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How to Choose and Eat Good Carbs

By Diane Hanson

I don't deny that carbohydrates raise your blood sugar levels but cutting carbohydrates completely from your diet is almost impossible and certainly not necessary. In fact, carbohydrates are a healthy and important part of a nutritious diet. The trick is to choose the right or good carbs you eat and control the amount you consume.

What Are Good Carbs to Eat?

As a general rule of thumb, choose natural, unrefined carbohydrates that have a low or intermediate glycemic index (GI) value. Fruits and vegetables are low in calories, virtually fat-free and are power-packed with valuable vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and fiber.

Studies show that people who consume plenty of fruit and vegetables have a lower risk for heart disease and some cancers. Good choices include apples, grapefruits, celery, cabbage, and cauliflower.

Choose breakfast cereals with at least 5 grams of fiber per serving. Fiber is the one type of carbohydrate that does not raise blood sugar and helps you feel full so you can get through the morning without snacking. When possible, eat old-fashioned oats for breakfast.

Research shows that eating one cup of oatmeal five or six times a week can reduce the risk of getting type II diabetes by 39 percent. It also helps lower cholesterol. However, you should avoid instant breakfast packages as they are often laden with added sugar and sodium.

Read food labels. Choose breads and pasta with the word "whole" in the first ingredient such as whole grain breads, and whole wheat pastas. Also, choose brown rice over white rice; consume hulless barley instead of pearl barley.

Stock up on canned beans and lentils. These are complex carbohydrates (meaning slowing digested carbohydrates) that gives your body protein, without calories or fat. Add black beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, chickpeas, white beans and lentils to soups, salads, and pasta dishes.

Apart from choosing the right type of carbohydrates, you must also know how much carbs you need in your daily diet per day. Assuming you cut out simple carbohydrates (such as sugars, white bread, cakes, desserts etc), anything between 40 and 60 percent of your calories in the form of carbs is usually acceptable.

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