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Healthy Carbs for Weight Loss: Recommendations from a Dietitian

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A big topic of debate in the media and diet advice circles today is that of carbohydrates, or “carbs” for short. It seems that everywhere you turn there’s a new finding or different opinion.  Furthermore, these information sources often claim that carbs will cause extreme increases in blood sugar and contribute to the development of excess belly fat. 

But in reality, carbohydrates are not all bad, although sometimes they’re made out to be. When healthier carbs are consumed in balanced portions as part of a balanced diet, they can actually help to support weight loss. In this article, we’ll discuss the types of carbs to choose and how to make them work as part of a balanced diet to promote weight management or weight loss as needed.

Quick disclaimer—although I am a registered dietitian nutritionist, your reading of this or any articles on this website does not constitute medical nutrition therapy advice nor create a practitioner-client relationship. The information I provide here on this website is for educational and informational purposes only. Please see my full disclaimer for more information.

“Good” versus “Bad” Carbs—What’s the Difference?

One comparison you might see in the media is that of “good” and “bad” carbohydrates. As a dietitian, I’d like to point out that in a balanced diet, it is usually fine to enjoy treats or other foods that may not be as beneficial for you every so often. The main takeaway from the whole “good” and “bad” carbs debate is that some carbohydrates should be consumed more often, while others should be eaten less often, especially if you’re watching your weight.

This is where that breakdown of better-for-you and not-as-great-for-you carbs comes in. The carbohydrates that are more beneficial to your health generally contain more vitamins and minerals, fiber, protein, and less (or no) added sugar and fat. The carbohydrates that are less beneficial for your health usually don’t have much fiber and are often paired with a greater amount of added sugars, sodium, and not-as-great-for-you fats.

Some examples of carbohydrates that are not as great for you include:

  • Cookies, pastries, donuts, cakes, pies, candies, ice cream
  • White-flour-based and/or sugary and/or salty crackers, breads, cereals, snack bars
  • Sugar-sweetened beverages like regular soda/pop, juice drinks (not 100% juice), sweetened teas
  • Dairy or non-dairy milk beverages or yogurts with a large amount of added sugars (>5-10 grams per serving)

These carbohydrates do not have to be off limits, but if you’re looking to lose weight, it would be wise to cut back on them as much as you feel able. You could also try to substitute healthier versions for the not-as-healthy versions.

Now that we’ve discussed the carbs it would be wise to decrease and or switch out, let’s talk about the carbs that will really serve you well nutritionally.

Nutritionally Beneficial Carbs

In the area of carbohydrates that are better for you, let’s break things down into categories, or types of carbohydrate foods to help you remember things a bit more easily.

Nutritionally beneficial carbohydrates infographic.

Whole Grains

Grains are a general type of carbohydrate. There are many types of grains available today, such as oatmeal, wheat (as found in many bread products), rice, rye, and others. The key with grains is to choose whole grain versions most of the time.

For example, you may have seen both white rice and brown rice in the grocery store. The brown rice is the whole grain version. Or think of whole wheat flour or whole wheat bread, instead of regular white flour or white bread. You may see whole wheat pastas or whole grain crackers.

The whole grain versions of products will generally not have the fiber taken out of them through a refining process. With the fiber also comes more vitamins and minerals that naturally remain in the product, as opposed to the manufacturer having to add them back in, which is the term “enriched” that you may see on the ingredients list sometimes. The fiber can be helpful for weight loss because it can help you feel fuller so you eat less and therefore end up eating fewer calories overall.

In stores, besides looking for “whole wheat” and “whole grain” wording on products, check out other whole grains like quinoa, bulgur, barley, oatmeal, popcorn (yes, it really is a whole grain), and oatmeal. You may find whole grains easier to try than you think!

Vegetables

Vegetables are another category of carbohydrate that can be beneficial in promoting weight loss. There are two main types of vegetables—starchy vegetables and non-starchy vegetables.

Examples of starchy vegetables are as follows:

  • potatoes
  • corn
  • peas
  • beets
  • winter squash (like acorn squash)
  • many other root vegetables like rutabagas and turnips

Examples of non-starchy vegetables are:

  • cucumbers
  • peppers
  • leafy greens (such as spinach or romaine lettuce)
  • onions
  • broccoli
  • celery

Both starchy and non-starchy vegetables contain valuable nutrients as well as fiber. Starchy vegetables tend to contain more calories and carbohydrates, while non-starchy vegetables are lower in calories and carbohydrates and higher in water content. However, both can be helpful if you’re trying to lose weight, as both fiber and water can promote fullness.

