Good Carbs & Bad Carbs?

The Problem "I am a huge fan of carbs in general and know that one really shouldn't eat that many. Could you please tell me the difference between -- and a few examples of -- good carbs and bad ones (e.g. the dreaded bagel)? Thanks." --eacamp

The Solutions

1. Adding protein helps
Try a whole-grain bagel, eat only half, and spread a little natural (no sugar added) peanut butter on it. --iVillager

2. Go natural and whole grain
Your body still needs carbohydrates for overall nutrition. Eat whole grains -- use whole-wheat flour in your recipes instead of white flour. Complex carbs are what you should look for instead of simple or refined carbs. --iVillager

Good carbs: brown rice, wild rice, ancient grains like quinoa, millet, etc.; 100 percent whole-wheat anything (bread, cereal and so on); all veggies and fruits, including the white ones (potatoes). I prefer the sweet variety -- loaded with beta-carotene among other things. Buy your food whole and green and unprocessed. --susan

3. Go for fiber
Eat the skins on all fruit (kiwi too!) and if you must have a bagel, make it half of a pumpernickel bagel smeared with all-natural peanut butter and top it off with an apple. --susan

The best carbs are the ones with the highest fiber possible. Stay away from the usual evils of cookies (even Snackwells!), cakes, etc. The highest-fiber commercial product I have found is Grape-Nuts. They are great in a cup of fat-free yogurt. --annyb

4. Try healthy substitutes
I've tried to cut down on carbs by substitution. For example, instead of pasta, I opt for spaghetti squash. It's difficult, though -- you don't realize how many meals are centered around carbs until they become your focus. --nancy

5. Avoid refined foods
Slowly digested carbs are the clue to losing weight in a diet; they fill you up and keep you full longer without adding glucose (which raises your insulin level). Slowly digested carbs include soybeans, any dried beans and barley-corn tortillas. Avoid "soft" (refined) carbs like baked goods, white flour, sugar and alcoholic drinks. Read Dr. Bob Arnot's Revolutionary Weight Control Program for more details. --bridalconsult

Bad carbs: white rice, white flour, white pasta, pastries, donuts, cakes, cookies, white bread of all kinds, refined sugary cereals -- most food that comes in a box. Don't sweat the occasional crusty white bread with some good olive oil. --susan

6. Avoid sugar
I try not to eat or drink anything with too many sugars, such as juice. Juice is just extra carbs and extra calories my body does not need. --iVillager

Read labels avidly. Sugar is everywhere, and it can sabotage your efforts. --iVillager

7. Just cut the carbs
I am a carbo addict, and I find it extremely hard to give up the "bad" carbs, so I cut back. Only one roll, a smaller bowl of cereal, 100 percent whole-wheat bread and even 100 percent whole-wheat pasta. --nikki

Try to save simple carbs -- white flour, sugar, and their products -- for special occasions. Have them as dessert, and share the dessert if possible. Limit servings of whole grains to two to three per day if you are trying to lose weight. --iVillager

I found it hard to give up my morning bagel, but now my bagel store makes mini bagels. They satisfy the urge and are 1/3 the size. --iVillager

My honest opinion is to go on -- PER MEAL -- 5-6 grams fats, 14-18 grams proteins and only 20 grams of carbs. Believe me, it worked for my daughter who is diabetic. These guidelines were prescribed by her doctor, and she has taken the weight off and kept it off for nearly a year now. --anne

8. Know your triggers
I'd say a bad carbohydrate is one that you can't restrain yourself from. Everything in moderation -- that's the way nature intended it. --laura

9. Go for a balance
I find that eating a balance of protein/carbs and fat at every meal and snack allows the blood sugar to stay above baseline. When it drops, you tend to grab the first carb you see and eat and eat -- usually those are the bad carbs (processed ones -- crackers, bagels etc.). --iVillager

As a registered dietitian, I would like to comment that there are no "good" or "bad" foods, hence no "good" or "bad" carbohydrates. The mantra is "Everything in moderation." Your body needs carbohydrates for energy. --diane

I've lost 50 pounds on Sugar Busters, and I only eat sweet potatoes, brown rice, whole-grain (NOT WHOLE WHEAT) breads and pasta. I watch how much protein I eat in comparison to how many carbs I eat. I round it out with fruits and veggies. To me it is the perfect diet -- I really do not get hungry between meals, and if I do I eat nuts. --kathy