Carbohydrates play a vital role in supporting your body's energy needs. Carbohydrates are composed of one or more sugar molecules, and foods that contain carbohydrates can be classified based on how many sugar molecules they contain. You can determine the carbohydrate value of a particular food by reading the Nutrition Facts information on the label. While your body needs a certain percentage of total carbohydrates each day, not all carbohydrates have the same effect on your body.
Total Carbohydrate Value
According to the IOM, about 45 to 65 percent of your total caloric intake should come from various carbohydrate sources. If your energy needs call for 2,500 calories each day, you would thus need 1,125 to 1,625 calories from carbohydrates each day. Carbohydrates contain 4 calories per 1 g, so you'll need about 281 to 407 g of these nutrients each day. You can find carbohydrates in numerous foods. When reading the nutrition facts label it will be easy to see how many grams of carbohydrates a particular food provides under "carbohydrates" listing. According to the USDA, foods with the highest total carbohydrates per serving include fortified milk, pie crust, rice and barley.
Complex Carbohydrates
Complex carbohydrates, or starches, are carbohydrates that contain more than two sugar molecules. They have a more complex chemical structure than other carbohydrates, hence their name. Complex carbohydrates cause a gradual rise in blood glucose levels, provide lasting energy and help you feel full longer. At least 75 percent of your total carbohydrate intake should come from starches. You can determine if a food contains mostly complex carbohydrates if it has a high carbohydrate value but has little, or no, sugar. Examples of complex carbohydrates include whole grain products, beans, vegetables and cereals.
Simple Carbohydrates
Simple carbohydrates, or sugars, are carbohydrates that contain two or less sugar molecules. They have a less complex chemical structure and the body quickly absorbs them and uses them for energy. Their sharp effect on blood glucose levels may provide quick energy, but can also produce a crash and leave you feeling full. You should aim to limit sugar consumption to less than 25 percent of your carbohydrate intake. Nutrition facts labels generally report whether a product contains sugar and how many grams it contains under the "sugars" listing. You can also look at the ingredients for any listing that contains the suffix "-ose," such as sucrose, as an indication that the product contains either sugar or modified sugar.
Fiber
Fiber is a complex carbohydrate found in plant products. The body does not digest fiber, and this carbohydrate can help cleanse the colon by removing bulk as it passes through your digestive system. Fiber can help reduce unhealthy cholesterol build-up, regulate blood glucose levels and may protect against colon cancer. Nutrition facts labels will list how much fiber a particular food contains under the label "dietary fiber." According to the IOM, adult men need 38 g of fiber each day, while adult women need 26 g. Foods with the highest fiber content include barley, bulgur, all types of beans, peas and wheat flour.
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