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:
• Grains, "Sorting Them Out" (slide show)


• How to Prepare Bulk Grains


• Recipes

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