Happy New Blog Post day ninjas ❤️ I hope you’re all doing really well!

In the wellness world, we often hear about carbs and that we should lower our intake. While I DEFINITELY do not subscribe to this way of thinking, we could certainly be making smarter, healthier and more satisfying choices when it comes to carbohydrates!

Carbohydrate intake can become a problem when we choose refined carbs and consume them too often. Opting for a more protein-rich, unrefined choice will increase the nutrient intake and reduce the amount of NET CARBS consumed.

REFINED GRAINS, such as white bread and pasta, pizza dough, white rice, and (most) breakfast cereals, are grain products that have undergone processing that removes fibre and nutrients to improve texture and shelf life. This results in higher net carbs due to lower fibre.

Here’s a run down of some healthy lower carb options…

OATS

Oats are high in many nutrients including dietary fiber, beta-glucan and several minerals including magnesium, manganese and phosphorus. Oats contribute to lower levels of cholesterol and may help prevent heart disease.

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Oats contain 56g of carbs per 100g; a 1 cup serving of cooked oats, which contains approx 33g, contains 21g of net carbs.

QUINOA

Although often categorized as a grain, quinoa is a complete protein source as it contains all essential amino acids. It is also high in antioxidants and several important minerals.

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Quinoa contains 66g of carbs per 100g; a 1 cup serving of cooked quinoa (185g) contains 34g of net carbs.

BARLEY

Known for it’s nutty flavor and chewy texture, barley is high in fibre and rich in important minerals such as selenium, magnesium, zinc and copper.

Barley contains 41.5 grams of net carbs in each cup (170 grams cooked) or 64g of carbs per 100g (raw).

MILLET

Millet is an ancient grain grown in many places all over the world. Like other whole grains, millet is high in antioxidants and polyphenols, which may help prevent chronic conditions like type 2 diabetes.

Millet contains 68g of carbs per 100g while a 1 cup (174 gram) serving of cooked millet contains over 2 grams of fiber and 39 grams of net carbs

WHOLEMEAL COUSCOUS

Couscous is packed with selenium, a trace mineral that plays a crucial role in heart health, thyroid function, immune health, and more. Adding couscous to your diet can also boost your intake of several other important micronutrients, including pantothenic acid, manganese, copper, and thiamine.

Couscous is a grain product with 34.5 grams of net carbs per cooked cup (157 grams) or 66g of carbs per 100g.

SPELT

Spelt is an ancient whole grain associated with a number of health benefits. Although spelt contains mostly carbs, it does offer a good chunk of fiber in each serving.

1 cup (194 gram) serving of cooked spelt contains about 7.5 grams of fiber and 44 grams of net carbs. Spelt contains 59g of carbs per 100g (raw).

POPCORN

By far one of my all time fave snack foods, popcorn is actually quite a healthy grain (provided you don’t drench it in butter and salt). Technically, popcorn is a whole grain and it’s also one of the lowest carb grains available, with 6.5 grams of net carbs in each 1 cup (14 gram) serving of popped popcorn. Plus, popcorn is low in calories and high in B vitamins, iron, magnesium, and phosphorus.

Popcorn contains 72g of carbs per 100g (raw) or 6.5 grams of net carbs in each 1 cup (14 gram) serving of popped popcorn.

I hope you’ve found this interesting and that this new information inspires you incorporate a lot more healthy whole grains in your diet or help you choose which ones to add more of into your diet. I also hope this shows you that carbs are nothing to fear and there is A LOT of variety and many reasons to add them to your diet!

That’s it from me for today – I’ll be back with a new blog post Every Single Saturday 🙂

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Until next week, be well xXx