Social media can lead you to believe that complex carbohydrates cause you problems. This is false. There are many reasons to include carbs in a balanced diet. Here are our recommendations for carbs and our guide to serving sizes.
Why Carbohydrates Are Important
Carbohydrates are essential for two reasons. They are the body’s primary source of energy. Second, they can be broken down into simple sugars that your body uses to generate energy. We just dropped the “s”, but they are essential sugars in this situation.
Second, carbohydrates provide micronutrients. The best source of vitamins, minerals, and colorful fruits and vegetables is the color of vibrant fruits and vegetables. These nutrients are vital for many of your body’s functions.
Other Carbohydrate Sources
All carbohydrates are not created equal. You need to know how many grams of carbohydrate are contained in each serving of food. This will allow you to maximize the energy and satiety benefits. Higher amounts of carbohydrates (or calories) will provide more energy than lower-carbohydrate foods.
We’ll compare the amount of complex carbohydrates in 100 grams of various foods to see if they are comparable.
White rice, bananas, dried fruit, oats and white rice are some of the carbohydrate-dense foods. They contain 70 to 23 grams of carbohydrate per serving. These foods are best consumed after a workout. Active people will require more of them than those who are sedentary.
Lentils, sweet potatoes, white potatoes, and apples are moderately high in carbohydrate, with a serving size of 20-15 grams. These can be used for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Carrots, strawberries, butternut squash, and other non-starchy veggies are the most carbohydrate-dense vegetables, with 12-5g per serving. They can be eaten anytime of the day and are great snacks. These also contain a lot of micronutrients.
Let’s now look at the best way to calculate serving sizes after we have covered all of our favorite carbohydrates.
Determine A Serving Size
You can use your hands to measure the serving size of your food. Precision Nutrition suggests that one serving of carbohydrates equals one cupful.
A general rule of thumb is that women and smaller people should have one cupful of carbohydrates with each meal. Two servings should be allowed for men. You may need more or less carbohydrates depending on your goals, activity level, and body composition.
You will feel full and satisfied throughout the day by distributing your carbohydrate intake between your meals.
Why Carbohydrates Are Badly Reputed
Because carbohydrates can be addictive, they have a bad reputation. Don’t let this deter you from trying them. This nutrient can help you achieve your fitness goals by helping you understand the quality of carb sources and control your portion sizes.
Are you having difficulty deciding how much food to eat? Would you like some help? Find Apex Performance in Tampa today and get started with your coach.
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