Question about carbs

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Sanktron
Sanktron Posts: 3
in Food and Nutrition
I have a fruit smoothie almost every day.

1 cup of water
1 banana
1-1 1/2 cups of strawberries
1 cup of spinach

According to my food log this comes about to about 100 g(?) worth of carbs. I'm trying to keep my carbs low so should I cut this out of my plan or is it good enough for me that it shouldn't matter?

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  • babyblake11
    babyblake11 Posts: 1,107 Member
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    I have a fruit smoothie almost every day.

    1 cup of water
    1 banana
    1-1 1/2 cups of strawberries
    1 cup of spinach

    According to my food log this comes about to about 100 g(?) worth of carbs. I'm trying to keep my carbs low so should I cut this out of my plan or is it good enough for me that it shouldn't matter?

    carbs arnt bad, but you shouldnt have carbs take up more than 60% of your diet im pretty sure. as long as you dont go over that, its fine.
  • katemanning3
    katemanning3 Posts: 42 Member
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    Yes. If you are trying to go low carb, fruit is not your friend. On a low carb diet you pretty much want to stick to meat, cheese, eggs and green veggies. Veggies have carbs too but not nearly as much as fruit. What is the main goal of your diet? Are you calorie counting? or are you trying to combine all the diets or just trying to do a low carb only diet?
  • JNick77
    JNick77 Posts: 3,783 Member
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    I have a fruit smoothie almost every day.

    1 cup of water
    1 banana
    1-1 1/2 cups of strawberries
    1 cup of spinach

    According to my food log this comes about to about 100 g(?) worth of carbs. I'm trying to keep my carbs low so should I cut this out of my plan or is it good enough for me that it shouldn't matter?

    It depends on your diet goals. You're trying to eat low carb? If you're trying to low carb will this 100grams of carbs put you over your carb limit? If it will then it's an easy answer, no you don't eat that. If you're within your carb limit after eating this, than eat it. Although I will say that exceeding 100 grams of carbs isn't exactly low carb.
  • juliapurpletoes
    juliapurpletoes Posts: 951 Member
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    Complex carbs are great! Your snoothie is a healthy food (not processed carbs!) I personally keep my carbs to 50% or my entire diet, everyone is different.

    Just keep it all in balance with proteins and fats and I think you are okay!

    :smile:
  • katemanning3
    katemanning3 Posts: 42 Member
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    If you are consuming high amounts of carbs you need to make sure to keep your fat content low and your calories low. Where you get in trouble is combining high amounts of fat and high amounts of carbs. You cant have both. You have to pick one or the other or cut them both down low. By low, I dont mean only allowing yourself like 10 carbs a day. By low, I mean 30 carbs a day. If you are consuming exactly 30 carbs a day, you can essentially eat as much food as you want as long as it doesn't take your total over 30 carbs and you will probably eat a ton. Carbs combined with protein is what keeps you full, without it, your hungry all the time because the fat and protein doesn't stick. Without carbs, it just flushes right out of your body. That's also why too little carbs isn't good. You need your food to stick around for a little bit of time inorder get all the nutrients out of it. Being on a very low carb diet can cause you to be malnutrient.

    and if you love carbs like fruit, bread, pasta, rice, candy... the low carb diet isn't a good choice for you. You would be better off counting calories.

    I am more likely to grab a piece of chicken than I am a piece of toast any day and sweets aren't really appealing to me at all, so really I am better off on a low carb diet as far as deprivation goes but I am trying out calorie counting instead and haven't been dissapointed yet. Today however, all I have eaten all day long is hard boiled eggs, this is a low carb thing but Im still way under my cals and plan to eat some kind of carbs for dinner.
  • Riverofbeauty
    Riverofbeauty Posts: 205 Member
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    Fruit is quite high in carbs (but good carbs!) it's probably the banana that's driving the carb content up.
  • ShannonMpls
    ShannonMpls Posts: 1,936 Member
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    I have a fruit smoothie almost every day.

    1 cup of water
    1 banana
    1-1 1/2 cups of strawberries
    1 cup of spinach

    According to my food log this comes about to about 100 g(?) worth of carbs. I'm trying to keep my carbs low so should I cut this out of my plan or is it good enough for me that it shouldn't matter?

    1 banana = about 20-25 carbs
    1 cup of strawberries = about 12 carbs
    1 cup of spinach = about 1 carb

    So, I'm not sure how that comes out to 100 carbs - and I didn't subtract out the fiber. I think it sounds like a healthy smoothie and I'd continue having one. I have one most days that is berries, kale, flax seed and half a frozen banana. I limit carbs to less than 40% of my calorie intake, aiming for 125 or so. I fit this smoothie into that!
  • ShannonMpls
    ShannonMpls Posts: 1,936 Member
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    If you are consuming high amounts of carbs you need to make sure to keep your fat content low and your calories low. Where you get in trouble is combining high amounts of fat and high amounts of carbs. You cant have both. You have to pick one or the other or cut them both down low. By low, I dont mean only allowing yourself like 10 carbs a day. By low, I mean 30 carbs a day. If you are consuming exactly 30 carbs a day, you can essentially eat as much food as you want as long as it doesn't take your total over 30 carbs and you will probably eat a ton. Carbs combined with protein is what keeps you full, without it, your hungry all the time because the fat and protein doesn't stick. Without carbs, it just flushes right out of your body. That's also why too little carbs isn't good. You need your food to stick around for a little bit of time inorder get all the nutrients out of it. Being on a very low carb diet can cause you to be malnutrient.

    This is about 90% fiction.
  • GFWayofLife
    GFWayofLife Posts: 8
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    According to the FDA's website, bananas, apples, grapes, and watermelon have the highest sugar content. I guess for yours and MFP's community, make your shakes based on your individual goals. This is how I found it:
    Home > Food > Labeling & Nutrition > Food Labeling Guidance & Regulatory Information
  • JNick77
    JNick77 Posts: 3,783 Member
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    If you are consuming high amounts of carbs you need to make sure to keep your fat content low and your calories low. Where you get in trouble is combining high amounts of fat and high amounts of carbs. You cant have both. You have to pick one or the other or cut them both down low. By low, I dont mean only allowing yourself like 10 carbs a day. By low, I mean 30 carbs a day. If you are consuming exactly 30 carbs a day, you can essentially eat as much food as you want as long as it doesn't take your total over 30 carbs and you will probably eat a ton. Carbs combined with protein is what keeps you full, without it, your hungry all the time because the fat and protein doesn't stick. Without carbs, it just flushes right out of your body. That's also why too little carbs isn't good. You need your food to stick around for a little bit of time inorder get all the nutrients out of it. Being on a very low carb diet can cause you to be malnutrient.

    This is about 90% fiction.
    ^
    THIS!

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