Getting enough energy to start and maintain your day is important.
Sure, you need plenty of vitamins, minerals, and proteins for a healthy diet—but for most people, including some unprocessed carbohydrates is another essential part of this daily process.
It’s often been said that the number of carbohydrates you eat isn’t quite as important as eating high-quality carbs. And today, we’re going to help you explore 4 different types of healthy carbohydrates to help you get, and stay, on track with your health and wellness.
Say goodbye to processed pasta, breads, pizza crust, and other ‘less healthy’ forms of carbohydrates.
These unprocessed sources may surprise you—both in taste and with their nutritional value!
Just make sure to pair them with other nutrient-rich foods for a well-rounded, balanced diet.
Let’s dive into it!
1. Sweet Potatoes
A lot of people don’t realize this, but sweet potatoes are actually surprisingly healthy and beneficial.
They’re starchy, rich in vitamins, and pack in a bunch of minerals, antioxidants, and fiber. But perhaps even more importantly, they definitely fall into the ‘healthy carb’ category.
One medium sweet potato has about 150 calories and 5 grams of fiber.
Plus, they’re delicious!
For best results, peel them, boil them, and mash them up with some butter.
Delicious!
2. Honey
You may not realize this, but a single tablespoon of honey contains 17 grams of net carbs.
As a pure ‘animal-based’ product, locally sourced raw honey is literally a miracle food.
Drizzle a bit of it onto your fruit in the morning for breakfast to help give you a massive carb boost throughout the day.
Plus, while honey is a bit calorie dense, a little bit of it goes a long way.
You could easily use a tablespoon of it to help you sweeten up your fruits—which will add just about 60 calories to your daily caloric intake.
3. Rice
Rice is one of the most well-known and widely consumed carbohydrates in the world.
A single cup of it contains 37 grams of carbohydrates.
It’s awesome—but you definitely don’t need to overdo it in the ‘rice’ department.
Make sure to count those calories, and to save plenty of them for your protein, fruits, and vegetables as well.
4. Chickpeas
Chickpeas are packed with protein and fiber. They’re also cheap to buy, and surprisingly calorie-dense.
But here’s the thing.
They’re also super good for you!
In a 100-gram serving of chickpeas, you’ll find 27.4 grams of carbs. You’ll also find about 8 grams of fiber, and plenty of plant-based protein, vitamins, and minerals.
You truly can’t go wrong with this legume!
Conclusion
Carbs can help you to fuel up your body, give you energy, and assist you in building muscle and staying ‘juiced up’ for the day.
Just make sure not to overconsume them, and leave plenty of calories for nutrient-rich animal-based protein sources like beef, chicken, and lamb.
Also, don’t forget to eat those fruits and vegetables!
It all matters.
