move sugar from the blood into the cells, where the sugar can be used as energy The carbs in some foods mostly those that contain simple sugars and highly refined grains, such as white flour and white rice are easily broken down and cause blood sugar levels to rise quickly.
Some carbohydrate-dense foods are healthier than others. In this issue, we will talk about simple carbohydrates i. Based on the chemical structures, simple carbohydrates can be divided into two categories, namely monosaccharides single sugar molecule and disaccharides two single sugar molecules joined together.
Glucose, fructose and galactose are the three monosaccharides important in nutrition. These single sugar molecules contain 6 carbon atoms, 12 hydrogen atoms and 6 oxygen atoms i. Among these three common monosaccharides, glucose is of most significance as it always exists as one of the two sugar molecules found in a disaccharide, plus it is the basic unit that makes up starch and glycogen.
Furthermore, it is worth mentioning that our brain is almost exclusively dependent on glucose as energy source. Fruits and vegetables, especially those with edible skin for example, apples, corn and beans and those with edible seeds for example, berries. Whole grain cereals Look for those with three grams of dietary fiber or more per serving, including those made from whole wheat, wheat bran, and oats.
Whole grain breads To be a good source of fiber, one slice of bread should have at least three grams of fiber. Another good indication: look for breads where the first ingredient is a whole grain. For example, whole wheat or oats. Many grain products now have "double fiber" with extra fiber added. Nuts — try different kinds. In general, an excellent source of fiber contains five grams or more per serving, while a good source of fiber contains 2.
It is best to get your fiber from food rather than taking a supplement. In addition to the fiber, these foods have a wealth of nutrition, containing many important vitamins and minerals.
In fact, they may contain nutrients that haven't even been discovered yet! It is also important that you increase your fiber intake gradually, to prevent stomach irritation, and that you increase your intake of water and other liquids, to prevent constipation.
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