Carbs Explained - Good Carbohydrates

Good Carbohydrates?

As we have been saying on previous pages here on our site, there has been an increasing emphasis placed on the benefits and necessity of eating foods that contain good carbohydrates. But, because carbohydrates have been lumped together for so long, all of them being labeled as bad, there are a lot of us who do not know where to turn to make sure that we are eating foods that do have a good dose of good carbohydrates in them.

Start at the Grocery Store for Good Carbohydrates

Your next trip to the grocery store will be the first step in making sure that you and your family are getting enough good carbohydrates. There are a few things to keep in mind while doing your shopping. The first rule of thumb, which would benefit us all if we paid closer attention, is to buy food that is the closest to the way that nature intended and that means those that have been processed the least.

Wean yourself off the canned vegetables and make the move towards fresh fruit and vegetables. (Even frozen fruits and vegetables are better for you than canned.) There are some vegetables in particular that have more bang for the buck, so to speak. Asparagus and spinach are jam packed with vitamins and minerals as well as many more veggies like cauliflower. These would definitely be included under the umbrella of good carbohydrates.

Embrace Your Good Carbohydrates

Everyone should be eating more veggies that they do fruit. Although fruit is very nutritious, it is also full of sugars and carbs - albeit good carbohydrates. Fruits from the berry family are great to concentrate on as they are high in nutrition, but their carb value is low. Keep some seeds and nuts on hand to snack on throughout the day, they pack a protein punch and are easy to store.

Stay as far away as possible from processed foods. Many of them are high in carbs, and not the good carbohydrates, as well as sugar and a lot of empty calories in general. In a nutshell, they will help you to pack on the pounds, but give you no nutritional value in return. If you are consuming a fair amount of bread and pastas, make sure they are derived from whole grain. If you are not crazy about the whole grain pastas, try out egg pastas which also have more nutrition that the white ones.

Knowing what are good carbohydrates will increase the quality of your life and your overall health in many ways.