Carbohydrates often get a bad rap because they create confusion. Many parents ask, “Are carbs good for my family?” Many believe carbs are the enemy, responsible for weight gain and poor health. In reality, carbohydrates are one of the primary sources of energy for your body.
Thus, this article aims to clear up the misconceptions about carbohydrates and shed light on their importance in a balanced diet. Reassess your family’s carb intake with informed choices that support health and well-being.
The role of carbohydrates in the diet
Carbohydrates are essential macronutrients in your and your kids’ diet for their growing bodies and activities. Macronutrients are nutrients that your body needs in large amounts.
Thus, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) states that the acceptable macronutrient distribution range for carbohydrates is 45%-65% of our calorie intake. This means that 45% -65 % of the calories you eat should come from carbohydrates.
Carbohydrates play vital roles in providing energy to all cells in the body. By breaking down in your body, carbohydrates provide energy to your brain and act like signaling molecules to the neurons. In other words, carbohydrates are crucial for cognitive function, something that everyone in your family needs — from kids to the elderly.
Carbohydrates, especially those from vegetables (fiber), also contribute to digestive health after being broken down.
They serve as a substrate for your gut microbiota to produce other important substances for energy. Gut microbiota is essential for digestive health and plays a significant role in your immune system.
Debunking carbohydrate myths
There are misconceptions about carbs, such as the idea that they are bad because they make the body become fat. Another perception is that all carbs are sugars, which you must be wary of since most kids like sweets. Here, you will know the truth.
Carbs make you fat
The belief that carbohydrates make you fat stems from many people’s daily observation that consuming large amounts of carbohydrates can lead to weight gain. This has led to the popularity of low-carbohydrate and reduced-carbohydrate diets (LCD) for weight management.
These misconceptions lead people to restrict their carbohydrate consumption, adopting LCD, which significantly reduces or even eliminates carbohydrates. LCD refers to diets that significantly lower carbohydrate intake, either as a percentage of total energy consumption or in terms of daily carbohydrate grams.
However, drastically reducing carbohydrate intake is not recommended and conflicts with dietary guidelines. Not consuming adequate amounts of carbohydrates can lead to fatigue, constipation, or muscle loss, as carbohydrates are essential nutrients for your body.
This truth is important for you and your family because your bodies need the energy for many activities.
Your kids have school activities and are still growing. Your older parents probably have reduced physical condition, and you have your own activities. Every single family member needs energy to function.
Many things can add fat to your body, but proper consumption of carbohydrates is not one of them. Consuming adequate amounts of carbohydrates does not make you fat.
All carbs are sugars
There is also a misconception that all carbs are sugars. This makes people afraid of carbs, as they believe it can make them fat. They are also fearful of getting illnesses like diabetes.
However, defining sugars is not as simple as it sounds. Carbohydrates comprise units of sugar (one or many units of sugar).
Thus, sugars are a fundamental unit of the carbohydrate structure, which can’t ultimately cause you to get fat or diabetes.
There are good sugars and bad sugars. Thus, you can say there are good carbs and bad carbs. Knowing these types of sugars can help you understand how to consume carbohydrates healthily.
Good carbs vs. bad carbs
You need to understand that there are different types of carbohydrates, which can be categorized as good carbs and bad carbs.
Understanding good carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are divided into two types: simple and complex. Simple carbs (sugars) consist of just one unit of sugar (monosaccharides) or two units of sugar (disaccharides). Complex carbs consist of many sugar units (starch, glycogen, and fiber).
Complex carbohydrates are intricate structures packed with high dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals, making them antioxidant-rich.
These carbs are found in plants and consumed as fruits, vegetables, grains, beans, and legumes. They have a wealth of antioxidants and phytochemicals (plant chemicals, such as fibers). Thus, this is called good carbs, which are carbs that are beneficial to your body.
Good carbohydrates also have a low glycemic index.
The glycemic index represents how quickly carbohydrates are converted to glucose. The higher the index, the faster they convert to glucose.
Low-glycemic index foods produce a slow, steady release of insulin, helping to prevent diabetes and control weight. High-glycemic index foods contribute to diabetes, obesity, heart disease, and possibly cancer.
Good carbohydrates are also characterized by being free of added sugar and harmful additives. They are also pure, unrefined, and minimally processed food.
Recognizing bad carbohydrates
On the other hand, simple carbohydrates lack vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytochemicals. This makes eating diets high in simple carbohydrates — such as junk food — put you at risk for nutrient deficiencies. Thus, these are called bad carbs that are not beneficial to your body.
Simple carbs have a high glycemic index. Eating bad carbohydrates with a high glycemic index causes a rapid surge of insulin, followed by a plunge in blood sugar, leading to low energy. Insulin overload activates fat cell enzymes, moving fat from the bloodstream into fat cells for storage, triggering the creation of more fat cells and leading to weight gain.
Incorporating healthy carbohydrates into family meals
As the misconceptions about carbohydrates have already been debunked, it is important to incorporate healthy carbohydrates into your family’s meals.
