Are you smarter than “Smart Carbs”?

Well, are you smarter than Smart Carbs?

 

It’s always good to add some variety and experiment with healthy foods.

Try five nutritious smart carbs:

1. Beans and legumes
2. Sweet potatoes
3. Ancient grains
4. Sprouted grains
5. Steel-cut oats

Benefits of beans and legumes are:

• High in fiber.
• Source of protein.
• Taste great.

Examples:

Lentils
                                                    Green peas

Black beans
                                           Kidney beans

Navy beans
                                            Lima (fava beans )

Black-eyed peas/cowpeas                   Garbanzo beans/chickpeas

 

Benefits of sweet potatoes are:

• Very high in phytochemicals and vitamins (orange and purple).
• High in vitamins C, A, B6, potassium, and manganese.
• Slow-digesting and high in fiber.
• Versatile, nutrient-dense, and tasty.

 

Benefits of ancient grains:

• Packed full of fiber & nutrients.
• Taste good, and
• Higher in protein than modern grains.

Examples:

1. Toasted buckwheat
2. Millet
3. Whole oats
4. Quinoa
 Red, black, multi.

 

Benefits of sprouted grains:

• Decrease blood pressure.
• Improve glucose control.
• Decrease cholesterol and triglycerides.
• Improve immune function.
• Protect against fatty liver.

They are soaked for about 24 hours, and allowed to germinate for about one week, which make them:

• More digestible.
• Have increased vitamin and mineral content.
• Better protein quality.
• Have increased soluble fiber.

 

Benefits of Steel-cut oats:

• great source of fiber
• more protein than any “popular” cereal.

 

Here’s a comparison of 4 types of oats, from most to least processed.

1. Instant oats
2. Rolled oats
3. Steel-cut oats
4. Whole oats

Now go ahead and start experimenting. Let me know what you think.

 

Until next time . . .

 

References:
Precision Nutrition
Women’s Health Magazine