Carbs. The Good, The Bad and The Tasty.

Any one who knows me will know that I love a carbohydrate. And carbs are a necessary part of any balanced diet but they are quite often overindulged in! I am the worst one for this. My fat girl diet used to include mash or bread or pasta. Every meal had to have one of these elements in abundance. 

The Good: 
The right carbs are essential for your health and wellness. Cutting them out completely is not a good idea. There is a massive different between wholesome 'good' carbs that our bodies are designed to eat and the refined, mega processed ones we eat every day! So, here is a list of what you should be eating to help you feel fuller for longer with out the bloat that bread can bring. If you do need to have bread or pasta, make it whole grain!

• whole vegetables
• whole fruits
• beans
• legumes
• nuts
• seeds
• whole cereal grains

The Bad: 
Bad carbs are those which are refined and processed and have usually had all of their nutrients and fiber removed. This is done basically to make them taste better and be more consumer friendly.  Most baked goods, white breads, pastas, snack foods, candies, and non-diet soft drinks fit into this category. Bleached, enriched ‘white’ flour and white sugar – along with an array of artificial flavorings, colorings, and preservatives – are the most common ingredients used to make ‘bad carb’ foods. The human body simply can't process them! While the human body has evolved over millions of years, refined carbs have only been on the menu for about 100. Our bodies just can't cope. Our hormone levels go through the roof, insulin and blood sugar are all over the place. This is why we feel tired after eating an unhealthy meal. And for those who calorie count, bad carbs are 'empty' calories. They have little or no nutritional value. Lots of these and you get fat. Simple. Then, on a longer term basis there are so many illnesses which come with continued bad carb heavy diets: obesity, diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and other long-term problems. Try and cut them out for a week or so, I promise you will feel better! 

The Tasty:
So, what can you eat instead of bad carbs? Here are some healthy alternatives! 

Squash

Summer squash (the football-shaped yellow kind) tastes similar to potatoes when cooked—but has just a fraction of the carbs. Grate the squash, mix in an egg as binder, make patties, and fry them in olive oil, says Mary Dan Eades, M.D., coauthor of The Low-Carb Comfort Food Cookbook.

Lettuce 

 

Yes, skip the rolls, tortillas and bread slices and instead make a sandwich inside lettuce leaves. Go Mexican with a sprinkle of Cheddar cheese, salsa and chicken; or Chinese with sesame seeds, peanuts, bean sprouts, sliced green beans and shrimp with a touch of soy sauce; or deli style with turkey, cheese and mustard.

Zuchinni 

 

 

Slice four to five medium-size zukes lengthwise into three-quarter-inch-thick strips, instructs Lise Battaglia, a New Jersey chef whose past clients include Jon Bon Jovi. Sprinkle Italian seasoning on the strips, place them in a single layer on a nonstick cookie sheet, and bake at 425 degrees F for 20 minutes. You want them firm, not crisp. "Then simply make the lasagna as you normally would, replacing lasagna noodles with the baked zucchini," she says.

 

Oatmeal and Cottage Cheese Pancakes

Here's a can't-fail recipe from The South Beach Diet. Mix together half a cup of old-fashioned oatmeal, a quarter cup of low-fat cottage cheese, two eggs, and a dash each of vanilla extract, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Process in a blender until smooth. Cook the mixture like a regular pancake.

Polenta

 

 

My personal favourite, Polenta is a golden-yellow Italian cornmeal made from dried, ground maize (corn), and also the name given to the savoury cornmeal porridge that’s made by mixing cornmeal with water and simmering and stirring until it thickens - a staple dish of northern Italy. Polenta can be ground coarse or fine and is widely used in the southern states of America to make a variety of dishes, including cornbread, because maize is a major crop in the US.

 

Quinoa 

 

While quinoa is usually considered to be a whole grain, it is actually a seed, but can be prepared like whole grains such as rice or barley. Try a quinoa pilaf salad recipe, or serve a vegetable stir-fry over cooked quinoa instead of rice. Quinoa is my favorite whole grain for three reasons: First, it takes less time to cook than other whole grains – just 10 to 15 minutes. Second, quinoa tastes great on its own, unlike other grains such as millet or teff. Add a bit of olive oil, sea salt and lemon juice and - yum! Finally, of all the whole grains, quinoa has the highest protein content, so it's perfect for vegetarians and vegans. Quinoa provides all 9 essential amino acids, making it a complete protein. Quinoa is a gluten-free and cholesterol-free whole grain and is almost always organic.

There are some more ideas on http://www.menshealth.com/mhlists/cut_carbs/ but also, share your own ideas below!