One Rule For Picking A Healthy Carb

I’ve noticed over my time as a personal trainer that nothing can be more confusing than the term ‘carbs’. I regularly field questions about what carbs are ‘good’ and ‘bad’ and what that means for diets. So today I just wanted to put down a super simple quick rule of thumb.

THE MORE IT REMINDS YOU OF A PLANT THE BETTER

In general, the more you can see the plant, the healthier it will be. Think items like whole fruits and vegetables. It doesn’t get more plant like than that and that makes these very healthy carbs. Whole grain breads and pastas are still sort of plant like – they are usually brown and often have some seeds floating around in them.

The more difficult it becomes to see how this was a plant, the less healthy the carbs. Think white breads and other refined flours. When was the last time you saw a white plant? Cake, ice-cream, and candy were certainly not harvested from a field. Liquids are also not very plant like. This includes sodas, juices, and alcohol, as well as sauces and creams.

That’s it. And bare in mind, carbohydrates are not ‘bad’.

WHEN IN DOUBT:

I know there are some things that don’t feel so straightforward. Tomato sauce is a good example. But, when in doubt, try to go back to the spirit of the rule. When you make a tomato sauce at home you start with whole tomatos, cut them up, and then mash them up in some way. In that case, you looked and held something very plant-like in your hand. I’d say that counts as a healthy carb. When you buy a tomato sauce or order it in a restaurant you never saw the plant, much less held it in your hand, so all you have to go on is the liquid in front of you. Obviously, there are no liquid plants out there, so in that case it’s pretty far from resembling a plant. You are better off ordering tomato salad in that case.

FURTHER READING

precisionnutrition.com – All About Carbohydrates

dothemovement.com – Carbs

PHOTO:

Homemade Low Carb Biscotti by rpavich

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