Top 20 Carbohydrates Rich Foods
Do you believe carbs are bad for you? It is not the carbs themselves that are the problem, but rather the source from which many people obtain them. Carbohydrate-rich foods like sweet potatoes, apples, bananas, and whole grains can provide a wide range of nutrients that help you eat a healthy, well-balanced diet. Furthermore, consuming these healthy compounds has several health benefits.
What Are Carbohydrates and How Do They Work? What Makes Them So Important?
Simply put, carbs are nothing but the complex starches, simple sugars, and fibers found in vegetables, fruits, grains, and other milk products. The world today might have maligned their reputation – but they are an important component of a healthy life.
They are macronutrients, which simply means that they are one of the three main ways the body obtains energy (the other two macronutrients are proteins and fats).
And carbohydrates are essential as they provide fuel and energy for the central nervous system and working muscles. More importantly, they prevent protein from being used as an energy source. They also help with fat metabolism.
This topic – carbohydrates – is fraught with misunderstanding. The good carbs and the bad carbs. The simple carbs and the complex ones. We will look into all of that a bit later. But first, let’s look at some carbohydrate-rich foods and how they can help you.
What Are The Foods Rich In Carbohydrates?
Carbohydrates are abundant in the foods you eat regularly. The following are some of the most valuable resources:
1. Buckwheat
Serving Size- 170 grams
Carbohydrates- 122 grams
Daily Value- 41%
Buckwheat is similar to white rice in terms of how to incorporate it into your diet.
Buckwheat is high in protein as well as carbohydrates. It contains 12 amino acids that help with energy, muscle synthesis, and appropriate growth. Buckwheat’s fiber content also assists digestion and enhances digestive health, preventing a variety of digestive problems.
How To Incorporate It Into Your Diet
Buckwheat flour can be used to make pancakes.
2. Brown Rice
Serving Size- 185 grams
Carbohydrates- 143 grams
Daily Value- 48%
Brown rice is a high-carbohydrate, high-fiber meal.
Brown rice is high in plant lignans, which can help prevent heart disease. It also contains a lot of magnesium. This mineral, like selenium, another mineral found in brown rice, aids in heart health. Brown rice can also help to lower cholesterol and lower the risk of diabetes.
Due to the elevated arsenic levels found in all rice, but especially brown rice, you don’t want to overdo it or eat it every day. Rice absorbs arsenic from groundwater more readily than most plants and, like certain other plant species, is an arsenic accumulator, with the largest concentrations in the plant’s outermost, fibrous section, which is removed to form white rice.
We generally think of brown rice as “healthier” than white rice because of its higher fiber content, but due to its increased arsenic levels, the opposite may be true today.
The following rice varieties have the lowest levels of arsenic (half of the inorganic arsenic found in most other forms of rice), thus if you enjoy rice, you should eat more of them to avoid excessive exposure to this heavy metal:
- Californian, Indian, and Pakistani white basmati rice
- United States rice for sushi
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3. Lentils
Serving Size- 192 grams
Carbohydrates- 115 grams
Daily Value- 38%
Lentils are strong in protein and can be an excellent place to start if you’re a vegetarian with a high protein requirement. They’re also high in fiber, folic acid, and potassium, all of which are essential for heart health. Lentils also aid with fatigue because they are high in non-heme iron. They can also be used as a meat substitute.
How To Incorporate It Into Your Diet
Lentils might be a good place to start with meat-based soups. Lentils can also be tossed into salads with dark, leafy greens.
4. Kidney Beans
Serving Size- 184 grams
Carbohydrates- 113 grams
Daily Value- 38%
Kidney beans may also help to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. One way they do this is by lowering bad cholesterol levels without impacting good cholesterol levels. Alpha-amylase inhibitors are found in kidney beans, and they impede starch absorption and digestion, resulting in weight loss.
How To Incorporate It Into Your Diet
Kidney beans can easily be tossed into a green salad. Alternatively, toss them into an omelet for breakfast.
5. Oatmeal
Serving Size- 156 grams
Carbohydrates- 103 grams
Daily Value- 34%
Oats are a high-carbohydrate food.
Oats are high in antioxidants, the most important of which are avenanthramides, in addition to carbs. These boost nitric oxide synthesis, which lowers blood pressure. Beta-glucan, a strong soluble fiber, is abundant in oats. Beta-glucan lowers cholesterol while also assisting with weight loss.
How To Incorporate It Into Your Diet
Breakfast with oats is the easiest option. For a more nutritious breakfast, add fruits and other nuts to your oatmeal.
