With over two-thirds of the American population over the age of 20 overweight, watching calories is on everyone's minds. According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, 133.6 million American adults are overweight or obese. Fad diets have become a multi-million dollar industry, emphasizing everything from pre-made meals delivered to your door to low fat and low carbohydrate diets. In fact, carbohydrates are an integral part of your diet and provide one of your most important food sources. But all carbohydrates are not the same, as you discover when deciding what to have for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Breakfast Carbohydrates
Whether you're a marathoner or an armchair athlete, carbohydrates are often a natural part of a healthy (and sometimes unhealthy) diet. The two kinds of carbs, simple and complex, both get broken down into glucose that circulates through the bloodstream and provide energy to the cells of the body. Some of the most common breakfast carbohydrates (including serving size and grams of carbohydrates) include raisin bran (1 ounce, 20g), medium apple (20g), medium pear (25g), two 4-inch pancakes (30g), English muffin (25g), apple juice (8 ounces, 30g) or a blueberry poptart (35g).
Lunch Carbohydrates
Good choices for lunch carbohydrates include a medium orange (20g), raisins (15 ounce box, 25g), pita bread (8-inch round, 44g), rice cakes (one cake, 7g), bagel (3 ounces, 45 grams), chocolate milk (8 ounces, 25g), submarine roll (8 inch, 60g), bean burrito (50g), chocolate chip cookie (1 small, 10g) and fruit yogurt (1 cup, 40g).
Dinner Carbohydrates
While dinner selections often include fats and proteins, many people enjoy carbohydrate-rich dinners that include zuccini (one-half cup, 4g), green beans (one-half cup, 7g), winter squash (one half cup, 15g), corn (one half cup, 18g), beer (12 ounce can, 13g), ramen noodles (one half package, 25g), lentils (1 cup, cooked, 40g), baked potato (large, 50g), cheese pizza (2 slices, 40g) and one bowl of split pea soup (35g).
Snack Cabohydrates
In addition to your three meals of the day, you may want to include some of the following snack foods in your diet: one medium pear (25g), apricots (8 halves dried, 30g), saltines (6 crackers, 15g), apple juice (8 ounces, 30g), cola (12 ounce can, 38g), one Oreo cookie (7g), soft serve ice cream (1 cup, 40g).
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