Carbohydrates

Key points about carbohydrates

  • Carbohydrates are an important source of energy in our diet.
  • We often think of carbohydrate foods as bread, pasta, cakes, rice and potatoes but milk, other starchy vegetables and fruits also contain carbohydrates – even though they are part of other food groups.
  • Some carbohydrates are better for us than others. Generally the less processed they are, the healthier they are. 
  • It's important to think about which ones to include as part of a balanced diet. 
Carbohydrate examples
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Carbohydrates are known as macronutrients and are 1 of the 3 major sources of energy in our diet, the others are protein and fat. Carbohydrates are an important part of a healthy diet.

There are 3 types of carbohydrates:

  • Sugar is the simplest form and is found in table sugar, fruit, vegetables and milk products. It is also added to some processed foods, eg, biscuits, sugary drinks and sweets.
  • Starch is a complex carbohydrate that's broken down and digested more slowly than simple sugars. It's found in vegetables and grains.
  • Fibre is also a complex carbohydrate found in fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

Carbohydrates are needed because they provide your body with energy. As they're digested, they're broken down into glucose which is absorbed into your bloodstream. It's then transported around the cells of your body. It can be used straight away to fuel your current activity and, if you have more glucose than you need, it's stored in your liver, muscles and cells so your body can use it later, or turned into fat. 

Carbohydrates or 'carbs' are found in many foods and drinks. Some are found naturally (eg, as part of plants and grains) others are added when foods are processed (eg, when starch or sugar is added to cereals, tinned foods and sauces).

Examples of foods containing carbohydrates are:

  • fruits
  • starchy vegetables (eg, potato and kumara)
  • breads
  • nuts
  • cereals
  • rice
  • pasta
  • legumes (beans, peas, chickpeas, lentils)
  • milk and milk products
  • sugar.

The Ministry of Health nutrition guidelines say that carbohydrates should make up about half of our dietary intake. What's important though, is to think about the type and balance of carbohydrates (and other foods) we are eating.

Some carbohydrates are better for you to eat on a regular basis than others as they are less processed and contain more nutrients. Read more about some healthy carbohydrate-rich foods and how to use them.(external link) 

A carbohydrate portion size is about the size of your closed fist – which means that a portion size for a child is different to a portion size for an adult, and a portion size for a small adult is different to that of a large adult. 

A general rule when thinking about how to fill your plate is to divide it into quarters and have about a quarter of it filled with starchy vegetables (eg, potato, taro, taewa, corn) and grain foods (eg, rice, pasta, bread). 

Recommended proportion of food groups on plate

 

Image credit: Canva

When deciding what types of carbohydrate to have here are some guidelines:

  • Eat the most of whole, unprocessed, non-starchy vegetables: Lettuce, tomatoes, green beans, cucumber, broccoli.
  • Eat some of whole, partly processed carbohydrates: Intact grains, whole grain bread, corn, green peas, kumara, pumpkin, lentils, chickpeas, apples, strawberries, blueberries.
  • Try to limit or avoid very processed foods: Sugary drinks, processed grains (eg, white bread), white rice, sugary cereals, cakes, biscuits, sweets. 

Read more about the adult nutrition guidelines recommended by the Ministry of Health(external link)

All carbohydrates are broken down in the gut to release glucose, which is our main fuel supply. The rate of breakdown is measured by a system called the glycaemic index (GI), which ranks food on a scale from 0 to 100 according to the effect it has on blood glucose levels. Foods with an index number of 70 or more are considered to be high GI (foods that break down quickly), foods with an index number between 56 and 69 are considered to be medium GI, and foods with an index number of 55 or less are low GI (foods that break down slowly).

Examples of low GI foods

  • Wholegrain bread.
  • Chickpeas, kidney beans, lentils.
  • Milk, yoghurt.
  • Apples, pears, grapes, kiwifruit.
  • Pasta, noodles, basmati rice.
  • Oats, bran.

Examples of high GI foods

  • White and some wholemeal breads.
  • Rice cakes.
  • Honey.
  • Watermelon.
  • Short-grain white rice.
  • Puffed wheat, cornflake and rice flake cereals.

If you have diabetes knowing about the glycaemic index of different foods can help you manage your blood glucose levels. Read more about the glycaemic index and, if you would like to find out the GI of a particular food you can look it up on the database at www.glycemicindex.com.(external link)

Healthy heart visual food guide poster(external link) Heart Foundation, NZ
Food portions(external link) Heart Foundation, NZ
Carbohydrate factsheet(external link) Health Promotion Agency, NZ, 2019
Carbohydrates explained [PDF, 468 KB] Western Bay of Plenty PHO, NZ

References

Eating and activity guidelines for New Zealand adults(external link) Ministry of Heath, NZ, 2020
Carbohydrates(external link) NZ Nutrition Foundation, NZ, 2022
Carbohydrates(external link) Mayo Clinic, US, 2022
Understanding carbs(external link) American Diabetes Association, US

Brochures

Carbohydrate factsheet(external link)

Health Promotion Agency, NZ, 2019

carbohydrates

Carbohydrates explained

Western Bay of Plenty PHO, NZ

food portions

Food portions(external link)

Heart Foundation, NZ

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