Carbohydrates
- What are carbohydrates?
- How do carbohydrates contribute to our health and wellbeing?
- How can you increase your intake of "healthy" carbohydrates?
- Want to know more?
What are carbohydrates?
Carbohydrates are comprised of sugars and starches, together constituting one of the three principal types of nutrients (macronutrients) used as energy sources (kilojoules/calories) by the body1.
The body breaks down most carbohydrates into glucose, a simple sugar that the body uses as its principle energy source1.
How do carbohydrates contribute to our health and wellbeing?
Carbohydrates are a vital component of a healthy eating plan. They help provide energy to get through the day as well as maintaining our concentration and even our good moods1!
Without carbohydrates in our diet we can get lethargic, feel tired and run down1.
Typically, low-carbohydrate diets are low in fibre, thiamin, folate, vitamins A, E, and B6, calcium, magnesium, iron, and potassium. They are also usually higher in saturated fat and cholesterol with protein mainly being derived from animal sources 2.
The speed at which high-carbohydrate foods are able to increase your blood glucose level is very important to your general health. Carbohydrate foods are therefore rated on the basis of their glycemic index, which is how quickly or slowly they raise blood glucose levels3.
Reference 1: Freedman MR, King J, Kennedy E. Popular diets: a scientific review. Obesity Research 2001;9 Suppl 1:1S-40S.
How can you increase your intake of "healthy" carbohydrates?
Nutrition experts recommend around half of your kilojoule intake should come from carbohydrate foods4.
The carbohydrate component of Western diets is dominated by highly refined foods, which generally have a high GI – for example lollies, biscuits, light crispy cereals, crackers, potato chips, doughnuts, cakes etc. These foods cause an immediate surge of glucose in the blood, followed by a sharp drop in glucose level. The brain detects this crashing glucose and sends out hunger signals which may drive us to over-eat.
The majority of your carbohydrate intake should be made up of healthy carbohydrate foods. These include wholegrain breads and cereals, legumes and fruits and vegetables, which provide essential vitamins, minerals and fibre.
A lower GI healthy eating plan simply starts with choosing lower GI carbohydrates at each meal (these foods are generally high in wholegrains). Switch to eating mainly lower GI foods in place of your usual highly refined carbohydrate foods:
| If you are currently eating this high GI food | Choose this Lower GI alternative instead |
| Biscuits | Bürgen® Fruit & Museli Bread |
| Refined crackers | Vegetable strips – carrot, capsicum and celery |
| White bread | Bürgen® Bread** |
| Hot Chips | Sweet potato or corn or other vegetable and salad options. |
| Refined breakfast cereals (flake products, puffed rice products) | Low GI Bürgen® Mueslis |
| White rice | Try Basmati or brown rice or wholemeal pasta * |
| High fat salty snacks (e.g. potato crisps) | Fruit, yogurt or nuts |
* While these products are not low GI, these alternatives are lower GI than their standard white varieties.
**The Burgen Bread range includes breads that are both low GI and medium GI
1 Wardlaw et al 2004. Perspectives in Nutrition 6th Edition. McGraw-Hill, New York. Pgs 139-168.
2 Freedman MR, King J, Kennedy E. Popular diets: a scientific review. Obesity Research 2001;9 Suppl 1:1S-40S
3 Jenkins et al 1981. Glycemic index of foods: a physiological basis for carbohydrate exchange. AJCN 34: 362 – 366
4 NHMRC and NZMoH 2006. Nutrient Reference Values for Australia and New Zealand including recommended dietary intakes. NHMRC, Canberra