types-of-carbohydrate (2024)

Starch

Foods high in starch include:

  • Green peas, corn, lima beans and potatoes
  • Dried beans, lentils, pinto beans, kidney beans, black eyed peas and split peas
  • Grains like oats, barley and rice. (Most grain products in the US are made from wheat flour. These include pasta, bread and crackers.)

The grain group can be broken down even further into whole grain or refined grain. Whole grains contain the entire grain and are more nutritious than refined grains.

Sugar

Sugar is another type of carbohydrate. Sugar is sometimes called a simple carbohydrate. There are two main types of sugar:

  • naturally occurring sugars such as those in milk or fruit
  • added sugars such as those added during processing such as fruit canned in heavy syrup or sugar added to make a cake.

On the nutrition facts label, the number of sugar grams includes both added and natural sugars. Added sugar adds no nutritional value.

Fiber

Fiber comes from plants. There is no fiber in animal products such as milk, eggs, meat, poultry, and fish.

Fiber is the indigestible part of plant foods . Most of dietary fiber passes through the intestines undigested.

Adults should eat 25 to 30 grams of fiber each day. Fiber contributes to digestive health, helps to keep your bowels regular, and helps to make you feel full after eating.

Good sources of fiber include:

  • Beans and legumes: black beans, kidney beans, pintos, chick peas (garbanzos), white beans, and lentils.
  • Fruits and vegetables, especially those with edible skin such as apples and those with edible seeds such as berries.
  • Whole grains: whole wheat pasta, whole grain cereal with three grams of fiber or more per serving, whole grain breads
  • Nuts: Peanuts, walnuts and almonds are all good source of fiber and healthy fat, but watch portion sizes, because they also contain a lot of calories in a small amount.

Excellent source of fiber = five grams or more per serving.

Low-Calorie Sweeteners

When you have diabetes, including sweets in your diet requires careful planning. However, it can be hard to just save sweets for special occasions.

Foods and drinks that use artificial sweeteners are another option that may help curb your cravings for something sweet.

Sometimes low-calorie sweeteners are also called artificial sweeteners, sugar substitutes or non-nutritive sweeteners. They can be used to sweeten food and drinks for less calories and carbohydrate when they replace sugar.

The sweetening power of most low-calorie sweeteners is at least 100 times more intense than regular sugar, so only a small amount is needed when you use these sugar substitutes.

Also, with the exception of aspartame, all of the sweeteners listed below cannot be broken down by the body. They pass through our systems without being digested so they provide no extra calories.

Sweetener Name

Brand Names Found

Acesulfame Potassium

Sunett

Sweet One

Aspartame

Nutrasweet

Equal

Neotame

N/A

Saccharin

Sweet 'N Low

Sweet Twin

Sugar Twin

Sucralose

Splenda

Stevia/Rebaudioside

A Sweet Leaf

Sun Crystals

Steviva

Truvia

PureVia

Understanding “Sugar-Free”

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Many foods containing low-calorie sweeteners will provide some calories and carbohydrate from other ingredients. That means foods that carry claims like "sugar-free," "reduced sugar" or "no sugar added" are not necessarily carbohydrate-free or lower in carbohydrate than the original version of the food. A food that contains no more than 0.5 grams of sugar per serving may be labeled as “sugar-free”.

Always check the Nutrition Facts Label for total grams of carbohydrate per serving.

Sugar-free products may also have sugar alcohols in them, which are used in place of sugar to sweeten foods. Sugar alcohols are carbohydrates but they are digested more gradually than regular sugar. Foods containing sugar alcohols may cause diarrhea or stomach cramps, especially if eaten in large portions.


  • For the most current version of the Nutrition Facts Label, visit FDA.gov.
types-of-carbohydrate (2024)

FAQs

What are 3 types of carbohydrates? ›

There are three main types of carbohydrates:
  • Sugars. They are also called simple carbohydrates because they are in the most basic form. ...
  • Starches. They are complex carbohydrates, which are made of lots of simple sugars strung together. ...
  • Fiber. It is also a complex carbohydrate.
Mar 25, 2024

What 4 different types of carbohydrates exist? ›

Although a number of classification schemes have been devised for carbohydrates, the division into four major groups—monosaccharides, disaccharides, oligosaccharides, and polysaccharides—used here is among the most common. Most monosaccharides, or simple sugars, are found in grapes, other fruits, and honey.

