“Good carbs” are said to be healthier than other types of carbs. We have summarized which foods contain which carbohydrates and what you should consider.
Good carbohydrates: That’s what makes them special
Carbohydrates are found in almost all foods. These are nutrients that your body uses for energy. To do this, digestive enzymes have to break down carbohydrates into sugars.
“Good carbs” is a slang term for a specific type of carbohydrate – the complex sugars. In food, you mainly encounter them as starch or cellulose, the building material of plant fibers.
Good carbohydrates: These foods contain them
These foods contain healthy carbohydrates:
Legumes such as peas, chickpeas, beans, lentils or peanuts
Grains such as whole wheat products, brown rice, oats, spelt, buckwheat, millet, quinoa and amaranth.
All types of vegetables (Potatoes and sweet potatoes are particularly rich in healthy starch.)
Nuts such as walnuts, hazelnuts or almonds
Seeds such as pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds
Lose weight with good carbohydrates?
Studies indicate that carbohydrates can help you lose weight. They make test subjects less irritable and they can stick to diets longer.
Long-chain carbohydrates are mostly found in vegetables. They help you to eat a wholesome and balanced diet.
Many nutrients – little fat: Vegetables, as well as whole grain products or legumes, usually also contain vitamins, minerals and secondary plant substances. On the other hand, their fat content is lower.
Roughage: Roughage from cellulose promotes digestion.
Good carbs: what are the bad ones then?
Your body does not have to convert “bad” carbohydrates into sugar first. They can enter the blood immediately as sugar and are available as energy a short time after the meal. The blood sugar level rises quickly from such carbohydrates, but it also quickly ebbs away again. That’s why the unhealthy carbohydrates don’t fill you up and you’ll quickly feel hungry again.
These sugar compounds consist of short molecular chains with a single bond (mono) or a double bond (di). These sugars are also called mono- or disaccharides by their chemical names. These include, for example:
Beet sugar, which is usually what household sugar is made of
Fructose, the fruit sugar in fruit
Glucose, for example, in dextrose
Lactose, the milk sugar
Maltose, the malt sugar
These “bad” carbs are often hidden in foods where you wouldn’t expect any sugar, such as convenience foods like ketchup, fruit yogurt, or soft drinks.
