According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the average person should consume about 200 g of carbohydrates each day. Even if you follow a low-carb diet, it's important to acknowledge that not all carbs are created equal. Incorporate more quality carbohydrates into your diet, while minimizing the carbs with little nutritional value. The two main types of carbohydrates are complex carbohydrates and simple carbohydrates.
Complex Carbohydrates
Foods with complex carbohydrates provide dietary fiber, which is soluble, insoluble or a combination of the two. Foods with soluble fiber turn gellike in your digestive system, encouraging the elimination of nonnutritive compounds from your body. Soluble fiber encourages healthy blood cholesterol and blood sugar levels in your body. Foods with insoluble fiber add bulk, which gives you a feeling of fullness, promotes regularity and possibly aids weight loss and decreases your risk of colorectal cancer, according to MayoClinic.com.
Calculating Fiber Needs
It's not important to focus on whether your fiber-rich food is mainly soluble or insoluble unless your doctor recommends specific fiber-rich foods for your health. But label reading for overall fiber content is important, because most people need about 14 g of dietary fiber for every 1,000 calories consumed each day. For someone on a 2,000-calorie diet, 28 g of dietary fiber represents a healthy goal.
Complex Carb Foods
Unrefined grains, vegetables and fruits are prime examples of foods contributing complex carbohydrates, notes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Specifically, foods with insoluble fiber include some fruits, most vegetables, brown rice, whole-grain bread, whole-grain pasta, barley, seeds, whole-grain cereals and couscous. To get more soluble fiber in your diet, eat foods such as dried beans, dried peas, seeds, nuts, oatmeal, oat bran and fruits with edible seeds and skins.
Simple Carbohydrates
Simple carbohydrates don't always come from foods with no nutritional value. Some fruits, vegetables and dairy products contain simple carbohydrates, also known as simple sugars. The lactose in milk and fructose in fruits are examples of nutritious foods containing simple carbohydrates. These foods contain valuable nutrients like calcium or antioxidant vitamins, even while being low in the fiber associated with complex carbohydrates. The key, according to the CDC, is to limit foods with added simple sugars, rather than the foods that naturally contain simple sugars.
Simple Carb Foods
Soda, fruit drinks, sugary cereals and highly processed foods are examples of foods high in added simple carbohydrates, notes the CDC. To avoid eating too many of these nonnutritive simple sugars, examine the label of processed foods. The higher on the list of ingredients you find terms like "corn sweetener," "high fructose fruit syrup" and "dextrose," as well as familiar sweeteners like sugar, syrup and honey, the more the food relies on simple carbohydrates. If a food is high in carbohydrates but low in dietary fiber, chances are it contains more simple carbs than complex carbs.
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