What are good carbs?

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snowey7
snowey7 Posts: 6 Member
in Food and Nutrition
This probably sounds like a silly question, but when going low carb, what carbs are good? Sweet potatoes, bananas, and butternut squash have carbs but are also loaded with nutrients. Am I simply avoiding carbs like white bread and cereal? Can you help clarify? Thanks in advance.
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Replies

  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    Is it carbs that do their homework?

    I assume when people talk about good and bad foods they have been drinking kool-aid TBH but what they generally mean is carbs from whole vegetables and fruits (where they are wrapped up with fibre and vitamins and minerals like squash, carrots, corn on the cob, bananas, potatoes etc, from wholegrains, from chestnuts, nuts

    Rather than from processed or sugar sweetened drinks

    Really it's about hitting your macros and satiety though
  • sunnybeaches105
    sunnybeaches105 Posts: 2,831 Member
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    I focus my carb intake on vegetables and fruit as well as the dairy I consume. I do limit my bread consumption because I can find more nutrient dense alternatives and I need to keep my protein high. That said, I do eat bread, white rice, and some ice cream and other sweets on occasion, so I'm almost certain that some "carbs are bad" folks would argue I'm gonna die . . .
  • Alluminati
    Alluminati Posts: 6,208 Member
    edited July 2016
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    Sorry: I missed the low carb part of the OP :)
  • gwynethsomeday
    gwynethsomeday Posts: 31 Member
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    Having had a look around here, I'd recommend doing your nutrition research @ a library.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
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    The whole idea is hopeless, and you just pointed out why. Instead of "going low carb", focus on getting in adequate nutrition in a form you like - this will be the best food you can eat without overeating. If reducing carb intake helps you with that, by all means, reduce carbs. If not, you are setting yourself up for failure with unnecessary, arbitrary food rules.
  • DaddieCat
    DaddieCat Posts: 3,643 Member
    edited July 2016
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    For me, good carbs are carbs that a) fit into my macro and calorie goals b)taste good c) leave me feeling satiated and not hungry later d) have some form of fiber wrapped up in there with everything else.

    I'm not currently doing a low carb diet, but when I was, I was able to find plenty of veg that I enjoyed that fit the bill but I was also counting net carbs rather than total carbs.
  • robertw486
    robertw486 Posts: 2,390 Member
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    I would think that if a person chose to limit any macro, the thing to do would be pick nutrient rich versions of the amounts they can eat. Or just take vitamin supplements. Or both.

    There are a couple of low carb groups, and you would probably get more solid input there, as many in the group have these questions to deal with on a regular basis. The trend on the main forums seems to be that a great number will just question or argue why you made the choice.
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
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    i've been very LCHF for over a year. I tend towards green leafy and low GI veggies so I can get more nutritional bang for my (carb) buck. Spinach, green beans, bok choy,celery, broccoli, cucumbers, snap peas, peppers, etc. are my go to choices. I'll include some mushrooms, onions, carrots and other starchy root veggies too, but I limit the amount.

    As a treat I will have some low GI fruits - usually berries. I'll rarely have a bit of higher GI fruit or veggie, like potato, but I restrict the amount to much less than what the typical person would eat.

    I skip all grains. I consider them to be nutritional fluff. they taste good, but if I am limiting carbs, the amount I could eat while remaining low carb is minimal, and would provide very little nutritional benefit. They aren't worth it. Besides, who wants to stop at 1/4 of a chocolate muffin or a third of a slice of bread? I would MUCH rather have a salad or a side of green beans.

    That being said, some people are happier with a slice of bread over a couple of servings of veggies. That's just not my thing.

    The Low Carber Daily would be a helpful MFP group to join.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    People who talk about "good carbs" or "good fats" are talking about those which are typically underrepresented in the diet (like Omega-3 fats), not associated with bad health outcomes when eaten in the amounts commonly eaten in the US average diet (super processed carbs vs. ones with more fiber, sat fat vs unsat), or, especially, which come with more nutrients.

    When doing low carb none of that really matters, as the point is to keep carbs below a certain number. I suppose a "good carb" would be a food that is primarily carbs but still doesn't have that many (because low calorie). So the idea of getting carbs from non starchy veg. Low carb isn't about cutting out low nutrient carbs, but cutting way down on carbs, even carbs from high nutrient sources.

    This is one reason I'm not interested in it, but some find it an easy and satisfying way to cut calories or have appetite issues it helps with. All that is great when they don't pretend it's inherently more healthful!
  • mom22dogs
    mom22dogs Posts: 470 Member
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    Complex carbs are better for you overall than simple carbs.
    Common Complex Carbohydrates
    Dairy
    Low fat yogurt
    Skim milk
    Nuts, Seeds and Legumes
    Lentils
    Kidney beans
    Chick peas
    Split peas
    Soy beans
    Pinto beans
    Soymilk
    Whole Grain Breads and Pastas
    Breads and pastas made with the whole grains listed below provide more fiber resulting in feeling full sooner, and longer.
    Whole Grains
    Buckwheat
    Brown rice
    Corn
    Wheat
    Barley
    Oats
    Sorghum
    Quinoa
    Fruits and Vegetables
    Sweet Potatoes
    Tomatoes
    Onions
    Okra
    Dill pickles
    Carrots
    Yams
    Strawberries
    Peas
    Radishes
    Beans
    Broccoli
    Spinach
    Green beans
    Zucchini
    Apples
    Pears
    Cucumbers
    Asparagus
    Grapefruit
    Prunes

    Simple carbohydrates to limit in your diet include:

    Soda
    Candy
    Artificial syrups
    Sugar
    White rice, white bread, and white pasta
    Potatoes (which are technically a complex carb, but act more like simple carbs in the body)
    Pastries and desserts
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    mom22dogs wrote: »
    Complex carbs are better for you overall than simple carbs.

