Ideal Carbohydrates

At the top of the list of unprocessed carbohydrates is fruit. In addition to containing vitamins and minerals, fruit includes important phytonutrients. Though fruit is a carbohydrate food, the glycemic index of most fruit is low to moderate because fruit has substantial amounts of fiber, and because fruit sugar, or fructose, possesses the lowest glycemic index of all sugars. Most fruits contain a combination of fructose and glucose, and those with the most fructose have a lower glycemic index. At the low end of the glycemic index are cherries, plums, grapefruits, apricots, melons, berries, and peaches. Apples, pears, and baby bananas have a more moderate glycemic index, with grapes, oranges, and large bananas scoring higher. Pineapple, watermelon, and dried fruits are among the highest-glycemic fruits and should be eaten sparingly, if at all. Most people who are CI can tolerate some amount of fresh fruits, although sometimes they can only eat from the low-glycemic group.

Legumes or beans can be tolerated by many people, but often only in small amounts. These foods are thought by many to be a protein food, but most contain much more carbohydrate than protein. For instance, a serving of red beans typically has six grams of protein and sixteen grams of carbohydrate, with five of these carbohydrate grams as fiber. Because of the presence of both protein and fiber, the glycemic index of red beans and other legumes remains relatively low for a carbohydrate food. In addition, other legumes may have even lower glycemic effects. Overall, because of their composition, most beans, including lentils, have a moderate glycemic effect, and are a good alternative to refined-carbohydrate foods.

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Vegetables also contain carbohydrates, though most only small amounts. Vegetables are an extremely important item in the diet and are discussed in detail later in this section. Some vegetables, however, contain moderate to high amounts of carbohydrates and therefore warrant discussion here. Among the higher-carbohydrate vegetables are corn and potatoes, which should be eaten sparingly, if at all. In fact, a baked potato has a whopping thirty-seven grams of carbohydrate—as much as a serving of cooked pasta—and a higher glycemic index than some cakes and candy. Potatoes and corn are such high-glycemic foods because they’ve been genetically changed to be sweeter than the same foods a generation or two ago. New potatoes have a much lower glycemic index than other varieties.

Many people consume the bulk of their carbohydrates as grains. Whole grains, and products made from them, are more healthful than their refined counterparts, containing more of the nutrients and fiber from the original grain. For instance, whole oat groats are better than the common processed oatmeal cereals, especially the “quick” oats. Longgrain brown rice is better than short-grain white rice. Wild rice, which isn’t really rice but a seed from a reedy grass, is fairly low in carbohydrate and has a moderate glycemic index as well. There are a number of breads on the market made from whole sprouted grains, and most have a lower glycemic index. Processed wheat flour (white flour) can increase insulin levels two to three times more than true whole-grain products. But whether whole or processed, grains are starches and more difficult to digest than most foods, and many people, often unknowingly, are intolerant to wheat of any kind. Wheat is such a common problem for many people that I devoted the section below to it.