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Which Foods are High In Carbohydrates?


Updated April 08, 2014

high-carb foods

High-carbohydrate foods

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Question: Which Foods are High In Carbohydrates?
Which food are the highest in carbohydrates? Which foods should I avoid on a low-carb diet?
Answer: Carbohydrates fall roughly into two categories: sugars and starches. Foods high in carbohydrate include the following foods

High-Sugar Foods

  • Sugary beverages, which includes everything from soft drinks to flavored coffee drinks to bottled iced tea. Stop Drinking Sugary Beverages
  • Desserts, candy, and other foods sweet foods.
  • Food with added sugar, molasses, honey, and any of these ingredients. Check labels, as sugars are added to many foods.
  • Fruits that are naturally high in sugar, such as ripe bananas and figs, or dried fruit, which often has sugar added or is so concentrated that it contains a lot of sugar. Fruit List, from low to high sugar
  • How to Cut Down on Sugar

High-Starch Foods

Starch is basically long strands of glucose, so they break down to sugars in the body. High-starch foods include:
  • Starchy vegetables: Potatoes, sweet potatoes, and corn are examples of high carb, starchy vegetables. Vegetable List
  • Flour - Any food made with flour (bread, crackers, donuts, cakes, cookies, pastries, etc.)
  • Whole Grains - Rice, barley, oats, quinoa, etc, are high in starch
  • Most legumes (beans and peas) are high in starch, but it is more slowly-digested, especially if the beans aren't canned or pureed.
  1. About.com
  2. Health
  3. Low Carb Diets
  4. Low Carb 101
  5. Frequently Asked Questions
  6. Which Foods are High In Carbohydrates - High-Carb Foods

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