Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates: your body needs carbs for energy, both for your brain and also to carry out higher intensity activities. Carbs get a bad name – but are very, very important – and should make up about 50% of our diet. Carbs are broken down by our bodies into glucose (used for energy) or stored as glycogen. Different types are converted to glucose at different rates and therefore have a different effect on our bodies, for example, sugars are converted into glucose quickly and give a quick energy burst. The two main food groups that contain carbs are starchy foods and fruit & vegetables.
Starchy Foods: Potatoes, bread, rice pasta are all forms of starchy foods. These play a really important part of a healthy diet and should make up about 1/3 of what we eat. Choosing higher fibre, wholegrain varieties (e.g. whole-wheat pasta, brown rice, skin-on potatoes) won’t affect your calorie intake but will help you feel fuller for longer. Meals should be based around starchy carbs and as an approximate guide, a carbohydrate portion should be around the size of your closed fist.
Fruit & Vegetables: Fruit and vegetables contain a large number of vitamins and minerals that are essential for a healthy diet. Aim to eat at least five portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables everyday. A portion of fruit is approximately 80g of apple, banana, pear, orange etc. and a portion of vegetables is approximately three heaped tablespoons. Vegetables are often low in carbs but they help fill you up due to their fibre content – so are a great way to bulk when lowering your calories, whereas fruits are slightly higher in carbs (in the form of simple sugars) but are just as essential for health.