What are the 10 types of carbohydrates? ›

Examples of Carbohydrates
  • Glucose.
  • Galactose.
  • Maltose.
  • Fructose.
  • Sucrose.
  • Lactose.
  • Starch.
  • Cellulose.

What are the 2 major types of carbohydrates? ›

Carbohydrates can be divided into two main types: simple and complex. Simple carbohydrates are composed of just one or two sugar units, whereas complex carbohydrates contain many sugar units. Figure 4.4 is an overview of the types of carbohydrates.

Which carbohydrates food should I avoid? ›

Here are a few examples of high-carb foods that you should avoid: bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, and sugar-filled snacks like candy bars and cakes. By cutting out these types of foods, you'll be on your way to achieving the healthy body and mind you've been searching for.

What are good carbs vs bad carbs? ›

Nutrition experts divide carbohydrates into “good” and “bad.” Good carbs, like whole grains, brown rice and legumes, don't raise blood glucose quickly. Bad carbs, like white bread, cookies and sugary sodas, cause blood glucose to rise quickly.

What are 5 carbohydrate foods? ›

What are carbohydrates? Carbohydrates are found in a wide array of both healthy and unhealthy foods—bread, beans, milk, popcorn, potatoes, cookies, spaghetti, soft drinks, corn, and cherry pie. They also come in a variety of forms.

What is the best form of carbohydrates? ›

Complex carbs are the good kind.

Opting for a whole grain alternative to some of the above popular foods provides two major benefits. First, you get the same food but as a complex carb and with all the benefits that accompany it. Second, you are less likely to eat something processed that has a lot of added sugars.

What is another name for a carbohydrate? ›

In scientific literature, the term "carbohydrate" has many synonyms, like "sugar" (in the broad sense), "saccharide", "ose", "glucide", "hydrate of carbon" or "polyhydroxy compounds with aldehyde or ketone".

What are the different types of carbohydrates and their examples? ›

The simplest carbohydrates are the three-carbon dihydroxyacetone and trioses glyceraldehyde. They are further classified into glucose, fructose, galactose, and mannose. Glucose can be seen generally in the fruit juices and formed in the body by hydrolysis of cane sugar, starch, lactose, and maltose.

What are the two types of carbohydrates important to proper nutrition? ›

simple carbohydrates (or simple sugars): including fructose, glucose, and lactose, which also are found in nutritious whole fruits. complex carbohydrates (or starches): found in foods such as starchy vegetables, whole grains, rice, and breads and cereals.

Can you give me a list of carbohydrates? ›

Carb Choices
  • Bread.
  • Cereals and Grains* (Including Pasta and Rice)
  • *Serving sizes for all starchy vegetable measure cooked vegetables.
  • Beans and Lentils.
  • Fruits. ...
  • Milk and Milk Substitutes. ...
  • *Yogurt is highly variable in carbohydrate content, so check the food label to be sure.
  • Non-starchy Vegetables.

What is the number one worst carb? ›

THE WORST: Refined or processed carbohydrates

These are carbohydrates like white bread, white sugar, white flour pasta, and white rice that have been stripped of their blood-sugar-buffering fiber, as well as vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, things both your body and hair are big fans of.

What are the top 3 carbohydrates? ›

The healthiest sources of carbohydrates—unprocessed or minimally processed whole grains, vegetables, fruits and beans—promote good health by delivering vitamins, minerals, fiber, and a host of important phytonutrients.

What are the 3 most important carbohydrates? ›

Carbohydrates — fiber, starches and sugars — are essential food nutrients. Your body turns carbs into glucose (blood sugar) to give you the energy you need to function.

What are the 3 different types of carbohydrates and why how do their names help you know what they are? ›

Carbohydrates are one of the main nutrients in our diet. They help provide energy for our body. There are three main types of carbohydrates found in foods: sugars, starches, and fiber. People with diabetes often need to count the amount of carbohydrates they eat to ensure a consistent supply throughout the day.

What are carbohydrates 3 functions? ›

These molecules contain carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms. Carbohydrates play an important role in the human body. They act as an energy source, help control blood glucose and insulin metabolism, participate in cholesterol and triglyceride metabolism, and help with fermentation.

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