What Are The 5 High Carb Foods That Won’t Make You Fat? Here Is What To Know

You may have even attempted a low-carb diet for a period. Perhaps you continue to avoid sweet potatoes because a thin online influencer you follow cautions that they will, God forbid, force you to exit ketosis. We’ll say it again, at the risk of sounding like a broken Brussels sprout: Not all high-carb foods will help you gain weight. Certain carbohydrates, typically those that arrive in a box or snack bag or don’t still contain any fiber, can be bad for your health and size.

The majority of doctors and dietitians concur, and evidence supports the notion that carbohydrates are a necessary macronutrient for good health and shouldn’t be ignored. Polish researchers, for instance, have used American data.

A 2018 study from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which was presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress, warned that long-term low-carb diets had hazardous effects. According to the study, consuming less than 215 grams of carbohydrates per day for six years raised the chance of dying from cardiovascular disease and cancer by 50% and 36%, respectively. (A large apple, 15 crackers, two teaspoons of peanut butter, and a glass of vanilla soy milk have about 215 grams of carbohydrates each.)

According to a 2019 meta-analysis published in The Lancet, carbohydrates may have beneficial metabolic effects. According to a study of 58 clinical trials, those who consumed the most whole grains, vegetables, and other high-fiber carbohydrates had a 15–31% lower chance of developing diabetes and colon cancer, as well as a lower risk of dying from a stroke or heart disease.

These high-carb foods are suggested by doctors and dietitians, so don’t be afraid to include them to your diet right now.

 

Don’t disparage all carbs. Even bread and pasta, the poster children for high-carbohydrate foods, are crucial for a balanced diet.

The owner of MenopauseBetter.com and a registered dietitian nutritionist, Dr. SuNui Escobar, DCN, RDN, cautions that cutting out all carbohydrates could be detrimental to your health and result in serious shortages. “Glucose is a carbohydrate that is necessary for the synthesis of energy in cells, including the brain. Additionally, they include dietary fiber, vitamins, minerals, and other advantageous phytonutrients.”

Just remember to choose whole grain products like bread and pasta for slow-digesting complex carbohydrates.

 

Yes, these fruits are regarded as high-carbohydrate foods due to their fructose content, which is the fruit’s natural sugar. However, their nutritional advantages outweigh the amount of carbohydrates you consume, particularly if you consume the entire fruit, including the skin of apples and pears.

According to Amy Shapiro, RD, CEO of Real Nutrition NYC, “Whole foods are high in fiber, often water, and nutrients that delay digestion, assist us to feel full longer, and minimize sugar cravings.”

Medium-sized apples and pears have 4.8 and 5.5 grams of fiber each when eaten with the skin on.

 

Choose steel cut oats, a high fiber whole grain, if you prefer a chewy, nutty cereal. Despite oatmeal’s high carbohydrate content, a meta-analysis of studies published in Nutrients revealed that type 2 diabetics reduced their fasting blood glucose and HbA1C levels—a gauge of blood sugar levels over three months—after eating the dish. Oatmeal contains a soluble fiber called beta glucan that, according to other studies, increases satiety and promotes weight loss.

According to Shapiro, “whole foods displace less healthful foods.” When compared to processed foods, which are made to increase our cravings, “we prefer to consume less and smaller portions of whole foods like oats.”

 

The comparable amount of sugar in one cup of beets, or 13 grams, won’t have the same negative effects on your weight or blood sugar as the same amount in rice pudding or cookies. This is because it contains 2.8 grams of dietary fiber, which slows the blood sugar absorption.

Even infamously “starchy” veggies like beets, according to registered dietitian Lauren Chaffin, MS, RD, owner of Nourished Nutrition, have several health advantages. There are numerous micronutrients in beets, but one serving provides 20% of the daily need for folate.

 

Although it’s likely the meal (think French fries) that comes to mind when you think “carbohydrate,” don’t disregard this starchy vegetable. If you chill before you eat, the effect of the carbohydrates on your blood sugar is minimized, allowing you to eat without worrying about becoming hungry in an hour.

White potatoes become “resistant starches,” meaning they resist digestion and do not raise blood sugar, when they are cooled after cooking. Your gut bacteria break down their starch because the small intestine does not digest it. This will help you lose weight by balancing your blood sugar levels and fostering healthy gut flora.