Fiber. Fiber is found in fruits and vegetables, which have carbohydrate but are generally low in calories and provide other great vitamins and minerals. Fiber is also found in whole grain products. Choose grain products with 3 grams or more of fiber per serving.
Carbohydrates and Weight Loss
When it comes to losing weight, not all carbohydrates are created equal. Carbs have a tendency to increase appetite, which can make it hard to lose weight. But you don't have to eliminate them completely. Simply limiting your carbohydrate intake can have a positive effect on weight loss. Also, make sure you're eating your carb-heavy foods earlier in the day so you have time to burn them off. And don't forget - be wary of low-carb diets. They can raise your cholesterol and cause unpleasant side effects like stomach upset, headaches and a decrease in mental alertness.
Recently Answered
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Intermountain Registered Dietitians , Nutrition & Dietetics, answered on behalf of Intermountain Healthcare -
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Weight Watchers® answeredSee All 3 AnswersRegardless of whether you're trying to lose weight or not, you should eat between 45%-65% of your daily calories from carbohydrates. It's a common misconception that carbs are the enemy. Diets that restrict any major food group, like carbs, won't result in long-term weight loss success. In addition to being the body's preferred source of energy, foods that are rich in carbohydrates contain several essential nutrients that are important for nutritional health and disease prevention.
Wholesome carbohydrate foods like fruits, vegetables, wholegrains, and legumes supply fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Low-fat dairy foods, like milk and yogurt, are rich in carbohydrates and also are important sources of calcium, vitamin D, zinc, and protein.
Weight Watchers encourages a balanced diet based on a variety of nutrient-dense foods from all the basic food groups.
Weight Watchers offers a comprehensive approach to weight loss that can help you reach your goals. -
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Dr. Michael Roizen, MD , Internal Medicine, answeredSee All 5 AnswersThe difference between at good carb and a bad carb is how fast that carb raises your blood sugar. In this video, internal medicine specialist Michael Roizen, MD, explains the difference, and provides multiple examples of both types of carbohydrates.
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Jennifer Shaw , Nutrition & Dietetics, answeredEveryone needs a different amount of carbohydrate, so it's important to meet with a dietitian to find out how much carb is right for you. However, when you're counting, each 1/2 cup of beans, peas, or lentils would count as 1 serving or about 15 g of carbs. Typically, you're aiming for between 3 and 5 servings of carbs at each meal (45-75 g), but that number varies depending on your age, gender, activity level, and weight, among other factors.
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Jennifer Shaw , Nutrition & Dietetics, answered
Non-starchy vegetables (such as broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, asparagus, and a multitude of others) have very limited amounts of carbohydrate, so there's really no limit to how much you can eat. Generally you want to try to get in at least 3-5 servings per day, since they help to round out meals and keep you satisfied once you've reached the amount of carb you're allowed for the meal.
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Dr. Harris H. McIlwain, MD , Rheumatology, answeredSee All 9 AnswersWhole grains, including some breakfast cereals (bran flakes and shredded wheat), brown rice, barley, bran, bulgur, and oatmeal, actually help keep blood sugar levels steady, helping to reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome, which is associated with pro-inflammatory markers in the body. Several large studies have also shown that intake of whole grains, as opposed to refined grains, is inversely associated with weight gain and body fat distribution.
Whole-grain foods are high in fiber and water content. It is thought that whole grains may protect against weight gain through several mechanisms that involve effects on satiety (feeling of being full), glucose and insulin responses, and antioxidant properties.
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See All 2 AnswersCounting the carbohydrate grams in your serving of boxed frozen pizza or from a can of chili is easy -- all you need to do is measure your portion and compare it to the serving on the nutrition facts panel. But how do you calculate the carbs in your Aunt Sofia's lasagna, or in the mushroom barley soup at your local lunch spot? You can guesstimate; the numbers below are bound to be somewhat imprecise, but they are better than nothing.- Lasagna, vegetable, meatless: piece of 7 × 12-inch lasagna, 45 grams of carbohydrate
- Lo mein with shrimp: 1 cup, 35 grams of carbohydrate
- Macaroni/pasta salad: ½ cup, 20 grams of carbohydrate
- Pizza, thin crust, cheese only or cheese and vegetable(s) topping: 1 slice of 14-inch pie, 17 grams of carbohydrate (check pizza restaurants' Web sites for exact carbs and other nutrition information per slice and read food labels on frozen pizza brands for accurate nutrition information)
- Stew, beef with vegetables and potatoes: 1 cup, 16 grams of carbohydrate
- Sushi with fish and vegetables rolled in seaweed: 1 roll cut into 6 pieces, 43 grams of carbohydrate
- Tuna casserole in white sauce: 1 cup, 25 grams of carbohydrate
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Chris Powell , Fitness, answeredIf you want to lose weight, you should front-load your carbs earlier in the day, so that you use them up throughout the day. In this video, fitness trainer Chris Powell explains the best time of day to eat carbs in order to lose weight successfully.
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Dr. Mehmet Oz, MD , Cardiology (Cardiovascular Disease), answeredSee All 6 AnswersEating a super high-carb diet increases NPY, a brain chemical that decreases metabolism and increases appetite, so you should ensure that less than 50 percent of your diet comes from carbohydrates. Make sure most of your carbs are complex, such as whole grains and vegetables. -
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Dr. Kelly Traver , Internal Medicine, answeredSee All 4 AnswersTo 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.