Carbohydrates

1. GOOD OR BAD?
Basic Nutrition for Everyday Series: Lesson 6
Information provided to you by: JFHQ Occupational Health Office

2.  What are Carbohydrates?
 “Good” v. “Bad” Carbs
 What are the types of Carbohydrates?
 Dietary Fiber: How Much You Need.
 Tips for Adding More Fiber
 Tips for Avoiding Added Sugar
 How Many Carbohydrates, Do I Need
Daily?

3.  Definition:
a biological compound
containing carbon, hydrogen,
and oxygen that is an
important source of food and
energy
 Your body uses carbohydrates
to make glucose which is fuel
that gives your body energy.
 Glucose can be used
immediately or stored.
 Healthier foods high in
carbohydrates are ones higher
in dietary fiber without added
sugar.
 Carbohydrates can be found in
the following:
 Fruits
 Vegetables
 Breads, cereals, and other grains
 Milk & milk products
 Foods containing added sugar

4.  “Good” Carbohydrates have
more fiber and complex
carbohydrates.
 Guidelines recommend
choosing fiber-rich
carbohydrate choices.
 Fiber-rich foods include:
fruits, vegetables, & whole grain
breads & pastas.
 “Bad” Carbohydrates are
referring to foods with refined
carbohydrates.
 Refined Carbohydrates are
items that are made from white
flour or added sugar.
 Examples: white bread, cakes, &
cookies

5.  Complex Carbohydrates:
 Starch & dietary fiber
 Starch is in certain vegetables like potatoes, dry beans, cereals, and
corn.
 Fiber is in vegetables, fruits, & whole grain foods.
 There are two different types of fiber -- soluble and insoluble. Both are
important for health, digestion, and preventing diseases.
 Simple Carbohydrates:
 Can be found naturally or as added sugars
 Added sugars have fewer nutrients than foods with naturally-
occurring sugars
 Examples of ingredients as added sugar: brown sugar, corn sweetener,
corn syrup, dextrose, fructose, fruit juice concentrates, glucose, high
fructose corn syrup, honey.

6.  It is recommended that you get 14 grams of dietary
fiber for every 1,000 calories that you consume each
day.
 If you need 2,000 calories each day, you should try to
consume 28 grams of dietary fiber.
 To find out how many calories you need each day visit
mypyramid.gov and enter your age, sex, height,
weight, and activity level in the My Pyramid Plan Tool.

7.  Choose whole fruits
 Try to eat two
vegetables with your
evening meal.
 Keep a bowl of
veggies already
washed.
 Choose whole grain
foods more often.
 Make a meal around
dried beans or peas
instead of meat.
 Start your day with a
whole grain breakfast
cereal.

8.  Choose water instead of sugar-sweetened
sodas.
 Choose 4 fluid oz of 100% fruit juice rather than
a fruit drink.
 Have a piece of fruit for dessert and skip
desserts with added sugar.
 Choose breakfast cereals that contain no or less
added sugar.

9.  High-Fructose corn syrup is
a popular ingredient in sodas
and flavored drinks.
 High-Fructose corn syrup is
chemically similar to table
sugar.
 Research has shown that
large amounts of any type of
added sugar is linked to
health problems as weight
gain, dental cavities, poor
nutrition, and increased
triglyceride levels.
 There is insufficient evidence
to say that high-fructose corn
syrup is less healthy than
other types of added
sweeteners.
 American Heart Association
recommends that women
should consume no more
than 100 calories a day from
added sugar from any
source, and men should
consume no more than 150
calories a day from added
sugar.

10.  Coca Cola 12 oz (355 ml)
Can Sugars, total: 39g
Calories, total: 140 Calories
from sugar: 140
 20 oz (590 ml) Bottle
Sugars, total: 65g Calories,
total: 240 Calories from
sugar: 240
 1 Liter (34 oz) Bottle Sugars,
total: 108g Calories, total: 400
Calories from sugar: 400

11.  1 pound of sugar equals approximately 3500 calories.
 If you drink 2, 12 oz cans of regular soda a day that is
about 280 calories.
 280 calories x 7 days a week = 1960 calories/week
 Two weeks = 3920 calories
 You could lose over a pound in 2 weeks just by cutting out
your consumption of regular soda!

12.  Follow a meal plan that gives you 45%-65% of the
calories you consume as carbohydrates.
 My Pyramid.gov or DASH
 A diet plan that is based on no carbohydrates is
not the healthy approach to weight loss.
 Choose more complex carbohydrates and avoid
food items with added sugar.

13.  Now that you’ve started….
 Don’t Stop!
 Make physical activity a lifetime
habit
 If you stop exercising you’ll rapidly
lose the beneficial effects.
 Maintaining good cardiovascular
fitness is an ongoing process.

14.  4 egg whites, slightly beaten
 16 ounce can pumpkin (or the meat from 1-lb pumpkin)
 1/2 cup brown sugar
 2 Tbsp molasses
 1/2 tsp salt
 1/2 tsp cinnamon
 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
 12 oz can evaporated skim (fat free) milk
 9" unbaked pie shell
Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 F. Combine ingredients in above order. Mix well. Pour into pie
shell (or into an au gratin dish for a fat-free dessert). Bake for 15 minutes at 425F. Then
reduce temperature to 350F, and bake for 45 more minutes. Makes 8 serving. Each
piece of pumpkin pie has 240 Cal, 7 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, and 7 mg cholesterol.
Without the crust, each piece would have 130 Cal, 0 fat, 0 saturated fat, and 2 mg
cholesterol. For a low sugar version, use Splenda™ instead of brown sugar, and
increase molasses to 3 tablespoons.

15.  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
 www.cdc.gov/nutrition
 My Pyramid
 www.mypyramid.gov
 DASH
 www.dashdiet.org
 Mayo Clinic
 www.mayoclinic.com/health/high-fructose-corn-syrup