12 Best Carbohydrate-Rich Foods And Their Benefits
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Loading... - Quentin Kloet
- 14 Sep 2022
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Think carbs are bad? It is not the carbs, but the source many people are getting them from that is the primary issue. Carbohydrate-rich foods such as sweet potatoes, apples, bananas, and whole grains can offer a broad spectrum of beneficial nutrients that contribute to a healthy, well-balanced diet. In addition, the intake of these nutritious compounds offer several health benefits. In this article, we have discussed the 12 best carbohydrate-rich foods and their benefits. Keep reading!
In This Article
What Are Carbohydrates? Why Are They Essential?
What Are The Foods Rich In Carbohydrates?
Carbohydrates – Good Or Bad?
And What About Simple And Complex Carbs?
What Are Carbohydrates? Why Are They Essential?
Simply put, carbs are nothing but the complex starches, simple sugars, and fibers found in vegetables, fruits, grains, and other milk products. The world today might have maligned their reputation – but they are an important component of a healthy life.
They are macronutrients, which simply means that they are one of the three main ways the body obtains energy (the other two macronutrients being proteins and fats).
And carbohydrates are essential, mind you. They provide fuel and energy for the central nervous system and working muscles. More importantly, they prevent protein from being used as an energy source. This also enables fat metabolism.
There is a lot of confusion hovering around this topic – carbohydrates. The good carbs and the bad carbs. The simple carbs and the complex ones. We will look into all of that a little later. But first, let’s check out the foods rich in carbohydrates and how each can benefit you.
What Are The Foods Rich In Carbohydrates?
The foods that you eat on a regular basis are quite abundant in this important (but sadly abused) nutrient. Some of the richest sources include:
Brown Rice
Buckwheat
Kidney Beans
Lentils
Quinoa
Oats
Whole Grain Wheat Flour
Potatoes
Bananas
Chickpeas
1. Brown Rice
Serving size – 185 grams
Carbohydrates – 143 grams
DV% – 48%
Brown rice is a rich source of plant lignans that can protect against heart disease. It is also rich in magnesium. This mineral also contributes to heart health, just like selenium, another mineral brown rice is rich in. Brown rice can also reduce cholesterol and cut diabetes risk.
But, you don’t want to overdo it or eat it every day due to the elevated arsenic levels which occur in all rice, but especially brown rice. Rice absorbs arsenic from groundwater more easily than most plants, and like some species of plants is an arsenic accumulator, with the highest concentrations in the outermost, fibrous part of the plant, which are removed to make white rice. Read More...
