According to MayoClinic.com, 45 to 65 percent of calories consumed each day should come from carbohydrates; mainly complex carbohydrates, healthy fruits and dairy. Carbohydrates provide the body with fuel for all of its functions. All carbohydrates are sugars which fall into two main groups: simple carbohydrates and complex carbohydrates. Simple carbohydrates are made of one or two sugars. These carbohydrates are quickly processed by the body, causing rapid rises and falls in blood sugar. Examples of simple carbohydrates are table sugar, fruit sugar and milk sugar. Complex carbohydrates contain three or more sugars in long chains that we recognize as starches. Complex carbohydrates are released more slowly in the body and are found in many nutritious, high-fiber foods.
Vegetables
Many vegetables are high in complex carbohydrates. White potatoes, sweet potatoes, peas, corn, beans, yams and onions provide the most complex carbohydrates. Although all vegetables have some carbohydrate, the non-starchy ones are also rich in dietary fiber. Fiber also helps to stabilize blood sugar. Its abundance in many complex carbohydrates aids in digestion and helps to stabilize blood sugar and energy levels.
Grains
Grains are among the main sources of complex carbohydrates in the diet. While processed grains -- white flour for example -- provide complex carbohydrates, you can make many more nutritious choices. The high fiber content of whole grains is beneficial, as are the micronutrients often stripped away in the processing of white flour. Examples of grains rich in complex carbohydrate include whole varieties of wheat, barley, oats, corn and rye, as well as the foods made from them. Brown rice, quinoa and millet are also full of good nutrients and complex carbohydrates.
Beans
Lentils, split peas, black-eyed peas and starchy dried beans like chickpeas, navy beans, kidney beans, white beans and others provide excellent nutrition, are high in complex carbohydrate and low in fat. According to the U.S. Dry Bean Council, consuming at least 100 g per day of dried beans changes cholesterol levels in a way that suggests a protective benefit against heart disease.
About Fruits and Dairy Products
Although fruits and dairy products are technically simple carbohydrates, they are loaded with important nutrients such as antioxidants, fiber, vitamins and minerals. MyPyramid.gov recommends that most people get three to four servings of fruit per day and three servings of dairy products per day.
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