Starches help turn fruit into pie and drippings into gravy, while starchy foods such as potatoes are some of the most popular side dishes. Fortunately, even dieters don't have to ban starches and starchy foods; with a little information, the corn starch in your supermarket's baking aisle and the sweet potatoes in the produce section can help you meet your weight loss goals.
Identification
Starch is a tasteless carbohydrate that occurs naturally in corn, beans, wheat, rice, potatoes and other plant-based foods, according to Dictionary.com. Corn starch is available in just about every supermarket, and health food stores carry more exotic starches, such as tapioca starch and arrowroot starch. These are usually used to thicken dishes such as pies, soups or stews. In culinary circles, the world "starch" is also sometimes used to describe foods high in starch, such as corn or potatoes.
Nutrition Facts
Starches vary depending on type. A popular brand of corn starch lists 1 tbsp. as a serving, which has 53 calories and no fat, according to the Fat Secret nutrition information database. A popular brand of potato starch lists 1 cup as a serving, which contains 320 calories, or about 20 calories per tbsp, and no fat. Other types of starch may have different nutrition facts; read labels so you know what you're getting.
Healthy Cooking
Since starch thickens and adds body without fat, you can use it to replace fat in recipes. For example, the October 2006 issue of "Cooks Illustrated" magazine recommends using cornstarch thicken the sauce for macaroni and cheese, cutting down on the amount of cheese required to make a creamy dish. You can also use starch to thicken sauces, but use arrowroot starch if the sauce contains an acidic ingredient, such as lemon juice, as acid tends to harm corn starch's ability to thicken effectively.
Starchy Foods
Eaten in moderation, whole, starchy foods such as corn, potatoes and beans can help you lose weight. Whole vegetables contain fiber and water, which create bulk, fill your stomach and help you stay full, according to the Mayo Clinic website. Also, beans contain protein, which the body processes slowly, which also helps you stay satisfied and full, according to Dr. David A. Kessler's book, "The End of Overeating."
Considerations
Make sure you eat your starchy foods in as close to their natural condition as possible; a baked potato is far healthier than French fries, for example. Also, be aware that even whole, natural starchy foods are sometimes high in calories. For example, a medium baked potato, without any toppings, contains 163 calories according to Fat Secret. Instead, try sweet potatoes; Fat Secret reports that a large baked sweet potato contains a mere 112 calories, plus more than 300 percent of the daily value for vitamin A.
References
- Dictionary.com: Starch
- "Cooks Illustrated;" Everyday Lighter Mac and Cheese; Christopher Kimball; October 2006
- "The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite;" David A. Kessler; M.D.; 2009
- Fat Secret: White Potatoes (Flesh and Skin, Baked)
- Fat Secret: Sweet Potato
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