Planning balanced meals
Incorporating healthy carbohydrates in your family’s diet means creating family food plans that include a healthy balance of carbohydrates. Balanced meals should have portion control and diverse food groups, such as mixtures of carbohydrates, protein, and fats.
Carbohydrates should make up roughly one-half of your daily calorie intake, divided equally into meals and snacks. Eating the same quantity of carbohydrates at each meal helps stabilize blood glucose levels.
Family meal planning should be done every day for each meal and snack. It can be done for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It has to be accompanied by ensuring control over your carbohydrate intake by varying your meals.
Read more: The Perks of Having a Balanced Diet
Making smart carb choices
Choosing the right carbohydrate-containing foods for your family is crucial for making meals healthy and appealing.
To keep your family healthy, choose foods containing complex carbohydrates, such as vegetables, fruits, grains, and beans. Opt for unprocessed food rather than processed food (junk food).
For example, you can include:
- Apples
- Artichokes
- Avocadoes
- Beets
- Berries
- Broccoli sprouts
- Brown rice
- Bulgur wheat
- Cabbages
- Concord grape juice
- Garlic
- Green leafy vegetables
- Kiwifruits
- Legumes
- Oatmeals
- Onions
- Oranges
- Pineapple
- Red pepper
- Romaine lettuce
- Sweet potatoes
- Tomatoes
- Wheat bran
- Winter squash
- Yogurt
You can also see the list of good carbs for weight loss here.
Vary your carb choices and recipes to make meals appealing to your family. Also, make them in small bites to encourage your children to eat the healthy carbs you’ve selected.
Teaching kids about carbs
Educating your children about the importance of carbs is as important as providing them with the right choices. Teach them through cooking together or discussing their food choices. Let them know that the right choices of carbs make them healthier.
Children often prefer sweet and cute food, so teaching them which foods are good for their health regarding carbohydrate content is crucial. This hands-on approach helps them understand the value of good carbs and encourages healthy eating habits.
Managing weight and carbs
Despite the misconceptions about carbohydrates, you can still enjoy carbs while managing your weight.
You just need ways to include carbs in a diet effectively when managing weight or even managing your blood sugar levels. Here are the tips recommended by Greenwood-Robinson in his book titled “Good Carbs Vs. Bad Carbs” (2004):
- Eat 120 to 150 grams of good carbs a day, including glycemically acceptable carbohydrates (carbohydrates with an acceptable value of glycemic index, which are those carbohydrates that have a low glycemic index)
- Increase your daily intake of fiber
- Balance your ratio of carbohydrates with other nutrients in fat-burning proportions
- Modify your calories
- Restrict starchy carbohydrates after your mid-day meal
Personalizing carb intake
Incorporating healthy carbohydrates should also be based on individual conditions in your family. Family members might have different activity levels, health conditions, and dietary needs, impacting their carbohydrate intake.
Most experts suggest tailoring your carbohydrate intake with a simple plate method:
- Imagine dividing your plate into three sections by drawing a vertical line down the middle and a horizontal line across one half.
- Fill the largest section with non-starchy vegetables like spinach, carrots, lettuce, green cabbage, or mushrooms.
- In one of the smaller sections, place starchy vegetables like potatoes or winter squash. It can also be grains like whole grain pasta or brown rice. Legumes like black peas or pinto beans are also good choices.
- Use the remaining small section for protein, choosing options like skinless chicken or turkey, salmon or catfish, or lean beef cuts.
- Add a small portion of fruit or low-fat dairy on the side.
- Incorporate healthy fats like olive oil, avocados, seeds, and nuts.
- Enjoy a low-calorie beverage such as water, unsweetened tea, or coffee.
Remember that good carbs can become bad carbs through processing.
The addition of sugar, fat, and additives destroys healthy nutrients. Overcooking can also remove its healthiness. For example, a potato starts out as a nutritious, filling carb when baked. However, it can become a greasy, high-calorie bad carb when made into french fries or potato chips.
In conclusion, personalizing carb intake should involve considering your family member’s needs and how the carb foods are prepared.
In conclusion
Believing in misconceptions can misguide your family’s dietary choices. It is important for you and your family to know the truth about carbohydrates because it will impact your family’s health.
Not all carbohydrates are bad. There are two types of carbs: good carbs which are beneficial for your body and health, and bad carbs which are bad for your body because they can lead to weight gain and other health issues.
The good ones are found in fruits, vegetables, grains, beans, and legumes, while the bad ones are found in processed junk food. You and your family should avoid bad carbs.
However, incorporating these good and healthy carbohydrates into your family meals should be done. This involves planning balanced meals, making smart carb choices, educating children about carbs, managing weight effectively, and personalizing carb intake to meet individual needs.
Armed with this knowledge and the practices discussed, you can enhance your family’s health and dietary satisfaction. Make informed carbohydrate choices to support your family’s well-being and enjoy a balanced, nutritious diet.
If you would like to see more resources on dietary requirements, check out the Household Management Science Labs. The lab uses the research of the Institute for Life Management Science to produce courses, certifications, podcasts, videos, and other tools. Visit the Household Management Science Labs today.
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