Carbohydrates Per Day

People who are conscious about their diet and the amount of calories they consume in a day, should also be aware of the amount of carbohydrates per day that they should be consuming. Carbohydrates also add to the amount of calories that your body stores, and experts say that a healthy diet is one where half the calories of the body come from carbohydrates.

Carbohydrates carry about 4 calories per gram, so the number of carbohydrates per day that will be suitable for an individual depends a lot on the amount of physical activity that person is getting, and what his/her lifestyle habits are. People who are regularly getting intense physical exercise will require a greater amount of carbohydrates per day, whereas people who are relatively inactive will have to exert a greater degree of control on the total carbohydrates per day that they consume.

The recommended carbohydrates per day to lose weight hovers between 20 to 70 grams. Going by the rate of 4 calories per gram of carbohydrates, this roughly translates to about 80 to 280 calories per day that should be received through carbohydrates. For people who are not looking to lose weight excessively, 180 to 230 grams of carbohydrates (or 720 to 920 calories) per day should be sufficient for them.

Healthy Carbohydrates
Now, there are many different sources from where one can derive their daily dosage of the recommended carbohydrates per day. So one needs to choose their sources of carbohydrates wisely, and try to avoid food items that add unnecessary carbohydrates excessively. Choosing the best and healthiest sources of carbohydrates-rich food is absolutely imperative, and this is something that should be given a lot of attention.

It is better to derive carbohydrates from fruits, vegetables, legumes, grains, seeds and nuts. Most people regularly eat a lot of junk food and get their dosage of carbohydrates per day from other items like sodas, candy bars, chocolates and pastries. These should be avoided to a certain extent as they are all items that contain 'empty calories'. This means that they add to the calorie count in the body but add no nutrients along with them. On the other hand, healthy sources of carbohydrates add vitamins, minerals, fiber and phytochemicals to the body, which are beneficial in nature.

So the best way to get one's daily intake of carbohydrates per day is to consume a lot of healthy food items like fruits and vegetables, and avoid junk food as far as possible. The level of activity that one is involved in during the course of the day also determines what percentage of carbohydrates per day will be beneficial. A person carrying out regular activities during the day can increase their carbohydrates consumption to about 65%, but for someone involved in intense physical training, the percentage of carbohydrates per day should not exceed 50%.

To give you a brief idea about how many carbohydrates are contained in most common food items, the following table will help you out.

Food Item	Carbohydrates (in grams)
1 potato	5
1 cup broccoli	6
1 cup strawberries	12
1 cup carrots	12
1 slice of bread	12.5
1 orange	15
1 apple	19
1 cup sweet corn	31
1 cup of pasta	43
1 snickers bar	64

It is not possible to list out all the food items that carry carbohydrates in them, but this list should give you a basic idea about the kind of food you should be eating in order to maintain a healthy level of carbohydrates per day. The number of carbohydrates per day for diabetic people should ideally be between 40% to 60% of their total intake of calories. Depending on the severity of their diabetes, and the kind of diabetic diet that they are on, the number of carbohydrates per day they should be consuming should be approximately 100 grams or so.

Maintaining a healthy level of carbohydrates per day is vital for leading a healthy life, because too many carbohydrates are harmful, and too little of carbohydrates is also harmful. Visit a dietitian and get some advice on the best kind of diet plans that you should follow.