It’s a pity that almost every tasty food in the world comes with a considerable amount of sugar and carbohydrates. It is like higher the percentage of carbs, more delicious is the food. You would be stunned to know that carbohydrates comprise of 4 calories per gram and your favorite candies, cakes, jams, chips are nothing but this plain carbohydrates. Be aware as it’s your favorite and not your body’s!
But alas! We must not surrender to the evil Carbohydrate God. Instead, we must fight and ditch the carb foods right now to get in shape and flaunt an hourglass at the next college party. Read on to find out more about the list of most terrible high-carb foods to avoid and do away with from the daily menu.
What are carbs and what classifies as high-carb foods?
Let’s look at what carbohydrate is. Carbohydrate is a nutrient that is composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. It is essential to consume foods that are rich in carbohydrates because upon digestion the carbohydrate transforms into glucose which gets used in the generation of physical energy. There are two types of foods that contain carbs, one of which is healthy and the other is not.
- The unprocessed and negligibly processed carb foods are healthy. Such foods include whole grains, fresh fruits, vegetables, and more. These foods are not only rich in carbohydrates but also contain vitamins, fiber, minerals, and essential phytonutrients.
- The refined or processed foods that are rich in carbohydrates are unhealthy for the body. Such foods cause heart troubles, digestive issues, metabolic syndrome, fatty liver, weight gain, diabetes, and other health complications.
Fattening High-Carb Foods to Avoid When on a Low Carb Diet
- Granola Bars
- Baked Goods
- Pretzels, Chips, & Popcorn
- Breakfast Cereals
- Pasta, White Bread, And White Rice
- Coffee And Sweetened Soda
- Candies
- Starchy Vegetables
- Beer
- Sweet Yogurt
- Salad Dressings
- Artificially Sweetened Honey
Top 12 most horrible high carb foods to avoid right from todayGranola Bars
There is a phrase called “Killer carbs” which means that high carb foods are as harmful as rat poison. If your diet is high on carbohydrates, then you should know that 60% of the daily intake of calories comes from the carbs. The foods might appear simple and even low in calories, but you cannot imagine how toxic they can be for health. The consumption of such foods needs to be stopped right now if you want to lead a healthy and hearty life.
1. Granola bars
- Hello gym-goers and crazy crash-diet freaks, this one is for you. Did you know that granola bars are harmful to health?
- Steer clear of the granola bars as they contain a lot of refined carbs and sugar.
- Here’s a tip. Switch to the health bars that are rich in healthy proteins, essential fatty acids, and digestive fiber, and a meager amount of sugar and carbs. Check the nutrition labels and make a wise pick to stay healthy.
- Health bars with chia seeds and whole foods as the primary components make for a good health choice.
2. Baked goods
- It is excruciating to say that baked desserts are not only lacking in essential nutrients, vitamins, and minerals but are also rich in refined carbs and processed white sugar.
- So bid your farewell to the soothing, soft, and creamy comfort foods like cakes, pastries, cookies, and doughnuts, and try naturally sweet foods that are low in carbs instead.
- But here’s a tip again. Don’t give up on them entirely as that leads to binging tendencies. Give yourself an occasional treat and stay within the boundaries to preserve good health and happiness too.
3. Pretzels, chips, and popcorn
- You have been fairly warned that this write-up is about to strip your diet off all your favorites, so here’s ripping another one down. Goodbye delicious pretzels, crunchy chips, and crispy popcorn. But hey! Movie nights can still be fun because loads of healthier options involve very little or no carbs at all.
- If the food melts in your mouth, then it is not food at all, no matter how delicious, but just a bunch of empty calories that you are loading yourself with.
- Ditch the high-calorie gluten junk and switch to fresh fruits, green veggies, and whole grains to build a healthier and more wholesome diet.
- Swap chips and popcorn with roasted chickpeas and dump the pretzels and have edamame instead which are crisp, crunchy, low in carbs, and perfectly healthy.
4. Breakfast cereals
- Breakfast cereals do not mean oats or whole grains but the fruity-flavored, colorful, crispy things that you have with milk for breakfast every day.
- These healthy cereals are not only high in refined carbs and sugar, but also contain added preservatives, synthetic flavors, and colors.