6. Quinoa
Serving Size- 170 grams
Carbohydrates- 109 grams
Daily Value- 36%
Quinoa, which is classified as a whole grain, is high in protein, iron, and fiber. Protein aids in the repair and regeneration of cells. Diabetics may find it to be a beneficial alternative. Quinoa’s antioxidants also aid to prevent cell damage and slow down the aging process.
How To Incorporate It Into Your Diet
Quinoa may rapidly improve the protein value of your favorite smoothie by blending it in.
7. Potatoes
Serving Size- 369 grams
Carbohydrates- 68 grams
Daily Value- 23%
Potatoes are high in potassium, a mineral that helps regulate blood pressure and, in the long run, prevent heart attacks. Potatoes also include choline, a vitamin that aids in the maintenance of cellular membrane structure and even relieves chronic inflammation.
Vitamin C, a vital ingredient for maintaining healthy immunity, is also abundant in vegetables.
How To Incorporate It Into Your Diet
To make a tasty salad, combine boiled and sliced potatoes, eggs, celery, and mayonnaise.
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8. Whole Grain wheat flour
Serving Size- 120 grams
Carbohydrates- 87 grams
Daily Value- 29%
Whole grain wheat flour is also high in fiber, which helps to avoid a variety of digestive problems, including colon cancer. It’s also high in B vitamins and folate, which helps explain why it’s so popular when compared to white flour.
How To Incorporate It Into Your Diet
You can make cookies or cakes at home with whole grain wheat flour (or a combination of whole-grain wheat flour and white flour). Bread made entirely of whole wheat can also be purchased in the store (you can check the nutritional label).
9. Chickpeas
Serving Size- 164 grams
Carbohydrates- 45 grams
Daily Value- 15%
Chickpeas are a good source of protein, with roughly 15 grams per cup. Chickpeas are also high in folate and manganese, two other minerals. Manganese assists wound healing and bone formation, whereas folate aids brain cell communication.
How To Incorporate It Into Your Diet
You can add whole chickpeas to your evening soup or sprinkle a handful of chickpeas on your salad. Sandwiches can also be made with mashed chickpeas (in the place of mayonnaise).
10. Bananas
Serving Size- 225 grams
Carbohydrates- 51 grams
Daily Value- 17%
Bananas are an extremely high-energy food. Taking one before a workout will provide you with long-lasting energy and help you get more done at the gym. Bananas’ fiber (pectin and resistant starch) aids digestion. Yes, this potassium-rich fruit is beneficial to the cardiovascular system.
How To Incorporate It Into Your Diet
Breakfast should include a banana smoothie. Alternatively, toss bananas into your salad. Include a couple of whole bananas in your breakfast for even more convenience.
11. Sweet potato
Serving Size- 133 grams
Carbohydrates- 27 grams
Daily Value- 9%
Sweet potatoes are high in vitamin A (beta carotene), with one medium spud providing over 400 percent of your daily requirement. They also have more nutrients and fewer calories than normal potatoes. The vitamin A in the vegetable helps to boost immunity as well as skin and eye health.
How To Incorporate It Into Your Diet
Sweet potatoes can be added to stews as a method to reap the benefits. You can also top your favorite pie with mashed sweet potatoes.
12. Nuts and seeds
Serving Size- 144 grams
Carbohydrates- 32 grams
Daily Value- 111%
Nuts are a high-carbohydrate food.
Almonds, cashews, walnuts, pecans, and other nuts fall within this category. Other minerals included in nuts include magnesium, manganese, and vitamin E, all of which are essential for overall health.
How To Incorporate It Into Your Diet
You can start your day with a cup of almonds. Alternatively, toss them into a smoothie or breakfast cereal.
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13. Berries
Serving Size- 150 grams
Carbohydrates- 17 grams
Daily Value- 6%
Blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries are among the ingredients. Berries are high in vitamin C and low in sodium, cholesterol, and saturated fat, which is good news for everyone. Eating berries regularly boosts your immunity and enhances your vision.
How To Incorporate It Into Your Diet
Make berries a regular part of your morning cereal. They can also be eaten on their own or with yogurt. Even a smoothie in the morning or evening can be a good idea.
14. Orange
Serving Size- 180 grams
Carbohydrates- 21 grams
Daily Value- 7%
Oranges are a good source of vitamin C, providing 130 percent of your daily requirements. Over 170 phytochemicals and more than 60 flavonoids can be found in a single berry. Vitamin C protects against cancer and improves heart health. It also helps to improve the health of your skin.
How To Incorporate It Into Your Diet
A glass of orange juice with your breakfast in the morning will help you feel better. You can eat an orange whole or just a few cut pieces in your salad or yogurt.
