10 Great Reasons to Eat Carbs: A Dietitian’s Perspective
Part 2
In Part 1, we learnt about the function of carbs in the body- the preferred source of fuel for all cells, including the brain. Did you know the brain alone needs 500-600 calories from carbs per day to run itself. That is equivalent to 125-150g carbs found in 9-10 slices of bread depending on the size of the slice! Of course, we wouldn’t just get all the carbs from bread as it is helpful to aim for diversity in grain foods across you diet, such as chickpea pasta, quinoa, long grain brown rice, barley wraps, rolled oats to name a few.
In Part 2, we explore another 10 great reasons to include carbs in the diet, just in case you still feel nervous about including this valuable, versatile and convenient nutrient in your diet.
1. Carbs can help lower your weekly shopping bill.
With the current cost of living crisis, eating a low carb high protein diet can significantly increase your food shopping bill. For example, rice, pasta, and bread can cost as low as just $1.80 per kilo! When comparing this to skinless chicken thighs at $13.50 per kilo, you could definitely say its great “bang for your buck”. In addition, incorporating some meals with legumes such as tinned chick peas or extending mince meals with tinned lentils, provides both a source of protein and carbs together is very cost effective at $2.40 per kilo.
2. Carb swaps can help flip meals to keep things interesting.
Have you done a Sunday batch cook of savoury mince for the week? Put it in a taco shell, in a burrito, top rice, make it into spaghetti bolognaise, lasagne, or a stuffed spud. The possibilities are endless thanks to those beautiful and versatile carb-containing base foods. Increasing variety of meals without taxing your capacity with the high level executive functioning required to cook different dishes from scratch is easier when you use different carbs to flip the meal.
3. Slow-release carbs (low GI) help prevent cravings.
Low GI carbs can help stabilise blood sugar levels, as rapid spikes and crashes can sometimes trigger sugar cravings in some people. They prolong feelings of fullness and satiety after a meal which can reduce sweet cravings. Try low GI carbs such as oat-based cereals, multigrain or seeded breads such as traditional sourdough, Burgen Soy Lin, breakfast cereals such as Weet-Bix, All-Bran, Uncle Toby’s Active Balance range, long grain white/brown rice, red/black rice, quinoa, barley, legume/pulse-based pasta, soba/buckwheat noodles, Low GI wraps, orange sweet potato, corn, and Nicola/Carisma potato.
4. Eating carbs challenges diet culture.
Permission to eat carbs once again, pushes back against the rigid ‘good’ food ‘bad’ food rules imposed by diet culture. Rejecting the demonisation of carbs encourages a more balanced approach to nutrition which focuses on nourishing the body rather than restricting food groups. Embracing carbs in all their forms and allowing oneself to enjoy a wide variety of food promotes food freedom and autonomy without guilt or fear. It also frees the mind of intrusive thoughts around carb food rules which can leave little room for finding joy and peace in daily life and lead to decision paralysis of what to eat, and shame and guilt around eating.
5. Carbs may help improve cognitive function.
The connection between carbohydrates and mood is all about a type of amino acid called tryptophan, which helps produce the happy hormone serotonin in your brain. Without enough tryptophan, and therefore serotonin, it may negatively affect your mood. In addition, choosing low GI, nutrient-dense carbs daily is important to help regulate blood sugar levels which in turn help regulate energy levels, focus, concentration, problem-solving ability, anxiety and ultimately your overall mood. Remember your brain is a big user of carbs just to run itself, so regular and adequate intake will help support this organ whose nutritional needs are often forgotten.
6. Carbs may improve sleep.
As above, the production of serotonin also means improved sleep quality. In addition, some carbohydrates, particularly those high in B6 and magnesium, can support the production of melatonin which is a hormone that helps regulate the sleep-wake cycle. Examples include bananas, sweet potato and oats. In addition, having your foot on the break with carbs if dieting, can result in a brain that detects the food threat via the amygdala, so attempts to wake you at night to hunt for food- a caveperson survival brain!
