With a new year well on its way, we often hear from people making food resolutions…eat healthier, lose weight and maybe cook a few more meals at home (yeah!)
One of the most persistent topics is the push to eliminate carbs in our diets. Surely we will lose all that extra weight and finally get that trim lean body we have dreamed about if we avoid carbs?
Newsflash… it’s the type of carbs that people routinely eat that are the issue. White sugar, white flour, highly processed foods and other “simple sugar” carbs should be avoided as much as possible.
Complex carbohydrates (did you know that veggies and fruit are often mostly carbs?) are necessary to provide us with energy, macro, micronutrients and the fiber we so desperately need.
Not only are carbohydrates the body’s first go-to source of energy, they are chock full of goodness. Here are some suggested healthy carbs to give you some guidelines:
Complex carbohydrates
- Vegetables – all!
- Whole grains-oats, quinoa, brown rice, barley
- Nuts and seeds
- Whole fruit
- Beans and Legumes
- Tubers – sweet and regular potatoes
Simple Carbohydrates
- Sugary drinks-soda, sports drinks
- Juices
- White bread and other industrial baking
- Processed Food – if you can’t recognize the ingredients it’s probably not food
- Ice cream, candy, high-sugar chocolate
Keep complex carbohydrates on the menu for your healthy eating resolution in 2020!