- The best thing to do for breakfast is to have single-ingredient cereals such as oatmeal which might seem dull and bland but hey you can always prep it up with fruits, nuts, and perhaps a little bit of cinnamon powder.
- Check the amount of fibrous content of the cereal and choose the one that possesses more than 3g of fiber in every serving of it.
5. Pasta, white bread, and white rice
- Pasta, white bread, and white rice contain a high amount of carbohydrates and are very low in fibrous content. This dreadful combination makes the blood glucose level spike through the roof, and other health complications follow.
- But there is an easy way out. Ditch the whites and switch to the brown varieties. Pick brown rice, select brown bread, sacrifice the pasta, and heck you are good to go! You can try quinoa too. It is incredibly beneficial for health and a smart choice over white rice and gluten.
6. Coffee and sweetened soda
- The menu is never complete without complimentary drinks, and the list of high carb foods to avoid is never complete without carbonated beverages and caffeinated beverages.
- A can of plain coke contains as much as 39g of processed carbohydrates and more than 150 empty calories. Flavored coffee ranks worse with its significant content of diabetic carbs. These drinks need to be obliterated from the world if obesity and weight gain are to be controlled.
7. Candies
- Don’t we all love to suck on candies? Why it has almost become a pastime now, not to mention a part-time pacifier for kids too. The boiled sweet jelly-filled candies are the cause of several health complications like diabetes type 2.
- Candies contain a massive amount of sugar along with processed carbohydrates which perpetrate into the system and wreak havoc with the health and well being. Ditch the candies right now and if you get a craving for something sweet and juicy, try fresh and delicious fruits instead.
8. Starchy vegetables
- Many vegetables are high in starch and don’t go well if you are on a low-carb diet. High starch foods like corns, sweet potatoes, potatoes, beets, etc. are high in starch and also rich in fiber.
- Control the portions of these foods when on a low carb diet. But do not avert it on the whole as they are also rich in good dietary fibers that assist your digestive system too. But overdoing this food or including only these without any healthy alternatives in your diet might not work for you.
9. Beer
- Alcohol is choice that you can enjoy in moderation but choosing alternatives like beer won’t lead you to resolve any of your carb issues. A glass of 12 ounces of beer has 13 grams of carbs. On the other hand, light beer also has 6 grams, but hard liquor has none.
- Also, as per many types of research, it has got consolidated that if you take carbohydrates in the form of a liquid, they tend to add more weight to your body than solid carbs. Even the beer that you add to make batters count for adding unwanted carbs in the diet.
10. Sweet yogurt
- Yogurt is undoubtedly a boon for health, but people tend to choose the artificially sweetened ones over the plain, non-sweetened varieties. A sweetened cup of yogurt has approximately 47 grams of carbs and mind you it is even higher than a cup of ice-cream.
- Hence opt for the healthier versions by taking a cup of plain unsweetened yogurt and topping it with the delicious servings of blueberries, strawberries, and nuts.
11. Salad dressings
- It is undoubtedly recommended to include salads in the diet, and that has also made the counters full of commercial salad dressings that make the salads even more alluring to eat.
- But watch out as they are loaded with carbs and calories that weaken the nutritional value of what is in your plate. If you are putting two tablespoons of salad dressings like ranch, you add nothing less than 10-11 grams of carbs in it, which might not go so well with your diet.
12. Artificially sweetened honey
- There are a lot of sugar substitutes available in the market and people consider the healthy ones to be honey and maple syrup. But have you ever read the number of carbs they contain? One tablespoon of honey can have as much as 17 grams of carbs, and it fluctuates depending upon the brands.
- Hence always look for organic and natural honey to make this alternative actually healthy for you.
A few words of caution
- Do not go on a diet that is entirely devoid of carbohydrates. There are bad carbs and good carbs, so make a smart choice and go for the unrefined and unprocessed carbs to stay healthy.
- Plan a healthy and balanced diet that includes all the nutrients, vitamins, and minerals to preserve health and fight against nutritional deficiency diseases.
It is easy to fall prey to gourmet temptations and takes a lot of bravery to let go of the unhealthy junk foods and make smart and healthy choices. Start with the list of high carb foods to avoid, ditch the sugar and sodas, and then you will be amazed at the unbelievable results. Lead a healthy life with regular exercise, a little walking, running, and jogging, and of course healthy foods.
