How should I choose healthy carbohydrates for my diet?

To include healthy carbohydrates in your diet, you can do as follows:

• Begin your day with a high-fiber cereal; aim for 5 grams of fiber per serving.
• Eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables per day. Keep freshly cut, ready-to-eat vegetables and fruits in the refrigerator as snacks.
• Put vegetables into your food while cooking dinner to bulk it up.
• Eat whole fruits instead of fruit juice. You'll get fiber and more nutrients this way. Whole fruits also fill you up more than the equivalent number of calories in a liquid form.
• Blend fruit and nonfat yogurt in a blender for a healthy breakfast or snack.
• Eat whole-grain breads instead of processed, refined breads. These breads should list whole wheat, whole-wheat flour, or another whole grain as the first ingredient on the food label. Aim for brands that have at least 2 grams of fiber per serving.
• Replace all-purpose flour in recipes with whole-grain flour.
• Replace white pasta with whole-wheat pasta.
• Say good-bye to white rice and hello to brown rice.
• Add barley to soups and stews.
• Add dried fruit to oatmeal, cereals, muffins, and yogurt.
• Eat more beans, peas, and lentils. You can add them to salads, soups, and side dishes.
• Enjoy low-fat popcorn.

It is important to shift the balance of carbohydrates away from simple sugars and refined carbohydrates and toward unprocessed carbohydrates, such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.