Why Carbohydrates Are Important for Your Diet

Carbohydrates are all about energy and are found in foods like fruits, vegetables, breads, pasta, and dairy products.

Your body uses these foods to make glucose, which is your body's main energy source. Glucose is a type of sugar that can be used right away for energy or stored away to be used later.

The best carbohydrates are those that contain a lot of fiber, like vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. These types of carbohydrates take longer to break down into glucose and give you the most nutrients along with your calories. Refined carbohydrates are sometimes referred to as "bad” carbohydrates. These are carbohydrates that have been processed to remove parts of the grain and have had sugar added. Common examples of refined or processed carbohydrates are white bread, cakes, and cookies.

Low-Carb Diets and Weight Loss

If you choose a low-carbohydrate diet for weight loss and take in fewer calories, you will lose weight. Generally these diets involve eating less bread and pasta and more vegetables, fruits, and meat. Although low-carbohydrate diets work well early on, after six months they do not work any better than any other diets for weight loss.

Eat the Right Carbohydrates for Weight Loss    

Here are ideas for getting the right carbs in your diet: Start your day with a breakfast of whole-grain cereal and fruit. Add an extra serving of vegetables to lunch and dinner. For easy between-meal snacks right at your fingertips, keep raw, cut-up vegetables in the refrigerator. Substitute beans as a main course in place of meat once every week. Eat a whole fruit as your dessert.

Get Your Personal Carbohydrate Guidelines

U.S. guidelines suggest that between 45 and 65 percent of your calories come from carbohydrates. At the USDA Web site, you can enter your age, sex, height, weight, and activity level to find out exactly how many calories in your diet should be from carbohydrates. 

Concentrate on Calories and Nutrition

If you need to lose weight, you should decrease your calories gradually and increase your physical activity. Choose fiber-rich carbohydrate foods and avoid added sugars. Making healthy carbohydrate choices while reducing calories and increasing physical activity is the healthiest path to weight loss.
 

Sources: Everyday Health