It’s actually rather surprising that some people still think that eating carbs can be bad for your health. If you go to a gym like Chuze Fitness and discuss popular diets, you might even discover that some of them subscribe to a low-carb diet.
But not all carbs are the same. While there are some types of carbs that you should avoid, there are also carbs that are good for your health. Here are the best sources of carbs that you can add to your daily meals:
Oats
Having some oats for breakfast is always a good choice, as they give you some of the healthiest carbs you can eat. Oatmeal is full of fiber (both soluble and insoluble) which helps with digestion, and makes you feel full with fewer calories. Oats can also help against diabetes, and lower your cholesterol levels.
You can prepare your oats in so many ways. For breakfast, you can go with overnight oats mixed in with several different fruits and nuts. You can also bake oatmeal into muffins in your stove. Just cut them into pieces, then serve them with some Greek yogurt.
Sweet Potatoes
When you’re determined to go with a healthy diet, you can do worse than adding sweet potatoes to your daily meal schedule. A single sweet potato only has 103 calories and 20g of carbs. It also contains plenty of fiber that works for your gastrointestinal health and makes you feel sated. It even comes with lots of beta-carotene, which helps to keep your eyes healthy.
You can add your sweet potatoes to salsa and black beans, or with ground turkey, some spinach, and a bit of olive oil. You can slice up some of these sweet potatoes and just roast them, or just set them in your air fryer with some seasonings—they’re much healthier than your regular French fries.
Apples
Surely, you’re old enough to have heard the old adage about an apple a day. It’s actually a good idea, as you can get you the carbs you need. Also, it’s naturally sweet, and that can reduce your sugar cravings too. Each apple also contains plenty of fiber.
Get some apple slices along with your breakfast, and they’re not a bad snack, either.
Quinoa
Lots of people eat rice on a daily basis. But more and more people are switching to quinoa as the healthier alternative to rice. You get your carbs, and your ever-helpful fiber as well. It’s a healthy way of getting your daily carbs.
What’s more, it also provides some protein that can also help to make you feel full.
Legumes
Plenty of people don’t really think about legumes and beans when they hear the word “carbs”. But they’re actually healthy sources of carbohydrates. We are talking about starchy legumes like lentils, beans, and chickpeas here. They also work as excellent sources of fiber and protein.
An increasing number of studies indicate that legumes are good for your healthy in many ways. They can help you manage your weight. They help with your blood pressure and heart health. Some studies even indicate that they can reduce the risk of cancer.
Whole Grain Bread
Yes, lots of people immediately think “bread” when the topic of carbs comes up. So many are afraid of bread as a whole, as they’re full of carbs. That’s why you have some fast-food joints offering lettuce leaves as alternatives for bread when they sell their burgers.
But not all types of bread are bad for you. Whole wheat or whole grain bread can get you plenty of healthy nutrients that your body needs. It gives you lots of vitamins and minerals, plus the helpful fiber that quickly satisfies your appetite. That means you’re much less likely to eat another meal (or even a snack) after eating whole grain bread.
Berries
Some people already add berries to their daily diet because they’re just so delicious. But if that’s to enough of a reason for you, then you should also factor in the nutrients you get when you eat berries regularly.
Berries contain plenty of vitamins and minerals, along with antioxidants that counter the effects of aging. And it also provides lots of fiber. You can just munch berries on their own, or add them to your meals.