What the Missing Ingredient in "Carbs"

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ATT949
ATT949 Posts: 1,245 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I was checking my nutrition stats a few days ago and something jumped out at me that I couldn't make sense of.

These stats are from my food diary on June 18, 2011:
Total Carbs = 84 out of 129 (goal) which is 45 g under goal
Dietary fiber = 25 out of 15 (goal) which is 10 g over goal
Sugars = 31 out of 26 (goal) which is 5 g over goal

My question - how can I be blowing up on my fiber and sugars when I'm way low on total carbs?

It seems that fiber is representative of complex carbs while sugars represent simple carbs so…what's left? What's the "missing ingredient" that isn't displayed?

Thanks for your feedback.

Replies

  • Pandorian
    Pandorian Posts: 2,055 MFP Moderator
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    any missing carbohydrate can be assumed to be starch and

    In processed foods, starch (which is made up of long strands of glucose) generally raises blood glucose as much or more than sugars.

    from
    http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/nutrition/ss/nutritionlabels_5.htm
  • Hixena
    Hixena Posts: 24
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    some fruit and veg such as brocolli, spinach and blackberries have a high fibre, low carb content
  • EDesq
    EDesq Posts: 1,527 Member
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    I was checking my nutrition stats a few days ago and something jumped out at me that I couldn't make sense of.

    These stats are from my food diary on June 18, 2011:
    Total Carbs = 84 out of 129 (goal) which is 45 g under goal
    Dietary fiber = 25 out of 15 (goal) which is 10 g over goal
    Sugars = 31 out of 26 (goal) which is 5 g over goal

    My question - how can I be blowing up on my fiber and sugars when I'm way low on total carbs?

    It seems that fiber is representative of complex carbs while sugars represent simple carbs so…what's left? What's the "missing ingredient" that isn't displayed?

    Thanks for your feedback.

    FRUIT! Also, there are "Hidden" sugar in many high Fiber foods...that type of sugar is OK unless you are Diabetic or
    Hypo -Glycemic. Some of the best high fiber foods are loaded with carbs and have sugar in them...You have to make choices of the goals that are most important.

    ALSO, I have found that the Stats about what is "good" relative to what we eat and need to achieve Everyday is NUTS. If you try to follow some of these Nutrition "Guidelines" you will go NUTS! There is NO way to meet Nutrient guidelines by eating food, NOT even by taking Supplements. The BODY is made to develop the nutrients we actually need when we give it certain things...
  • mursey
    mursey Posts: 191 Member
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    Ugh, I disagree with the recommended settings MFP gives. Too many carbs.

    http://articles.latimes.com/2010/dec/20/health/la-he-carbs-20101220
  • icerose137
    icerose137 Posts: 318 Member
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    You are missing your grains if I had to guess. Whole grains, that is, not the refined crap you see everywhere.
  • Pandorian
    Pandorian Posts: 2,055 MFP Moderator
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    the op is asking about the difference here
    Total Carbs = 84 out of 129 (goal) which is 45 g under goal
    Dietary fiber = 25 out of 15 (goal) which is 10 g over goal
    Sugars = 31 out of 26 (goal) which is 5 g over goal

    His "carbs" all together are at 84.... but fiber and sugar added together only come to 56 grams... where's the other 28 grams of carbs? in starches which aren't tracked on nutrition labels.
  • icerose137
    icerose137 Posts: 318 Member
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    the op is asking about the difference here
    Total Carbs = 84 out of 129 (goal) which is 45 g under goal
    Dietary fiber = 25 out of 15 (goal) which is 10 g over goal
    Sugars = 31 out of 26 (goal) which is 5 g over goal

    His "carbs" all together are at 84.... but fiber and sugar added together only come to 56 grams... where's the other 28 grams of carbs? in starches which aren't tracked on nutrition labels.

    Ah, I misunderstood. I'd have to agree with the starch analysis then.
  • ATT949
    ATT949 Posts: 1,245 Member
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    Thanks for the responses.

    You folks are right on target — it must be complex carbs. And the irony? I actually learned about that but didn't "connect the dots".

    Doh!

    When I say I "learned" about it, this was my source:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbohydrates

    There are some parts that are a little slow going but I found it very informative since it broke things down into simple sugars (monosaccharides and disaccharides) and complex sugars (oligosaccharides and polysaccharides), AKA starch. Yup, I learned the words but didn't connect the dots! :-)

    I really appreciate you fitting in that "piece of the puzzle" for me!

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