Carbs: Fruits/Veggies vs. other carbs

stmcgraw1591

Hi there! I'm new to fitness pal. I'm looking at the carbs % and grams that I eat. How can I tell if I'm getting the right amount of fruits and veggies? My carb goal was suggested as 28g or 50%. Would love to see the carb breakdown.

Sand_TIger

If 28 grams is 50% that seems extremely low. Please make sure you aren't undereating! That said, generally with fruits and vegetables more is better. So maybe start with a goal of portions and then build from there, like three portions of veggies and two of fruit, or something like that? As a general guideline, the more colorful a vegetable is, usually the more nutrient packed it is too.

AnnPT77

Most dietitians and national/international nutritional authorities are recommending a minimum of 5 servings of fruit/veggies daily. Details vary, sometimes it's something like 3 veggies, 2 fruits or similar; sometimes it's half cup servings for most things, maybe one cup for fluffy stuff like leafy greens, 1/4 cup or less for dried things (like dried fruit, for example); I think the UK suggests 80g servings for most things.

A few sources are now suggesting 10 or more servings daily instead of 5. I think the UK was flirting with recommending 10, but I'm not sure they finally did.

Different countries seem to limit the number of servings of things of things that people in that country tend to get more of already, when they count servings. I think the UK said one should count no more than one serving of beans (not green beans, but the kind people put in baked beans), and the US limits how many potato servings count, if I recall correctly.

I know I'm being ridiculously vague here, but in my view, the point is the generalities they usually have in common: 5 servings minimum, 10 may be better, reasonable serving size, don't eat too much of any one veg/fruit but rather keep it varied types and colors.

My personal goal is a daily minimum of 5 x 80g servings of fruit/veg, and I shoot for 10+ x 80g servings (usually get there, or at least close). I make it a point to vary types and colors during a day, and over time. I count beans or potatoes, but don't tend to overdo either one (hardly ever eat potatoes, in fact, despite being USAian).

To me a hint that I'm doing OK - though not a guarantee - is that I'm always over my MFP fiber minimum daily, usually well over all the micronutrient minimums it tracks, on a daily basis . . . and pretty much always over the micro minimums looking at weekly averages. It'll do, for me. YMMV.

P.S. I literally don't care how many grams of carbs I eat. I look at protein as a minimum, fat as a minimum, and let carbs be the balancer to hit calories most of the time. I try to keep a good bit of mono/polyunsaturated fats in the mix, and balance Omega-3 and Omega-6 at least roughly, not overdo sat fats. I think I'm more structured about nutritional goals that the average person here, and probably more structured than necessary for reasonable health. For sure, don't let yourself get pulled into orthorexia, where some kind of "proper eating" looms so large psychologically that it starts to seem vital to be perfect always. If I have a day or few that's off, I don't feel stressed about it. I've just tweaked my eating patterns so that I'm pretty much where I want to be most of the time, staying full and happy eating foods I like, plus a few treats.

smlarkey

You’ll need to redo the math on your carb grams. 28g of carbs at 50% of your calories means you’d only be eating 224 calories a day.

If you want 50% carbs, then take your total daily calories, multiply by .5, then divide by 4 and that would be your daily carb goal. Note, each g of carbs is 4 calories which is why you divide by 4.

Ex. 1500 calories x 0.5 = 750, then 750 divided by 4 = 187 grams of carbs.

AmyDahlTorres

Make sure you're getting enough fiber along with your carbs. My goal as a 50+ woman is to get at least 21 grams of fiber per day.

If you have a medical reason for counting carbs (diabetes or what have you) be sure to talk to your doctor or a nutritionist.

AnnPT77

AmyDahlTorres wrote: »

Make sure you're getting enough fiber along with your carbs. My goal as a 50+ woman is to get at least 21 grams of fiber per day.

If you have a medical reason for counting carbs (diabetes or what have you) be sure to talk to your doctor or a nutritionist.

Just as a clarification, since this is an international site: In the US, "registered dietitian" is the general designation for degreed, credentialed professionals in eating and nutrition. The definition of "nutritionist" varies by state, and in some cases someone can call themselves a "nutritionist" with no relevant education, testing, or other credentials at all. The "nutritionist" title's meaning and value may be stricter in other countries, but in the US, look for a "registered dietitian", or at least look at the person's credentials. There are some "nutritionist certification" programs here that aren't even remotely stringent or in-depth. Caveat emptor.

KarmaKamen

AmyDahlTorres wrote: »

Make sure you're getting enough fiber along with your carbs. My goal as a 50+ woman is to get at least 21 grams of fiber per day.

I have no qualifications to give advice but if you're cutting carbs yes, please pay attention to the fiber. (I learned the hard way.) "The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020–2025 recommends that adults eat 22 to 34 grams of fiber each day, the specific amount will depend on your age and sex." More info

I try to have veggies or fruit with just about every meal and hit at least 20g of fiber.

I agree with the other posters that 28g doesn't sound right...

A common misconception about weight loss is that you have to do something drastic, but literally just being more mindful about what you're eating + tracking can work wonders. Before MFP, I used to just eat unlimited carbs easily 200g+ daily, and I made progress just eating a little less of what I did previously. Give yourself an easy, sustainable goal to start. 28g would be pretty difficult to start with and probably would not feel too great... Take care.