Healthy Carbs for Weight Loss

Carbs are public enemy for many women on a diet. As much as we love pasta, bread and every sweet you can think of, too many of us have been brainwashed into thinking carbs will make us fat. Newsflash: They won’t.

You need carbs for energy and of course deprivation will only backfire and that certainly won’t help you lose weight. What will is eating the right carbs. Consume nutrient dense carbs with at least 2 to 3 grams of fiber per 100 calories since your body breaks down fiber more slowly, keeping you fuller for longer.

Include these healthy carbs into your meals and you’ll be on your way to losing weight and staying fueled all day.

Barley: ½ cup cooked barley: 97 calories, 22 g carbs, and 3 g fiber. A study suggests that barley can fight hunger by raising blood sugar levels more slowly helping you bypass the sugar spike and crash that leaves you famished. Pearled barley is popular but barley groats contain even more nutrients and about 20-25% of your daily fiber in just one serving.

Whole Wheat Bread: Sprouted Whole Grain Bread, 2 slices: 160 calories, 30 g carbs, and 8 g fiber. Only buy loaves that says 100% whole wheat on the package and with 80 – 90 calories, at least 2 gram of fiber and less than 1 gram of sugar per slice.

Whole Wheat Pasta: 2 ounces dry: 198 calories, 43 g carbs, and 5 g fiber. Studies have shown that a higher intake of whole grains around 3 servings daily was associated with lower BMI and less abdominal fat. Research has linked a diet high in whole grains with tinier waists. It is key to add nutrient rich carbohydrates as a part of a balanced meal, not make it an entire meal. Keep portions between ½ to 1 cup cooked.

Beans: ½ cup canned low sodium black beans: 109 calories, 20 g carbs and 8 g fiber. According to studies done bean eaters have 23 % lower risk of expanding waistline and a 22 % reduced risk of being obese. Each type of bean has slightly different amounts of fiber, they also pack protein and iron. Remember to rinse all canned beans to decrease the sodium content.

Oatmeal: ½ cup dry: 153 calories, 27 g carbs and 4 g fiber. Half of the fiber in oatmeal is soluble fiber that dissolves into a gel like substance that delays stomach emptying, upping the satiety factor. Adding more soluble fiber to your diet may help reduce visceral fat, the belly fat that surrounds vital organs and has been associated with metabolic disorders, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

 

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