Carbohydrates are, in a nutshell, anything that once grew in the ground or is made from something that once grew in the ground: foods like vegetables, fruits, or starches such as potatoes (which grow in the ground) or pastas and breads (which are made from wheat, which grows in the ground).
Of course I always knew that starchy carbs had more calories than vegetables, and I also knew that fruits turn into sugar once you start to digest them.
What I didn't know, though, is that there are distinctly better and worse carbs and it's not really tied to the amount of calories each contains - at least not exactly ...
All carbs are converted to glucose (blood sugar) in the body before they can be used for energy or stored as fat. Some carbs are converted to sugar very quickly - we'll call these "fast" carbs, and others are converted more slowly, so we will refer to those as "slow" carbs. Slow carbs are generally those that are higher in fiber, and that is why if a food contains greater than 5 grams of fiber you can deduct that number from the carbs to obtain the "net" carbs to be used in calculating your daily consumption.
Slow carbs (good carbs) include vegetables, berries and low-sugar fruits and legumes. Fast carbs (bad carbs) are things like potatoes, bread, corn, rice and other grains and high sugar fruits.
Portion sizes can be kind of tricky but here's a good rule of thumb.
SLOW CARBS
Open Plate Veggies - eat as much as you want!
- cauliflower
- uncooked greens
- bok choi
- cabbage
- endive
- lettuce
- radicchio
- spinach
- watercress
- celery
- red and green peppers
- cucumbers
- mushrooms
- raadishes
- sprouts
- tomatoes
- squash
- cooked greens
- artichokes
- asparagus
- bell peppers
- broccoli
- brussels sprouts
- carrots
- eggplant
- green beans
- leeks
- apricots
- berries
- strawberries
- blueberries
- raspberries
- blackberries
- grapefruit
- lemons
- limes
- black beans
- cannelini beans
- garbanzo beans
- kidney beans
- lima beans
- navy beans
- pinto beans
- soy beans (edamame)
- white beans
- blackeyed peas
- green peas
- snap peas
- snow peas
Pasta and Potatoes - 1 cup cooked (about the size of your clenched fist)
- pasta
- couscous
- egg noodles
- linguini
- macaroni
- penne
- rigatoni
- spaghetti
- potatoes
- yams
- sweet potatoes
- 1 bagel (3-4" diameter)
- 2 slices bread
- 2 corn tortillas (6")
- 1 English muffin
- 1 flour tortilla (6")
- melons (2 cups)
- cantelope
- watermelon
- honey dew
- medium round fruits (1 medium)
- apples
- oranges
- bananas
- small round fruits (2 medium)
- plums
- tangerines
- nectarines
- dried fruits (1/4 cup)
- raisins
- prunes
- figs
Today I read an article in a diabetic newsletter about snacking. It recommended combining protein with carbs in your snacks, because it helps you to stay full longer. This afternoon my snack was a small green apple and a light cheddar cheese stick from Trader Joe's, and it was delicious and satisfying!
Unfortunately, I forgot to put the chuck roast in the crock pot, so we'll be having that tomorrow and something else tonight for dinner. Darn. But I'll enjoy it tomorrow and have something yummy to look forward to!
Next Post: All Fats are NOT Created Equal ...
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