Carbohydrates are common and abundant: bread, milk, popcorn, potatoes, candy, cookies, pasta, corn – the list of carb-containing foods is nearly endless. Sometimes carbs are demonized as being the source of weight gain. Low-carb diets such as Atkins and South Beach limit carbs in the diet. At other times, the message seems to be to eat more carbs. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, recommends that 45 to 65 percent of your diet should come from carbs.
The Basics
All carbs contain at least one sugar molecule, which contains carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. Starches and fibers are chains of sugar molecules that might contain hundreds of different sugars. Simple carbs tend to be the sugary foods such as fruit sugar, or fructose; table sugar, or sucrose; and corn sugar, which is dextrose or glucose. Complex carbs are generally multiples of linked sugars. Your body converts both into single sugar molecules.
Natural Foods
The term "natural foods" is commonly interpreted to include foods that have not been processed or modified in some way. An apple is a natural food, while canned commercial applesauce might not be considered “natural” because it has been processed with added sugar or high fructose corn syrup, and might also have preservatives added. Natural foods that contain carbs would primarily include fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, raw seeds, milk and legumes. Most meat does not contain carbs.
Dried Fruits
Dried fruits tend to pack a higher carb wallop than their more watery fresh cousins. A cup of dates weighs in at a whopping 133 grams of carbs. Raisins are another very concentrated source of carbs. One quarter cup of raisins has 45 grams of carbs, while one-quarter of a cup of dried apricots has 28.
Fruits and Vegetables
Among fruits, bananas and grapes are relatively high sources of carbs. A single banana has about 24 grams of carbs. One cup of grapes contains about 18 grams. Fruits such as apples and oranges are on the low end, with 16 grams of carbs for an apple and only 11 grams for an orange. Some vegetables are loaded with carbs. A small potato has 30 grams of carbs, while one carrot only has 6 grams. A cup of butternut squash, a type of winter squash, has about 24 grams of carbs.
Grains, Milk, Nuts and Seeds
Other sources of natural carbs include grains – three-quarters of a cup of cooked brown rice contains 38 grams of carbs, while one cup of oatmeal has 26 grams. A cup of skim milk has 13 grams of carbs. Legumes vary in carbs, from 30 grams per half cup for garbanzo and lima beans, to 18 grams for lentils. Among the nuts, European chestnuts have the highest carb content. Breadnut tree seeds are very high in carbs; one cup of the dried seeds contains 127 grams of carbs.
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