Balanced and Healthy Diet: Carbohydrates

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Balanced and Healthy Diet: Carbohydrates 

Carbohydrates often get a bad rap, but because of their many health benefits, carbs have a rightful place in our diets. 

All carbohydrates (carbs) aren’t bad. Some carbs are better for us than others; therefore, it is crucial to understand carbohydrate types and how to make healthy diet choices.

Carbohydrates are macronutrients found in many foods. Most carbs occur naturally in plant-based foods, such as grains. Food manufacturers also add carbs to processed foods as starch or added sugar.

There are three main types of carbohydrates:

• Sugar is the simplest form of carbohydrate. It occurs naturally in some foods, including fruits, vegetables, milk, and milk products. Types of sugar include fruit sugar (fructose), table sugar (sucrose), and milk sugar (lactose). Added sugars can be found in many foods, such as cookies, sugary drinks, and candy.
• Starch is a complex carbohydrate. This means it is made of many sugar units bonded together. Starch occurs naturally in vegetables, grains, and cooked dry beans and peas.
• Fiber also is a complex carbohydrate. It occurs naturally in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and cooked dry beans and peas.

Sources of naturally occurring carbohydrates include:

• Fruits
• Vegetables
• Dairy 
• Nuts
• Grains
• Seeds
• Beans, peas, and lentils

The Dietary Guidelines recommend that carbohydrates make up 45% to 65% of total daily calories. For a 2,000 calory daily diet, between 900 and 1,300 calories should be from carbohydrates. That translates to between 225 and 325 grams of carbs a day.

Carbohydrates are vital to health for providing energy, protecting against disease, weight control, etc.

 From: Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010, a publication of the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services, and The Harvard Diet.