Creating a Balanced Diet with Carbohydrate-Rich Foods

Types of Carbohydrates

• Simple Carbohydrates

Simple carbohydrates are the basic type of carbohydrates. These are refined carbs and they can further be branched into monosaccharides and disaccharides. These can again be branched into subtypes like glucose, fructose, galactose, lactose, maltose, and sucrose, respectively. One example of a simple carb is white, processed sugar, which is found amply in soft drinks, cookies, pastries, candies, etc. Natural sugars like those found in honey, fruits, vegetables, and milk are also simple carbohydrates.

• Complex Carbohydrates

Complex carbohydrates are nutrient-rich and are digested slowly. Sugar molecules clubbed together in long and complex chains make up complex carbohydrates. Starch and fibre come under this category. Some food items rich in complex carbohydrates are legumes, pulses, peas, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

How much Carbohydrate is needed?

Before planning to consume foods high in carbohydrates, you must understand the daily requirement in order to stay healthy. Carbs should comprise 45%-65% of your total daily calories. Therefore, if you are consuming 2,000 calories in a day, 900 to 1,300 of those calories should come from carbohydrates. This amounts to nearly 225 g to 335 g of carbohydrates per day. It is best to check the calorie count of any food which contains carbohydrates before including it in your diet.

Creating a Proper Diet Plan

A proper diet plan should include three meals and three snacks, along with healthy beverages like unsweetened green tea or buttermilk and adequate water. When it comes to including carbohydrates in your diet plan, many people are sceptical. This is because, as mentioned earlier, carbohydrates can be both good and bad. In fact, it can be quite tricky to make carbs a part of a healthy diet. Here are some tips that may help you create a proper diet plan with carbohydrate-rich foods:

• Choose complex carbs & avoid simple carbs

Now that you know which type of carbohydrate is better for your body, you will obviously know which one to include most in your diet. In other words, go for complex carbs rather than simple carbs. Avoid added sugar as much as you can. If you’re consuming dairy products, opt for low-fat options.

• Pick diverse carbohydrate-rich foods

Your plate should have different types of foods rich in carbohydrates. If you stick to just one type, you may soon find it boring. Therefore, try to include fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, dairy products, legumes, and pulses in small amounts every day.

• Do not overeat

You must keep a tab on how much carbohydrate you are consuming every day. Too much of anything is always detrimental to health. Even with the consumption of complex carbs, you should never overdo it. So, try to pay attention to the portion sizes.

• Make your daily diet well-balanced

By including different types of carbohydrate-rich foods in your daily diet, you can make your diet balanced and healthy.

Here are a few food options to try if you are looking for healthy food high in carbohydrates as part of your daily diet —

• Breakfast

• Oatmeal porridge/masala oats

• Whole grain toast

• Chapatti-sabzi

• Quinoa khichdi

• Dalia porridge/khichdi

• Idli

• Dosa

• Besan or suji cheelas

• Lunch

• Brown rice and mixed vegetable sabzi/chole masala/paneer masala/mixed dal

• Dinner

• Roti/chapatti and mixed vegetable sabzi/rajma masala/chole masala/tadka

• Snacks

• A bowl of mixed nuts

• Boiled stir-fried peas/lentils

• Granola bars

• Fruit salads

You can always tweak this diet suggestion as per your taste and preferences.