15. Apples
Serving Size- 125 grams
Carbohydrates- 17 grams
Daily Value- 6%
Apples are a high-carbohydrate food.
Apples are high in antioxidants and nutritional fiber, and they can improve your health. The fruit is good for your brain and can help you avoid serious brain problems like dementia and stroke. Apples are also helpful in the fight against breast cancer.
How To Incorporate It Into Your Diet
Any day is an excellent day for an apple. Alternatively, cut the pieces and toss them in with your oats or cornflakes for the morning.
16. Grapefruit
Serving Size- 230 grams
Carbohydrates- 19 grams
Daily Value- 6%
Grapefruit also has the benefit of being low in calories but abundant in nutrients. It contains vitamin C, which boosts your immunity, as well as fiber, which might help you lose weight. The fruit can help to reduce insulin resistance and diabetes. Citric acid, which is found in grapefruit, can help avoid kidney stones.
How To Incorporate It Into Your Diet
Grapefruit slices can be eaten as a snack or as an alternative to sweets. Alternatively, you may combine it into your favorite smoothie.
17. Beetroot
Serving Size- 136 grams
Carbohydrates- 13 grams
Daily Value- 6%
Beetroot includes nitrates, which can help individuals with heart failure improve muscle power. These nitrates also help you work out better. They also boost blood flow to the brain, which can help prevent dementia.
How To Incorporate It Into Your Diet
Beet juice can be a great complement to your daily routine. Even diced beets in a vegetable salad can be delicious.
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18. Watermelons
Serving Size- 154 grams
Carbohydrates- 12 grams
Daily Value- 4%
Watermelons provide a good source of carbs while also keeping you hydrated. This is especially beneficial in the heat.
Watermelon also contains carotenoids such as lycopene and beta-carotene, which boost immunity and improve vision. The fruit is also known to minimize oxidative stress and inflammation as a result of it.
How To Incorporate It Into Your Diet
Slice the fruit and enjoy it as a delectable evening snack. Alternatively, make a juice out of it and drink it for breakfast.
19. Carrots
Serving Size- 128 grams
Carbohydrates- 12 grams
Daily Value- 4%
Carrots are high in antioxidants, particularly beta-carotene (and other carotenoids), which can prevent cancer by reducing oxidative stress and inflammation.
How To Incorporate It Into Your Diet
Carrots have the most nutritional value when eaten raw or cooked. Carrots can also be shredded and used in salads.
20. Brown Bread
Serving Size- 28 grams
Carbohydrates- 12 grams
Daily Value- 4%
Brown bread is high in fiber, which helps to bulk up your stool and prevent digestive problems like constipation. Brown bread’s fiber content can help lower cholesterol levels, reducing the risk of heart disease and weight gain. It also contains B vitamins and magnesium, both of which are beneficial to brain function.
How To Incorporate It Into Your Diet
Serve it with a slice of cheese or butter as a breakfast toast.
High Sources of Carbohydrates ( Not Recommended)
The meals listed below are incredibly high in carbohydrates, however, we don’t advocate eating them as frequently as the foods listed above because they don’t include the beneficial type of carbs.
1. White Rice
Serving Size- 185 grams
Carbohydrates- 148 grams
Daily Value- 49%
It’s a good source of calories (1 cup contains 165 calories). White rice is high in iron and a great source of manganese, despite being deficient in vitamins and minerals. White rice contains iron, which can help blood cells work properly, and manganese, which helps build bones.
White rice, on the other hand, is not a highly suggested carbohydrate option.
How To Incorporate It Into Your Diet
For lunch, combine white rice with yogurt or a pickle of your choosing.
2. White Bread
Serving Size- 45 grams
Carbohydrates- 23 grams
Daily Value- 8%
White bread, despite its disdain, may help to increase the beneficial bacteria in the gut. However, don’t eat too much of it — studies show that consuming more than 3 to 4 pieces of white bread per day can lead to weight gain over time.
White bread, on the other hand, is not a very healthy carbohydrate source.
How To Incorporate It Into Your Diet
Breakfast options include bread with a small amount of cheese or an omelet.
That is true of carbohydrate-rich foods. Foods that can be found in your refrigerator. And, remember what we were talking about earlier, the perplexity? Is it true that carbs are as awful as they seem? Is there a silver lining to all of this?
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Carbohydrates: Are They Beneficial Or Not?
If you ask me, this is an important question to consider. We have begun to avoid carbohydrates as a result of the anti-carbohydrate tendency that has taken hold in our society today.
But, that’s not a good idea.
To grasp the underlying issues, we must first consider the two types of carbohydrates: whole and refined. There are also basic and complicated carbs, but we’ll get into that later.
