High Sugar foods are simple carbohydrates that provide calories, but minimal nutritional benefits. On the other hand, complex carbohydrates provide calories, vitamins and minerals as well as fiber. Thus, there is stark contrast between the two and their respective benefits. As a result, it is wise to limit processed and refined sugars in your daily diet.
To increase intake of complex carbohydrates in the diet we recommend that you:
- Eat more fruits and vegetables.
- Eat more whole grains, rice, breads and cereals.
- Eat more beans, lentils, and dried peas.
Following are some recommended serving sizes for foods high in carbohydrates:
- vegetables: 1 cup of raw vegetables, or 1/2 cup cooked vegetables, or 3/4 cup of vegetable juice
- fruits: 1 medium size fruit (such as 1 medium apple or 1 medium orange), 1/2 cup of a canned or chopped fruit, or 3/4 cup of fruit juice
- breads and cereals: 1 slice of bread; 1 ounce or 2/3 cup of ready-to-eat cereal; 1/2 cup of cooked rice, pasta or cereal; 1/2 cup of cooked dry beans, lentils, or dried peas
- dairy: 1 cup of skim or low-fat milk
Also, following is a sample 2,000 Calorie menu of which 50 to 60% of total calories are from carbohydrates:
Breakfast
- 1 cup of raspberries
- 1 1/2 cups of unsweetened cereal, with 1/2 sliced banana
- 1 cup of skim milk
- 1 slice of whole wheat toast
- 1 teaspoon of margarine
- 1 teaspoon of jelly
- coffee (black) or tea
Lunch
- turkey pita pocket sandwich (2 slices of whole wheat pita bread, 3 ounces of lean turkey breast )
- 1/2 cup of shredded lettuce
- 1/2 cup of diced tomatoes
- 1/2 cup of green peppers
- 1 tablespoon of salad dressing
- 1 cup of skim milk
- 2 fresh medium-sized peaches
Dinner
- 4 ounces of broiled salmon with 3 tablespoons of lemon juice and sprinkled with paprika
- 1 cup of pasta
- 1 dinner roll
- 6 steamed broccoli stalks with sprinkled black pepper
- salad:
1 cup lettuce
1/4 cup of sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup of sliced tomatoes
1/2 cup of sliced carrots
1 tablespoon of salad dressing
1/2 cup frozen unsweetened strawberries, sweetened with 1 teaspoon of sugar - 1-inch slice of angel food cake
- 1 cup of skim milk
These are simple examples. There are so many foods and many choices you can make, just make wise choices.