Carbohydrates are macronutrients that are derived mostly from plant foods like vegetables, fruits, grains, legumes, seeds and nuts. They break down after ingestion into glucose. This glucose is the prominent source of energy for body’s cells. The difference between complex and simple carbohydrates is that complex carbs are present in natural forms and simple carbs are derived from processed foods such as white sugar, white flour, fruit beverages, etc. Complex carbs are the best source of carb as they are easy to digest and enter the blood stream slowly which does not cause any disturbance or change in blood glucose levels. Simple carbs enter the blood stream faster upsetting the blood sugar levels and prompting insulin requirement to increase so as to control the elevated blood sugar levels.
The foods grains that have complex carbs in their natural form are bran, barley, maize, wheatgram, buckwheat, oatmeal and cornmeal. Other foods that provide complex carbs in their natural form are brown rice, potatoes, root vegetables, muesli, beans, peas, lentils and banana. Food products that have complex carbs are pasta, spaghetti, macaroni, wholemeal breads, granary bread, Bagel, pitta bread, high fiber breakfast cereals, porridge oats, wheetabix, Ryvita crispbread, cassava and yam.
To make complex carb diet tasty and nutritious, few dishes and recipes can be tried. This will not only add fun to the drab carb diet but also provide required complex carbohydrates to the body. While preparing breakfast, use cereals made from whole grain which is easy to make and provide a serving of complex carbs. You can also opt for oatmeal which can be prepared in two minutes in a microwave. This will keep you satisfied till lunchtime. You can also opt for a piece of toast with peanut butter or one egg and one glass of milk. You can add one medium sized banana, one grape fruit, or two slices of whole grain toast.
For lunch, opt for a slice of whole grain bread and prepare a sandwich which provides enough nutrients and complex carbs. Add lentil soup, split pea soup, beans salad so as to have filling lunch with enough complex carbs. You can have fruit and vegetables shake or baked potato with seasoned fruits or vegetable or sweet potato or red potato, half a cup of brown rice or half a cup of kidney beans along with a apple, peach or banana.
For dinner you can opt for wheat pasta and avoid spaghetti. This will provide enough complex carbs though preparing whole grain pasta might takes more time as compared to white flour one. You can include baked potato, brown rice pilaf, green salad made of sliced vegetables, chickpeas and kidney beans.
With the required knowledge about complex carbs, it is easy to fix a breakfast, lunch or dinner and even a snack. Through innovation, you can make tasty and nutritious meals that are great source of complex carb and provide enough energy to last till the next meal or throughout the day.
My other info websites to visit: Weight loss pills, HGH and few more. Comments appreciated!