Refined Carbohydrates Food List

Carbohydrates are essential for our body to gain energy. The carbohydrates that we consume get converted into sugars (glucose) which are used for energy production. The major part of our daily diet consists of carbohydrates in the form of bread, pasta, roti, rice, etc. Having a diet lacking in carbohydrates leads to fatigue, lack of energy, etc. Carbohydrates are divided into two major types: refined carbohydrates and complex carbohydrates. Let us first know what exactly are refined carbohydrates.

What are Refined Carbohydrates

Refined carbohydrates are found in foods that contain only the endosperm of the grain. On the contrary, complex carbohydrates contain the endosperm, bran and germ. Refined carbohydrates are very easy to digest and bring about an instant feeling of satiety. You may have experienced that having one bagel when hungry satiates hunger quickly. Therefore, refined carbohydrates are considered as instant sources of energy and are consumed to satiate hunger immediately. Refining grains makes it devoid of fiber which is essential for the body. Similarly, refining also leads to removal of other nutrients in the food. Therefore, apart from carbohydrates, foods containing refined carbohydrates do not contain any other essential nutrients. Secondly, the high amount of concentrated sugar present in refined carbohydrates also tends to fluctuate the sugar level (blood glucose level) in the body.

As mentioned above, carbohydrates are converted into sugar or glucose in the body. Consuming refined carbohydrates tends to increase the glucose level in the body. Therefore, refined carbohydrates are completely excluded from the diabetic diet. The high amount of sugar also leads to weight gain and hence, you must have found that refined carbs are excluded from several weight loss diets. On the other hand, it has been found that excess consumption of foods with refined carbohydrates leads to heart diseases.

List of Foods Containing Refined Carbohydrates

You may not be aware, but a majority of foods that are consumed throughout the day contain refined carbohydrates. Here is the food list:

• White bread
• White rice
• White pasta
• Donuts, Dumpling
• Cakes, Pastries
• Cookies, Biscuits
• Pie crusts, Pies
• Pizza, Pretzels
• Puddings, Ice cream
• Buns, Rolls
• Cereals
• Fries, crisps
• Candy, Chocolate, Toffee
• Cold cuts, Canned meat
• Jam, Jelly
• Soda, Fruit juices, Fruits drinks
• All sugar containing foods

You must have observed that most of the foods mentioned list are consumed on daily basis by most of us. Therefore, most of the people around consume a large amount of refined carbohydrates which is not good for health. In order to avoid weight gain, diabetes, etc., one should substitute refined carbohydrates with complex carbohydrates. White bread and white pasta should be replaced with brown bread or whole wheat bread and whole wheat pasta, respectively. You should look for foods that are labeled with 'whole wheat or whole grain' rather than ordinary ones. You can also go for quinoa as a substitute for refined grains. Secondly, cakes, pastries, cookies, etc should be consumed in less amounts. Same goes for the case with canned and preserved foods.

The rule of thumb, when it comes to healthy eating habits, says that sugar containing foods should also be consumed in limited amounts as they increase the blood sugar level quickly. Sodas and fruits juices are also loaded with sugar and hence, they too should be excluded from the diet. You should instead have fresh fruits and have herbal tea or green tea, etc as beverages. Most of the vegetables and fruits contain healthy or complex carbohydrates which should be consumed. Complex carbohydrates also contain fibers which aid in healthy digestion.

As a summation of the above, we can conclude by saying that foods containing refined carbohydrates, when consumed in large amounts, may lead to weight gain. Therefore, it is advisable to limit these foods, and replace them with complex carbohydrates.