Are Carbohydrates a Good thing or a Bad thing?

[Baseballkid14]

Are Carbohydrates a Good thing or a Bad thing?

[cassiegose]

Hi there,

Carbs are definitely a GOOD thing! The problem is that people often eat too many and they often eat the wrong kinds. Carbs come in many shapes and sizes... sugar, candy, fruit, starches, breads, pastas, rice, sweets, grains, dairy, veggies,.... are all carbs. The difference is the kind of carbs your eating. You want to stick to fruit, veggies, whole wheat breads, whole wheat pastas, whole wheat cous cous, quinoa, oatmeal, barley, sweet potatoes, and high fiber cereals in order to promote fat loss and/or prevent fat gain. These foods are high in fiber, higher in nutrients, (often times) lower in calories, and a better source of energy for you. Also, when eating carbs stick a serving size. Read labels and measure your food to ensure you're not overdoing it on your carbs.

Does this all make sense?

[Baseballkid14]

Yes, thank you... are carbs from granola bars good?

[swanso5]

anything in bar form is sub par...there's plenty of better options out there...fruit anyone?

[cassiegose]

Granola bars aren't the worst choice out there... if youre choosing between a donut and a granola bar the bar is definitely the way to go. However, as swans said, there are MANY other choices out there that are much better for you than granola bars. Granola tends to be high in sugar and calories and bars tend to have hydoginated oils in them as well as other ingredients that you really don't need. When choosing carbs go for ones that are the least processed... As swans said, fruit is a great choice, as are the other carbs that I suggested.

I hope this helps!

Cassie

[JNicole2009]

Just adding in:

If you are looking for good carbs, oats are really good! You can do a lot with them to keep it from getting "boring"