    No, and your categorization is way off.

    Simple carbs are sugars (this has to do with the molecular structure) and include fruits and veg.

    Complex carbs are starches and include all grains and of course potatoes and sweet potatoes.

    Pastries and desserts have both simple and complex carbs and get about half their calories from fat. Calling them "carbs" makes no sense when they are as much "fats."

    I don't believe in claiming that foods are "bad" or "good" on their own anyway, but claiming that potatoes are "bad" (and same with pasta and rice) is weird -- they are staples in perfectly healthful diets, and potatoes are for many people quite satiating and contribute micronutrients. Demonizing them makes no sense.
  • callumwalker1995
    callumwalker1995 Posts: 389 Member
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    mom22dogs wrote: »
    Complex carbs are better for you overall than simple carbs.
    Common Complex Carbohydrates
    Dairy
    Low fat yogurt
    Skim milk
    Nuts, Seeds and Legumes
    Lentils
    Kidney beans
    Chick peas
    Split peas
    Soy beans
    Pinto beans
    Soymilk
    Whole Grain Breads and Pastas
    Breads and pastas made with the whole grains listed below provide more fiber resulting in feeling full sooner, and longer.
    Whole Grains
    Buckwheat
    Brown rice
    Corn
    Wheat
    Barley
    Oats
    Sorghum
    Quinoa
    Fruits and Vegetables
    Sweet Potatoes
    Tomatoes
    Onions
    Okra
    Dill pickles
    Carrots
    Yams
    Strawberries
    Peas
    Radishes
    Beans
    Broccoli
    Spinach
    Green beans
    Zucchini
    Apples
    Pears
    Cucumbers
    Asparagus
    Grapefruit
    Prunes

    Simple carbohydrates to limit in your diet include:

    Soda
    Candy
    Artificial syrups
    Sugar
    White rice, white bread, and white pasta
    Potatoes (which are technically a complex carb, but act more like simple carbs in the body)
    Pastries and desserts

    Copy and paste lol, nothing wrong with white rice/pasta/bread if like me you have IBS which means I struggle to digest the fibre in brown rice. These do nothing to alter our composition and should not be limited, yes soda/candy should be
  • mom22dogs
    mom22dogs Posts: 470 Member
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    I don't get this "I don't have diabetes, high blood pressure - pick your ailment - so I don't have to watch my "carbs, sugar, etc". Maybe if people did watch these things before they get something, and made better choices in carbs, sugars, fats, ate less sodium to start with, they won't get it these ailments. I'm sorry, but I eat complex carbs because they are better for your blood sugar, and have more fiber. It keeps you from crashing from the immediate sugar rush and keeps it steady. Sorry, but I think that is much better than having sugar spikes which make you hungry and over eat, and crave more sugar. But you go ahead and eat your simple carbs for your IBS. I have IBS too, and I'm fine on complex carbs. But then I don't eat a crap-ton of them either. I stay about 150 grams a day or less.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    mom22dogs wrote: »
    I don't get this "I don't have diabetes, high blood pressure - pick your ailment - so I don't have to watch my "carbs, sugar, etc". Maybe if people did watch these things before they get something, and made better choices in carbs, sugars, fats, ate less sodium to start with, they won't get it these ailments.

    I agree. I'm in the 'prevention is better than cure' camp.

    My dad died of cancer, once he had it he started looking after himself, but it was too late by then. Had he done the right thing years earlier he most likely would have been fine. Now granted his was skin cancer, not brought on by nutritional excess or deficiency.

    My long winded point is, just because you don't have any ailments... yet, doesn't mean the devil may care attitude won't catch up with you, or maybe it wont :wink: It's a roll of the dice in the end, but if one does get a medical condition at least they will be able to say "well it's no fault of mine, i did everything i could" rather than "damn, why didn't i pay attention".

  • vingogly
    vingogly Posts: 1,785 Member
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    To the OP: welcome to the eat all the sugar you want/low carb is completely BS versus eat any sugar and you die/carbs are eevviill wars on MFP. :D

    Take everything you read here with a grain of salt -- including statements from people like me telling you to take everything with a grain of salt. Oh, and by the way, salt is totally evil too. Or totally good.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    mom22dogs wrote: »
    I don't get this "I don't have diabetes, high blood pressure - pick your ailment - so I don't have to watch my "carbs, sugar, etc". Maybe if people did watch these things before they get something, and made better choices in carbs, sugars, fats, ate less sodium to start with, they won't get it these ailments. I'm sorry, but I eat complex carbs because they are better for your blood sugar, and have more fiber. It keeps you from crashing from the immediate sugar rush and keeps it steady. Sorry, but I think that is much better than having sugar spikes which make you hungry and over eat, and crave more sugar. But you go ahead and eat your simple carbs for your IBS. I have IBS too, and I'm fine on complex carbs. But then I don't eat a crap-ton of them either. I stay about 150 grams a day or less.

    Why? None of those things directly cause diabetes or ailments, with the exception of excess sodium and blood pressure

    Excess weight is a contributing factor in developing type 2 diabetes ...not sugar, carbs, fats...surplus calories

    Stop conflating cause and treatment / correlation
  • fishshark
    fishshark Posts: 1,886 Member
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    to my tastebuds? every possible form of carb.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
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    The term "good carbs" usually refers to foods that contain slower digesting carbs, which generally means foods that contain a decent amount of fiber.

    When counting carbs for a low carb diet you typically subtract the fiber carbs as they are not fully absorbed.

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