Carbohydrates are important to a healthy diet. Good carbs are complex carbohydrates. These supply energy to the body and support the brain and nervous system. Complex carbs have three or more sugars so they are digested more slowly than simple carbohydrates. Therefore, they are less likely to cause a spike in blood glucose.
Fruits and Vegetables
Fruits and vegetables have complex carbohydrates. Choose whole foods over juice. Eat them fresh, canned, frozen or dried. The University of Michigan recommends that you avoid potatoes and eat more green or orange vegetables like kale, broccoli, carrots, pumpkin and sweet potatoes. The United States Department of Agriculture, or USDA, makes the following recommendations based upon a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet: three cups weekly of dark green vegetables, two cups weekly of orange vegetables, 3 cups weekly of starchy vegetables and 6 1 /2 cups weekly of a variety of other vegetables. In addition, they recommend a daily intake of two cups of fruit of any variety such as apples, berries and bananas.
Legumes and Nuts
Legumes are high in good carbs and fiber. This includes lima beans, kidney beans, soybeans, navy beans, peanuts, peanut butter, garbanzo beans, lentils, pinto beans and sunflower seeds. The USDA recommends eating three cups of legumes weekly if you are on a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet. Legumes are also a good source of protein and make it convenient for vegetarians to get both protein and good carbs in a daily diet. Nuts do not have as many carbs, but the carbohydrates they contain are good carbs. Nuts are also high in calories, and their consumption is usually limited on a low-calorie diet.
Whole Grains
Whole grains are an important source of good carbs. Replacing refined carbs with whole grains is an easy way to add more good carbs into your diet. To do this, substitute whole grain bread for white bread and whole grain pasta for regular pasta. According to the University of California, refined carbs are complex carbs that are processed to the point where they act like simple sugars in the body so these should be limited or avoided. Refined carbs include white bread, white rice, regular pasta and cereals that have been made from enriched wheat flour.
To choose good carbs, look for "whole grain" or "whole wheat" on the label. Oats, bulgur wheat, wild rice, whole wheat couscous and brown rice are also good carb foods. The USDA recommends that you eat half of your grains in the form of whole grains.
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