Starches, or complex carbohydrates, are an essential part of any diet. Your body breaks down carbohydrates into simple sugars, which it converts into energy or saves for future energy needs. Nearly all the energy that your body requires to function comes from carbohydrates. Fortunately, eating foods from several different dietary groups can provide you with sufficient amounts of this major nutrient.
Grains
Most people receive the majority of their carbohydrates from grains and cereals. These include wheat, barley, oats, farina and rice, all of which may be eaten whole or used to make breads, pastas or breakfast cereals. Depending on whether you choose whole or refined varieties, grains can be very nutritious or mildly nutritious fillers. Whole, or unrefined, grains are complex carbohydrates, which are slowly digested by your body and provide energy for long periods of time. Whole grains naturally contain vitamins, minerals and fiber. They include whole-wheat flour; bulgur, or cracked wheat; oatmeal; whole cornmeal; and brown rice.
Refined grain products include white flour, processed cornmeal, white bread, white pasta and white rice. The U.S. Department of Agriculture website MyPyramid notes that refined grains are stripped of much of their fiber and most of their vitamins and minerals during the refining process. The vitamins and minerals are replaced, but the fiber is not. Because your body quickly processes refined grains, they spike your energy for a short time and then cause it to plummet back down, making you feel hungry again.
Fruits and Vegetables
Both fruits and vegetables contain complex carbohydrates. Some, such as iceberg lettuce, contain very few, whereas others, such as corn and potatoes, contain large amounts. In addition to carbohydrates, fruits and vegetables offer high amounts of vitamins A and C as well the minerals potassium, magnesium, manganese and calcium. Vegetables are rich in insoluble fiber, which supports digestion, and fruits are abundant in soluble fiber, which lowers bad cholesterol levels in the bloodstream. In spite of their high nutrient content, fruits and vegetables have relatively few calories, making them good dietary choices. You should note, however, that fruits contain high amounts of fructose -- a simple sugar easily digested by the body. When you drink fruit juice, you may benefit from the vitamins it contains, but you miss out on the soluble fiber and carbohydrates. The USDA 2005 Department of Health and Human Services Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggests that you limit your consumption of fruit juice in favor of whole fruits.
Beans and Legumes
The bean group includes lima, red, black, pinto and white beans; among the legume group are lentils, soybeans, peanuts and peas. In the USDA's food pyramid, beans and legumes fall under both the meat and the grain groups. This is because like meat, beans and legumes have a high protein content, and like whole grains, they are high in complex carbohydrates. Beans and legumes are also rich in essential minerals such as molybdenum, iron, chromium, manganese, phosphorous, copper and calcium.
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