Carb Content in Foods

Carbohydrates fuel the body. With simple molecular chains, they metabolize more easily than proteins and fats. Unrefined carbohydrates like those in fruits and vegetables contain beneficial nutrients that get destroyed in processing. Instead of cutting carbohydrates completely, regulate the type you eat and live more healthily.

Grains

• Cereal grains, such as rice, wheat, rye and oats, and breads and pastas contain mostly polysaccharides, or complex carbohydrates. Dietary fiber in whole grains promotes intestinal health and regulation. Refined grains like those used to produce white bread no longer contain the germ or bran. Though they're often fortified with added nutrients, they offer substantially less nutritional value because the added nutrients do not compare to the original whole grain.

Fruits

• Fruits are full of simple carbohydrates, or sugars. As opposed to sugar in candy, sugars in fruit are beneficial because they have not been broken down and reprocessed. Many fruits, such as apples, also contain fiber.

Vegetables

• Vegetables typically have polysaccharides, complex carbohydrates, but the benefits of those carbohydrates change depending on the preparation. For example, steaming vegetables is healthier than frying because frying adds triglycerides, or fat. Green leafy vegetables contain beneficial carbohydrates and little starch. Starchy vegetables, such as potatoes, carrots and beets, are not unhealthy, but the carbohydrates from these varieties are less conducive to weight loss.

Meats, Fish, Eggs, and Beans

• Unprocessed meats, fish and eggs contain mostly protein with few or no carbohydrates. Unrefined or unprocessed beans are high in dietary fiber and good carbohydrates, but the amounts vary depending on the bean. For example, red beans have a high carbohydrate count and high dietary fiber as well, while black beans have a high carbohydrate count but less dietary fiber.

Sweets and Soft Drinks

• Loaded with carbohydrates, the sugar in sweets has typically been reprocessed and offers little nutritional value. The carbohydrates in soft drinks hold little nutritional value and many empty calories.