| Unrefined
and refined carbohydrates |
Apart
from potatoes, all the foods listed in this group
began life as a grain, such as wheat, rye, corn,
rice or barley. Potatoes and grains are very healthy
and filling; however, you can be even healthier
if you choose unrefined versions of these foods
over refined versions. |
Refined
carbohydrates refers to foods
where machinery has been used to remove the high
fibre bits (the bran and the germ) from the grain.
White rice, white bread, sugary cereals, and pasta
and noodles made from white flour are all examples
of refined carbohydrates. |
|
| If
you decide to increase the amount
of fibre you eat, try to drink more
water too. Your body doesn't digest
fibre, so you need the extra water
to help it flow through your digestive
system with ease. |
|
|
Unrefined
carbohydrates still contain the
whole grain, including the bran and the germ,
so they're higher in fibre and will keep you feeling
fuller for longer - great if you're trying to
lose weight and hate feeling hungry. Examples
include wholegrain rice, wholemeal bread, porridge
oats and wholewheat pasta. |
If
you'd like to eat more fibre or beat hunger pangs,
try these healthy swaps: |
 |
| Refined |
Swap |
|
Unrefined |
| Frosted flakes |
 |
|
Bran flakes |
| White toast |
|
|
Porridge oats |
| Cereal bar |
|
|
Rice cakes |
| French bread |
|
|
Wholemeal bread |
| Normal pasta |
|
|
Wholewheat pasta |
| Breadstick |
|
|
Dark rye crispbread |
|
 |
|
Simple
and complex carbohydrates |
These are often
confused with refined and unrefined carbohydrates,
but the terms simple and complex refer to how
complicated the chemical structure of a carbohydrate
is rather than to whether it's wholegrain or not.
Complex carbohydrates are the most common and
there are three kinds: |
Glycogen.
This is your body's major fuel source and is sometimes
referred to as blood sugar. It's formed from glucose,
which is found in almost all foods, and is converted
into energy. |
Starch.
This is only found in plants and, contrary to
popular belief, isn't fattening (it's the rich
sauces, fats and oils often added to pasta, potatoes,
rice, noodles and bread that are the culprits!). |
Fibre
(non-starch polysaccharide). This
is abundant in unrefined carbohydrates, fruit
and vegetables, and is important because it helps
your body to process waste efficiently and helps
you to feel fuller for longer. |
|
|
Nutritionists
recommend that the bread, cereals and potatoes
group makes up the bulk of your diet - roughly
47 to 50 per cent. They also suggest that your
dietary intake includes 18g of fibre every day. |
An easy way to
do this is to make sure that a food from this
group forms the basis of every meal - and opt
for fibre-rich unrefined carbohydrates. Here are
some healthy ideas to get you started: |
 |
porridge
oats with natural yoghurt, raisins and sunflower
seeds for breakfast |
|
wholemeal bread banana
sandwich or jacket potato and chilli for
lunch |
|
seafood paella, made
with brown rice, for dinner |
|
