It’s no nutrition myth that carbohydrates sometimes get a bad rap (looking at you, white bread and pasta).
However, as accredited practising dietitian, Naras Lapsys who is known to his patients as The Body Doctor, carbohydrates – those specifically of the unrefined kind – are vital for boosting our bodies’ energy levels, specifically for the brain.
Here, we list some of the surprisingly carb-loaded foods you may not know you’re eating (and that you might want to think about eating more of).
Apples
Super-sweet and a treat to eat, apples, some would say surprisingly, rank high on the carb-loaded fruits list (a medium-sized apple contains 14.6g of carbohydrates).
While this satiating fruit is good for snacking on to ward off hunger pangs, it’s also been said that apples may help reduce the risk of neurodegenerative disorders, like Alzheimer’s, as well as reduce your chance of stroke and diabetes.
Experiment with this easily accessible fruit by adding it to a savoury dish, like a broad bean, apple and walnut open sandwich. You can thank us later.
Mangoes
This sweet summertime fruit is high in carbohydrates (a large mango contains around 39g of carbohydrates), but it also boasts a heap of soluble fibre, which helps to prevent your body from absorbing cholesterol.
Try adding a slice or two of fresh mango to some homemade Vietnamese rolls to get your mango intake up.
Bananas
Did you know that medium banana contains 27 grams of carbohydrates?
Bananas are a health-food powerhouse; rich in vitamin C, potassium and high fibre counts, this delicious fruit helps to reduce blood pressure and improve digestive health, all while keeping you fuller for longer.
Eat all of the banana goodness up by whipping up a yummy banana bread, fit for the whole family.
Sweet potatoes
Potatoes often get branded as too high in carbohydrates with little nutritional return. Although, food technologists have debunked this myth, as sweet potatoes – in all their high-carb glory – also contain vitamin C, potassium, vitamin A and a myriad of anti-carcinogenic properties that have been reported to fight the good fight against breast cancer in premenopausal women and ovarian cancer in postmenopausal women.
Up your sweet potato intake the easy (and delicious) way with a kumara and turkey burger. Healthy and nutritious? Sign us up.
Chickpeas
They may be small in size, but they’re big in unrefined carbohydrates, specifically of the low-GI kind.
Low-GI foods have long been heralded as helpful in diabetic treatment, meaning that these beans are instrumental in helping keep your blood-sugar levels in check (high-GI foods can make your blood-sugar levels soar to dangerous heights).
Not only that, but the fibre count within chickpeas helps slow the absorption of blood sugar and can possibly assist in staving off type-2 diabetes in adults.
Send your tastebuds into overdrive all while nourishing your body with a mouth-watering pumpkin, feta and chickpea salad. It’s as easy to make as it is to eat.