While you may not like all of the vegetables on the list, find some favorites and maximize your use of them. A suggestion would be to aim for more non-starchy vegetables on a daily basis than starchy vegetables. Treat starchy vegetables more like a serving of carbohydrate and enjoy them in moderation. 

You may want to follow the advice of the plate method—try to make half of your plate non-starchy vegetables and about a fourth of your plate starchy vegetables or other carbohydrates, like grains or legumes. This method can help with portion control so you can manage your weight.

Variety of fruits and vegetables, some in a brown basket, on wooden background.
Sandrine Ribeyron / Depositphotos.com

Fruits

Fruits are another type of carbohydrate. In whole form (in other words, not the juice), they contain a good amount of water and fiber. Once again, the water and fiber can help you feel full and eat less.

As with starchy vegetables and grains, it would be wise to eat fruit in moderate amounts. Two to three portions of fruit per day may be sufficient for most people. Focus on choosing whole fruits instead of juice, which does not have as much water or fiber in it.

Legumes

Next on our list of carbs that may promote weight loss is legumes. Some familiar examples of legumes are:

  • peanuts (technically a legume and not a nut)
  • beans
  • lentils
  • some types of peas, like chickpeas, split peas, black-eyed peas (1)

Legumes contain both carbohydrate and some protein. They are also a good source of fiber. Once again, the fiber can help you feel full so that you eat fewer calories.

The protein content in legumes, while not exactly up to the amount of that in meat, fish, and poultry, is still another helpful tool for you. Protein empties from the stomach more slowly than carbohydrate, which means you can stay fuller longer.

Dairy

Last on our list of healthy carbs for weight loss is dairy products. Not all dairy products have a significant amount of carbohydrates; for example, cheese and butter are pretty minimal. But when we look at milk, yogurt, and kefir, these items do have a bit higher amount of carbohydrates in them.

One major recommendation is to avoid dairy products with a significant amount of added sugar. If you’re seeing more than 10 grams of added sugar on the label, you may want to find another product. Granted, it is possible to make a higher amount of added sugar in a certain product work for you during the day. But if you’re really looking to cut down, choose the lowest number of grams of added sugar you can find.

A side note for ice cream—while ice cream is still a dairy product, it is generally higher in sugar and calories than other dairy products. It’s perfectly okay to enjoy a small portion of the real thing occasionally. But be cautious in your choices and keep ice cream as more of a treat to help you manage your weight and your overall health.

How Many Carbs Should You Eat

A discussion on carbs for weight loss wouldn’t be complete without mentioning portions. While not everyone will need or want to count grams of carbohydrates, it may be helpful to specify that the minimum recommended grams of carbohydrates per day for most people is 130 grams—this is a minimum amount of carbohydrate needed for your brain to function properly (2). 

However, many people will need more than just the minimum amount needed for brain function. Since daily activities and exercise do use up energy, a greater amount of carbohydrate will likely be beneficial based upon current research (2). Talk to your healthcare provider about what is right for you.

Conclusion

To summarize our discussion, carbs are not the diet or weight loss enemy that they are sometimes made out to be. While each person may need a bit different amount of carbohydrate based upon activity levels and health goals, healthier carbohydrates can be quite helpful in promoting weight control, and even weight loss. Portion size is important for carbs that are a bit higher in calories.

That all being said, don’t be afraid to enjoy carbs—they can still benefit your health. 

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Sources

  1. United States Department of Agriculture. Why Are Green Peas and Green (String) Beans Not in the Bean and Peas Vegetable Subgroup? United States Department of Agriculture website. Updated August 3, 2023. Accessed October 29, 2023. https://ask.usda.gov/s/article/Why-are-green-peas-and-green-string-beans-not-in-the-Beans-and-Peas-Vegetable-Subgroup#:~:text=Green+peas%2C+which+are+not,dried+edible+seeds+of+legumes.
  2. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press; 2005. https://nap.nationalacademies.org/read/10490/chapter/1. Accessed October 29, 2023.

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