What foods are high in carbohydrate?

bread

One of the first and most important steps in controlling and losing weight is to recognise which foods are high in carbohydrate. If you don't know where the carbohydrate is coming from in your diet it's impossible to control your intake. Anyone who has read my articles or discussed nutrition with me will know and I'm definitely not an advocate of high protein - low carbohydrate diets for a variety of different reasons however I recognise the importance of identifying carbohydrate in foods to avoid excessively high intake. Excessive dietary carbohydrate leads to high energy intake which if not accompanied by an equally high energy expenditure will result in weight gain and obesity. Becoming familiar with the foods in each food group that are high in carbohydrate will help to keep carbohydrate intake under control.

Carbohydrate is wide spread across all food groups. The higher carbohydrate options in each of the food groups are outlined below.

Grains:

• all grain foods are high in carbohydrate
• contain approximately 15g of carbohydrate per serve
• 1 grain serve is equal to 1 medium thickness slice of bread, 1/2 thick slice of bread, 1/4 bread roll and burger bun, 1/2 wrap, 2-4 crackers / savoury biscuits, 1 taco, 3/4 cup cereal, 1/2 cup pasta and porridge, 1/3 cup rice

Fruit:

• All fruit foods are high in carbohydrate
• contain approximately 15g of carbohydrate per serve, low sugar fruit varieties contain less (more information on lower sugar fruit varieties here: Fruit with the lowest sugar content)
• 1 fruit serve is equal to 1 medium piece (100-150g), 1 cup chopped, 1/2 cup stewed or canned and 1/2 cup (100ml) fruit juice

Vegetables:

potato

• starchy vegetables are high in carbohydrate (more information on starchy vegetables here: Starchy vegetables: a weight loss pitfall)
• contain approximately 15g of carbohydrate per serve
• 1 starchy vegetable serve is equal to 1 medium potato (100-150g) and 1/2 cup cooked

Meat & Alternatives:

• legumes are high in carbohydrate
• contain approximately 10g of carbohydrate per serve
• 1 legume serve is equal 1/2 cup (100g)

Dairy:

• milk and yogurt are high in carbohydrate
• contain approximately 15g of carbohydrate per serve
• 1 milk and yogurt serve is equal to 250m of milk and 200g of yogurt

Extras:

• crisps, lollies, chocolate, cake, muffins, sweet biscuits, soft drink etc are all high in carbohydrate

Carbohydrate is the main source of energy for our body and foods that contain carbohydrate also contain vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants and fibre. Despite the already discussed consequences of high carbohydrate intake an over restricted carbohydrate intake has its own health consequences. Inadequate carbohydrate intake may result in micro-nutrient deficiency, loss of muscle mass and delayed muscle recovery following activity, fatigue and inhibited training and sport performance, reduced brain function, alertness and attention and ketosis (increased acidity of the blood) which causes nausea, dizziness, bad breath, weakness, mood swings and depression.

Consuming moderate amounts of unprocessed or minimally  processed, low energy dense, high nutrient dense carbohydrate sources is recommended for avoiding excessively high dietary carbohydrate while still meeting requirements. Excessively high carbohydrate intake can contribute to obesity, heart disease, diabetes and a variety of other chronic diseases. Identifying foods that contain carbohydrate is just the first step, the second and more important step is having the self control to choose the best carbohydrate sources and eat them in moderation.