7. Carbs can help improve your heart health.
Beta-glucan is a type of soluble fibre particularly concentrated in the outer layers of cereals such as oats and barley. Bile is produced from the breakdown of cholesterol. Both bile and cholesterol are released from the gall bladder into the gut to help digest the food we eat. They both help the body to absorb fats from the diet. When eaten, beta-glucan forms a thick gel in the intestines which binds to the bile and cholesterol, preventing them from being reabsorbed lower down the gut. This results in less cholesterol returning to the blood and more being lost in the faeces which helps lower cholesterol levels. In addition, as less cholesterol is being absorbed by the gut, the body has to take more cholesterol out of the blood to make more bile needed for digestion. Evidence suggests 3g of beta-glucan may result in a drop of 5% in total and LDL cholesterol levels in some people. Your dietitian can help you boost beta-glucans in your diet.
8. Carbs provide B group vitamins.
Wholegrains such as bread, grains, breakfast cereals, rice and pasta are often fortified with B-group vitamins. These vitamins play an important role in digestion and energy metabolism (breaking down our food to energy), nerve function, and even DNA synthesis! These fortified carbs can help individuals who may not consume enough B vitamin-rich foods in their diet. Look for wholegrain B-fortified (Vitamin B1, B2, B3, B6 & folate) breakfast cereals such as Weet-Bix, Sultana Bran, All-Bran, Guardian and Weeties, which generally contain at least 25% of your recommended Daily Intake (RDI).
9. Many processed carbs are predictable and consistent.
It is common for people with neurodivergence such as Autism and/or ADHD to have a range of sensory sensitivities to certain food textures, flavours, smells or appearance. Processed carbs such as bread, rice, pasta, crackers, sweet biscuits, potato chips, 2-minute noodles or chocolate are almost guaranteed to be the same each time- they are predictable in shape, size, smell, flavour, texture, appearance and packaging each time and so feel safe and just right. For these people, eating these foods is vital to obtain energy in their diet to maintain weight and growth. Unfortunately for some, even these foods can drop off the safe food list with a small change by the food manufacturer in packaging, shape or ingredient. In contrast, foods like a punnet of blueberries can present differently from a sensory perspective with every individual blueberry. Some are squishy, some are over ripe, sour, marked, big or small so each blueberry is unpredictable from a sensory perspective.
In addition, the crunchiness or chewiness of some carbs can also assist with sensory regulation, such as crunching salty potato chips or chewing on fruit straps/leathers. Once again being highly processed means that they are predictable and the same each time so feel safe and offer a form of stimming when dysregulated.
10. Carbs can be the ultimate soul foods.
Foods such as lollies, cakes, biscuits, ice-cream and chocolate provide both comfort and nourishment for the soul and can evoke feelings of nostalgia and warmth. The Mediterranean Diet Pyramid promotes the concept of conviviality, and soul foods are often associated with communal gatherings and social events, fostering a sense of community and connection amongst family or friends. Traditional cakes and desserts are often the highlight of these memories and for good reason as they taste so good too.
For people with neurodivergence such as ASD and ADHD, eating crunchy salty foods such as potato crisps and hot chips or drinking a cold Macca’s thick shake through a thick straw can offer helpful regulation for the nervous system. In addition, people with ARFID may have a very limited range of safe foods that often include soul foods. In these cases, we say Fed is Best, and there should be no judgement with a diet primarily based on these foods as they provide a valuable source of calories and nutrients for the body despite being a processed soul food.
If you feel anxious about carbs and want to learn how to re-incorporate them into your diet, one of our dietitians can help provide you with a step-by-step approach. Reach out today to our Dietwise Care Coordinators today to get started by contacting us on- 08 9388 2423 or reception@dietwise.net.au. You can even contact us through our website here. We are open 6 days per week for in-person and Telehealth appointments including both after-hours and Saturdays.
Written by:
Accredited Practising Dietitians & Credentialed Eating Disorder Clinicians