Whole carbs are unprocessed and natural. They are high in fiber, which is found naturally in food. Potatoes, whole grains, and whole fruit are just a few examples.
Carbohydrates that have been refined have been processed. Their natural fiber has been taken away from them. Sugar-sweetened beverages, white bread, pastries, and white rice are all examples.
Refined carbohydrate consumption has been linked to major health problems such as diabetes and obesity. When ingested, they induce significant sugar increases. That may make you feel great at first, but the ensuing collapse can leave you exhausted. This leads to a desire for additional high-carb (and bad-carb) foods.
This can lead to blood sugar going up and down like a roller coaster.
Refined carbohydrates also have less or no nutrients. They are a waste of calories. Whole grains, on the other hand, are high in minerals and fiber.
As a result, it’s pointless to condemn all carbohydrates simply because the processed type is unhealthy.
The bottom line is that carbs are necessary for human health. However, you should focus on the unprocessed and whole variety. Processed carbohydrates should be avoided.
This is supported by hundreds of studies. A large body of evidence shows that high-fiber carbs including fruits, vegetables, and whole grains promote metabolic health (among other things).
Carbs, by the way, do not produce obesity on their own. Refined carbohydrates are to blame.
What are simple and complex carbs?
Simple Carbohydrates
Simple carbohydrates are sugars. They’re bad for us. At the very least, the majority of them. Simple carbohydrates imply simple nourishment. While some of these are found naturally in milk, the majority of simple carbohydrates are added to processed foods. Raw sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, brown sugar, glucose and sucrose, and fruit juice concentrate are among them.
Soda, baked goods, packaged cookies, and other simple carb foods must be avoided. Simple carbohydrates can be found in even processed breakfast cereals like oats. Of course, we recommended that you add carbohydrate-rich items to your breakfast cereal – oats are a good choice. Also, not all morning cereals are created equal. Before you buy anything, be sure you read the labels.
Complex Carbohydrates
Complex carbohydrates include fiber and starches. They’re also incredibly healthful. More complex carbs are excellent. Fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, and nuts (high in fiber) are among them, as are corn, cereal, oats, rice, and whole wheat bread (rich in starch). These are the things that should be a part of your diet if you want to lose weight.
These are the carbs that are healthy for you. Carbohydrates don’t deserve our contempt and hatred because they’re essential for long-term wellness.
Complex carbohydrates, on the other hand, can be refined. Keep a safe distance from them. Refined wheat flour, white rice, and other grains fall into this category.
We’ve compiled a list of good carbs and bad carbs to keep things simple. We assume you’ve figured out what to take and what to avoid.
Good Carbs
- Vegetables
- Fruits in their natural state
- Nuts
- Legumes
- Seeds
- Tubers
- Grain (whole)
Keep an eye out for whole grains, tubers, legumes, and high-sugar fruits if you’re trying to cut carbs from your diet. Consult your physician.
Bad Carbs
- Sugary beverages
- Fruit Juices ( With Sugar)
- White Bread
- Cakes and pastries
- Ice cream
- Candies and chocolates
- French fries
- Potato chips
- White Rice
Even though white rice and white bread are featured in the carb-rich foods list, we recommend that you consume them in moderation. Because, after all, they are terrible carbohydrates.
Carbohydrates provide a lot of energy to your body, especially to your muscles and central nervous system. Carbohydrates, particularly those obtained from whole meals, are essential for good health. This macronutrient is abundant in foods such as quinoa, lentils, brown rice, buckwheat, bananas, potatoes, and whole-grain wheat flour.
However, foods high in simple carbs, such as sugar, should be avoided because they can cause a fast surge in blood sugar levels, increasing the risk of diabetes. White rice and white bread are two examples. So choose whole carbs that are naturally high in fiber and avoid refined carbs that have fiber and other complex carbs stripped away.
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Frequently Asked Questions
1. Why do you feel weary after consuming carbohydrate-rich foods?
Because consuming bad carbs or simple carbs raises your blood sugar level, and then crashes it after some time. This resulted in extreme energy at one point and extreme tiredness after the crash. Enjoy complex carbs to get out of the situation.
Is wheat flour a simple carbohydrate or a complex one?
If it’s the store-bought enriched wheat flour, it’s a complex carbohydrate – but you shouldn’t be eating it. It’s polished, after all. As much as possible, choose untreated varieties. Also, double-check the labeling.
Disclaimer
This article provides general information about the topic and is not to be taken as medical advice or as an alternative to medical advice, treatment, and/or diagnosis. Always consult with your doctor before trying out any of the remedies/recipes suggested in the blog post.
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