Complex Carbs Food List: Eat These and Be Healthy!

Complex Carbs Food List: Eat These and Be Healthy!
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Complex Carbs Explained

Complex carbohydrates or complex carbs, as they are more commonly known, refer to the long complex chain of simple sugars found in the starchy foods. Although both types of carbohydrates – simple and complex – break down into glucose when digested by the body and are converted to energy in the cells, the metabolic process in complex carbohydrates is longer than in simple carbohydrates. The advantage of this slower rate of conversion of glucose to energy is that the release of energy is more sustained. Hence, unlike the simple sugars that quickly raise the blood sugar levels, complex carbs help maintain a stable glucose level in the bloodstream.

Complex carbs are rich in dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals, and dietary fiber is the part of complex carbs that slows down the metabolic process and helps control digestion problems such as constipation and IBS. So, it is actually the fiber content (found only in plants) in complex carbohydrates that makes complex carb foods healthy.

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends that 40 to 60 percent of total calories should come from carbohydrates; preferably, from complex carbohydrates.

Following is the complex carbs food list to help you choose the best foods to keep healthy and avoid chronic diseases.

Grains and Whole Grain Breads

Here are some healthy complex carb choices:

Grains – Brown rice, oatmeal, quinoa, cornmeal, bran cereal, wheat germ

Whole grain breads – Bagel, muffins, whole wheat bread, rye bread, pumpernickel bread

Pasta – whole wheat pasta, whole wheat macaroni and spaghetti

A cup of oatmeal contains 3.98g of fiber and a slice of whole wheat bread has 2g of fiber. Listed here are some complex carb cereals and their fiber content in one cup.

  • Whole wheat spaghetti – 6.3g
  • Brown rice – 3.5g
  • Barley – 13.6g
  • Rye – 25g
  • Corn – 4.6g

A number of studies reported that consumption of whole grains rich in complex carbs helps lower the risk of heart disease, diabetes and even cancer. Another research suggested that men who ate more than 28g of wheat bran per day could reduce the chances of precancerous tumors of colon by one-third compared to those who ate only 17g per day. So if you are not sensitive to wheat or gluten, it is advisable that you include several servings of whole wheat grain foods.

Legumes

Chickpeas, dried peas, all beans, including kidney beans and soybeans, yellow lentils and red lentils are examples of seeds and legumes high in complex carbohydrates. Apart from being rich in fiber, vitamins and minerals, these legumes are rich in protein and omega-3 fatty acids as well.

Fruits and Vegetables

Try some or all of these complex carb foods:

Fruits – Apples, dates, prunes, fig, pears, raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, banana, orange, avocado, dried figs, and raisins.

For example, one medium apple with skin contains 5g of fiber, while a cup of raspberries has 8.36g of fiber. Similarly, a medium sized banana provides 4g of fiber.

Vegetables – Artichokes, asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, carrot, green beans, raw onion, peas, tomato, zucchini, peppers, mushroom, celery, spinach and other green leafy vegetables.

The National Institutes of Health recommends the following serving sizes:

- Fruits: One medium sized fruit or half a cup of chopped fruit or three-fourths of a cup of fruit juice.

- Vegetables: One cup of raw vegetables or half a cup of cooked vegetables or three-fourths of a cup of vegetable juice.

Tips to Consume Complex Carbs

  • The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends intake of 14g of dietary fiber per 1,000 calories consumed.
  • Consuming 2 servings of complex carbs per day may reduce the chances of being obese by 49 percent compared to those who consume only simple carbs.
  • Have fruits and vegetables twice a day to get the required complex carbs.
  • Half of your complex carbs requirement should come from whole grain sources.
  • Drink plenty of fluids, preferably water, to digest high fiber (complex carbs) foods.
  • Avoid foods with refined starches, for example, biscuits, pizza, sugary breakfast cereals, white bread and white rice.
  • Soy milk, skim milk and low fat yogurt can also add complex carbs to your diet.

The bottom line? Eat natural and unprocessed food as much as possible to get the maximum complex carbohydrates in your diet.

References

https://www.cnpp.usda.gov/Publications/DietaryGuidelines/2005/2005DGPolicyDocument.pdf

https://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=66

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