Carbohydrates

I instructed my challenge group to eat 5-6 small meals daily, pairing a lean protein and a complex carbohydrate.  I soon realized after several questions, that I had been very vague by saying this.  What I should have said it to include a fruit or vegetable with each meal, pairing it with a lean protein, and to limit starchy carbohydrates to 2-4 servings daily.  Eat at least 4 vegetables with a low Glycemic Index each day.  For more info on Glycemic Index, check out What is the Glycemic Index? 

So what are carbohydrates?  

Carbohydrates come in two forms: simple and complex.  Simple carbohydrates (SC) include processed starches, fructose and refined sugar. SC are digested quickly into glucose causing spikes in blood sugar. Most SC are empty calories because they contain few nutrients.  Complex carbohydrates (CC) include whole grains, legumes, vegetables. CC are nutrient dense and when paired with a lean protein help to keep you fuller longer while rebuilding muscle.  CC are digested more slowly, causing glucose to enter you blood stream more slowly and help to maintain a more even blood sugar level.  

Fruit and Other Natural Sugars

Fruit, honey and milk products are SC.   However, these are whole foods and are considered clean.  I

recommend eating 2 servings of  fruit per day.  Not only are they delicious and satisfying, they are nutrient dense.  I do use honey, pure maple syrup and other natural sugars in small amounts nearly everyday.  There are many recipes for breads and even clean sweets that you can replace processed sugar with honey (add 1/2 the amount called for).  Honey is still high in calories, but it is a far better choice.  I drizzle about 1/2 Tbsp of pure maple sugar on my Pumpkin Protein Pancakes.  

Starchy Carbohydrates

Starchy carbohydrates include bananas, potatoes, rice and grains, pasta, and breads.  These carbohydrates are all full of nutrients such as fiber, calcium, iron and B vitamins.  Many people try to avoid starchy carbs when dieting.  However, since clean eating isn't a diet, I recommend eating them in moderation.  Keep the proper portion sizes and keep it to 2-4 servings of starchy carbs per day.  If trying to lose weight, aim for only 2 servings.

  

Oats:  I buy oats in the bulk section.  I use them in my meatloaf, meatballs, for cereal, granola bars and I grind it to make oat flour.  Usually oats are the only grain that I eat in a day.  This is due to my own preference.  I would rather get my starch carbs in the form of fruits and vegetables.

Brown Rice and whole wheat pasta are other great clean starchy carb option.  I switched over to brown rice

and whole wheat pasta several years ago.  The other day I was putting pasta in a pot to boil and my son said "Gross, why are you using brown pasta?"  I told him that I had been using it for years and that I hadn't bought "white" pasta for a very long time.  He had never noticed.

  

Flour:  Replacing processed white flour for wheat may seem daunting, but overtime you and your family will adjust to it.  I have white flour in my food storage, but I haven't used it for several months.  I have even been putting all wheat flour in my cookies lately.

Bread:  Not all breads are created equal.  Once again, it is important to read the labels.  Just because the packaging says whole wheat, doesn't mean it isn't processed.  The best bread I have been able to find is Harper's Homemade Honey Wheat.  The very best option is to make your own (which I don't do because I would eat the entire loaf).