Carbohydrate is one of the macronutrients that our body needs mainly to get energy. It is the primary fuel source that our body requires while Protein and Fats are for building muscles and taking care of the organs of out body. Anyway, there are mainly two types of carbs which are simple carbs and complex carbs. While simple carbs are easy to digest and can be converted into fat in your body, complex carbs on the other hand takes time to break down and don’t easily convert into fat rather gives you the necessary fuel you need in time. That’s why, we have selected 8 healthiest carbs that are not only complex but also filled with lots of other essential nutrients. You can add some of them in your diet to stay healthy and energetic without having the fear of unnecessary fat/weight gain. Let’s know what are those healthiest carbs?!
Sweet Potatoes
The first food item we have got for this list of healthiest carbs are sweet potatoes. Yes, this delicious root vegetable is packed with complex carbs and few other valuable Vitamins and Minerals. Many fitness enthusiasts and professional athletes prefer to keep it in their daily diet. 100 grams of baked sweet potatoes contain 21 grams of complex carbohydrates and only 90 calories which is surprisingly low!
Moreover, they are an excellent source of potassium, vitamin A and C which promote heart health and lower the blood pressure. So, great taste, pretty good amount of complex carbs, helpful vitamins & minerals and very low calorie are enough to say how healthy sweet potatoes are! You can add sweet potatoes in various types of your meals to add taste and get energy.
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Oats
This is a food item that doesn’t need an introduction because it has created such a huge popularity in the last few decades among the health-conscious people. Oats is considered as a perfect meal for gym-goers or bodybuilders because not only it is packed with so much good carbs but also it contains decent amount of protein. 100 grams of uncooked oats contain a whopping 60 grams of carbohydrates, 11.2 grams of protein & 2.7 grams of fibre.
The fibre will take care of your cardiovascular risks while the carbs and protein will provide you energy and muscle growth. Thus, there is no doubt oats is one of the healthiest carbs that you should not miss. It is a calorie dense food so it is perfect for people who struggle to gain weight or bodybuilders who want to bulk up.
Brown rice
Brown rice is one of the most commonly used carbohydrate foods among the fitness freaks. From average gym-goers to professional athletes and bodybuilders, almost everyone consumes brown rice as the primary source of carbs. The reason behind its popularity is not surprising. Brown rice comes with lower calories, provides complex carbohydrates and has more fibres than white rice which is a calorie dense simple carb source with less fibre. A cup of 100 grams brown rice provides 111 calories, 20 grams of complex carbs and 1.8 grams of dietary fibre.
Fewer calories, an excellent amount of healthy complex carbs to keep you energetic and good amount of fibre to limit your blood sugar and cholesterol level are enough to make brown rice one of the healthiest carbs out there. Moreover, just like white rice, brown rice also keeps our stomach full and satisfy our hunger easily. So, there is no reason not to consume brown rice a few times in your diet with other protein & vitamin sources like chicken & veggies.
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Brown Bread
Just like brown rice, brown bread is another whole grain food which is also very commonly used by health freaks. A very common breakfast for many people is 4 slices of brown bread with peanut butter, bananas, few egg whites and whey protein. Anyway, it is no secret that brown bread is super rich in complex carbs and also packed with other nutrients. 2 slices of brown bread contains 26 grams of carbohydrates which means, 100 grams of brown bread has 53 grams of carbohydrates which is just massive! Brown bread is also nutritious as it is rich in fibre and other vitamins as well as minerals just like other complex carb foods. So, there should not be any doubt why brown bread is one of the healthiest carbs out there that you should not miss especially in your breakfast.
Bananas
Banana is one of those rare fruits which is really popular among the healthy individuals. Majority of people prefer to eat bananas in their breakfast or as the post-workout meal with oats and whey protein. With a surprisingly good amount of complex carbs, bananas also are rich in potassium and Vitamin A & C just like sweet potatoes. One medium sized banana which is slightly less than 100 grams contains 26 to 28 grams of carbohydrates which is an extraordinary amount! Moreover, bananas are good to keep your stomach full and as it is a fruit, you can eat anywhere & anytime as a appetizer without any problem.
Quinoa
Quinoa is a pseudocereal which is not only one of the healthiest carbs sources but also contains a “not so bad” amount of protein, fibre and multiple minerals. 100 grams of quinoa contains 21 grams of carbs, 6 grams of protein, 2 grams of fibre and only 1.1 grams of sugar. It is also rich in minerals including magnesium, potassium and phosphorus. So, if you want to replace your brown rice or oats for other food sources then this nutritious high carb food called quinoa is the one you might be looking for.
Lentils
Lentils are very popular food items from the legumes family. It is comparatively high in both complex carbs and protein. 100 grams of lentils contain 21 grams of complex carbohydrates and 9.3 grams of protein which makes it a really appealing food item to add in the diet. Moreover, lentils are high in fibre as well as several minerals like calcium, potassium, phosphorus & folate and all of them has their own benefits in our body. So, you can add lentils in your diet to get necessary carbs and a good boost in your daily protein intake.
Blueberries
Every fruit from the berry family are decent source of complex carbs but blueberry stands out the most among them because not only they contain significantly good amount of carbohydrates but also are very rich in antioxidants. 100 grams of blueberries contain about 13 grams of carbohydrates. And as said above, they are very rich in antioxidants which is why they are called superfood because those antioxidants fight against free radicals in our body to save our cells from various deadly diseases such as heart diseases and even cancer! So, you are not going to miss this one of the healthiest carbs called blueberries, are you?
Bottom Line
Therefore, these are the 8 healthiest carbs sources that are worth including in your daily diet. Choose the carbohydrate food items from this list as per your needs and preference and then include them in your diet to make yourself more energetic, full so that you can keep going without any fatigue. All of the high carbs foods we have discussed above are packed with complex carbohydrates so you don’t need to worry about getting unnecessary fat in your body unless you are eating way too much than needed. So from now on, avoid the simple carbs like white rice, white bread and obviously avoid all the unhealthy refined or processed carbs like those junk foods and soft drinks rather add these tasty complex good carbs in your diet to take a big leap into your journey to be healthy and fit. Anyway, hope you guys have found this article about healthiest carbs helpful enough. If it really so then don’t hesitate to express your valuable thoughts in the comment section. Thanks for visiting and appreciating our work.