Do you ever find yourself thinking about carbs when deciding what to eat? Maybe you’ve avoided them because you’ve heard they’re bad for you? Watch or read along as we explore carbs more:
Are Carbs Bad?
Carbohydrates
Carbs get a bad wrap. But when it comes to actual food and choosing what to eat, the story about carbs isn’t cut and dry. Carbs (or carbohydrates) is a whole category of essential nutrients that our bodies need.
“Carbs” as shorthand for processed food
Sometimes I hear “carbs” used as shorthand for heavily processed foods – like packaged breads and sweets. The conversation about heavily processed (or ultra-processed) foods is a good one to have, as most people feel best when they don’t rely on heavily processed foods for the bulk of their meals and snacks. More on that in another video.
Fruit, legumes, grains
Other times when people refer to “carbs” they are referencing all carbohydrate containing foods which includes a lot of foods – like all fruit, legumes like beans, and all grains. If you’ve understood that all of these foods are bad for you, then I have good news – they’re not! These foods can both be high in carbohydrates AND still be whole or minimally processed plant foods – which are great for you!
Other questions to ask
When it comes to choosing what to eat consider looking at other factors besides “does it have carbs?”
Here are some other questions to ask yourself:
- Is this a highly processed food? (And that would mean that it doesn’t have any recognizable whole foods in it)
- How did this food leave me feeling last time I had it?
- Is this the only food that’s in my meal/snack?
- What else could I eat with it?
If you want help deepening your understanding of carbs and other foods to find out how to eat in a way that leaves you feeling your best please reach out – I’d love to help you!
Amy Slabaugh, RDN is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and Certified Intuitive Eating Counseling serving Oakland, the Bay Area and all of California. She offers online nutrition counseling as well as in-person workplace wellness services. She specializes in gut health, Intuitive Eating and weight neutral nutrition care.
