Carbohydrate Tips
- Consume moderate amounts of unrefined carbohydrates (whole fruit, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy, cooked-dried beans) and balance them with protein and fat.
- Cut down on white rice. Don't rinse the grains. Rinsing removes the enriched vitamins.
- Healthier substitutions would be:
- Cracked wheat, whole wheat couscous, barley, quinoa, millet or amaranth
- Use cooked beans, corn, potatoes and hard-fleshed squash as your starch
- Whole grain products that are refined (made from flours) but nutritious are:
- Whole wheat chapatti or roti, besan pancakes, whole wheat bread or pasta, whole grain crackers
- Eat starches that have been fried or prepared with generous amounts of oil sparingly:
- Vada, samosa, paratha, sev, pakora, laddoo, plantain chips, namkeen or chevda mix, puri, kachori, motichoor, laddu/ladoo
- Limit intake of starches that have been prepared with generous amounts of sugar:
- Halwa, gulabjammun, cookies, cake, puddings, jalebi, pheerni, burfi, ras malai, imarti
- Eat fruit as a dessert and snack every day:
- Small-sized fruit the size of a tennis ball or about 4 oz total weight
- Create lower sugar versions of favorite recipes using sugar substitutes.
- Avoid sugary beverages: juice, soda, sweet lassi, sweet tea or coffee
- Coconut water (juice from a young coconut) is highly nutritious but high in sugar too. Limit if diabetic or watching weight.
- Limit items made with white rice or white rice flour:
- Idli, dosa
- Eat generous portions of non-starchy vegetables:
- Cauliflower, green beans, peppers/capsicum, greens, broccoli, carrots, celery, summer squash (thin skinned), tomatoes, onion, cabbage, karela, etc.
- See some of our recipes for healthy ideas of your favorites:
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Free nutrition guide, American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPIO)
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