Table of contents:
Did you know that there are three main types of carbohydrates in food? The three types are:
- Starches (which are also known as complex carbohydrates)
- Sugar
- Fiber
You may also have heard terms like natural sugars, sugar extracts, low-calorie sweeteners, sugar alcohols, refined grains, fortified grains, complex carbohydrates, sugary foods, and whole grains.
No wonder you are confused about what and how many types of carbohydrates should be consumed.
On the nutrition label, this term "total carbohydrates" includes all three types of carbohydrates above. These are the amounts you should watch out for if you are on a carb diet.
Starch
Starch-rich foods include:
- Starchy vegetables such as peas, corn, lima beans, and potatoes
- Dried beans, lentils and legumes such as pinto beans, kidney beans, black beans and split beans
- Grains such as wheat, barley, and rice. Most wheat products are made from wheat flour, including pasta, bread and biscuits, but the type of food also varies with the addition of whole grains.
The wheat group can be processed as whole wheat or refined grains.
Wheat consists of three parts:
- Bran
- Seed
- Endosperm
Bran is a tough outer shell. This section contains the most fiber as well as most of the B vitamins and minerals.
The seeds are the next layer and contain many nutrients, including essential fatty acids and vitamin E.
The endosperm is the soft part in the middle of the grain which contains starch. Whole grain means that all of the grain is in the food.
If you eat whole wheat, aka whole wheat which contains bran, seeds, and endosperm, then you will get all the nutrients that are in grains. If you eat refined grains that contain only the endosperm or only part of the starch, you are losing a lot of vitamins and minerals. This is because whole seeds contain all of the seeds and are far more nutritious than refined grains.
Sugar
Sugar is another type of carbohydrate. You also certainly know simple sugars or carbohydrates that are easy to digest.
There are two main types of sugar, namely:
- Natural sugars such as those found in milk or fruit
- Sugar added during processing, such as canned fruit with thick syrup or for baking.
On the nutrition label, the total sugar weight calculated includes both natural and added sugars.
There are many different names for sugar. Common examples are table sugar, brown sugar, syrup, honey, beet sugar, cane sugar, sweeteners, powdered sugar, raw sugar, turbinado, maple syrup, high fructose corn syrup, agave syrup and sugar cane syrup.
You may also have seen table sugar with its chemical name, sucrose. Fruit sugar is also known as fructose and milk sugar is called lactose. You can identify other types of sugar on the label because their chemical names also end in "-ose", for example glucose (also known as dextrose), fructose (also known as levulose), and lactose and maltose.
Fiber
Fiber comes from plants, so there is no fiber in animal products such as milk, eggs, meat, poultry and fish.
Fiber is a substance in plants or plants that cannot be digested, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and legumes. When you consume fibrous foods, the fiber will pass through the intestines and not be digested.
For a healthy body condition, adults should consume 25-30 grams of fiber / day. The majority of people do not consume enough fiber in their diet. Therefore, increasing the amount of fiber in your diet is a wise choice. Most people only get no more than half of the recommended fiber intake.
Fiber or fiber contributes to maintaining digestive health, helps you to keep your routine, and makes you feel full after eating.
As an added benefit, a high-fiber diet can lower cholesterol levels, and this has been suggested by some researchers as another benefit of consuming fiber.
Sources of fiber include:
- Beans and legumes such as black beans, kidney beans, pintos, legumes (garbanzos), white beans, and lentils.
- Fruits and vegetables, especially those with edible skins (for example, apples, corn and nuts) and those with edible seeds (berries).
- Grains such as:
- Whole wheat pasta
- Whole grain cereals. Look for foods that contain 3 grams or more of fiber per serving, including those made from oats and wheat bran.
- Wheat bread. It is a good source of fiber, as one slice of bread contains at least 3 grams of fiber. Look for bread that has wheat based ingredients, such as wheat flour. Today, many grain products contain "extra fiber" with fiber added to them.
- Nuts, try several types of nuts. Peanuts, walnuts and almonds are good sources of fiber and healthy fats, but keep an eye on the portions, because these nuts also contain lots of calories even in small amounts.
In general, a perfect source of fiber should contain at least 5 grams or more per serving, although a good source of fiber should contain at least 2.5-4.9 grams per serving.
The best way to eat fiber is to eat fibrous foods instead of taking supplements. Apart from containing fiber, these foods are also rich in nutrients, containing many important vitamins and minerals for the body. In fact, it's possible that these whole grains contain nutrients that aren't even known yet!
It is important for you to know to increase your fiber intake gradually to prevent stomach irritation. Always remember to increase your intake of water and other fluids to prevent constipation.
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