Complex Carbohydrates

Complex carbohydrates are not processed, very nutritious and are an important part of a healthy diet. They are made up of many glucose molecules joined together. As the structure of these molecules are more complicated than simple carbs, it takes much longer to digest these foods. They are usually found in vegetables, fruits, seeds, grains and nuts.






▪ Rich in nutrition.

▪ High in fibre.

▪ Take longer to digest.

▪ Stabilize blood sugar.

▪ Help you feel full longer.

• These recommendations could be met relatively easily due to the low cost, variety and availability of starchy foods.

• Complex carbohydrates raise blood sugar levels more slowly, the body can not convert them into energy as quickly as simple carbs.

• Dietary fibre has even more complex molecular structure, classified as either insoluble or soluble. Most plant foods contain both types of fibre with varying proportions. Fibre is a mixture of substances, which cannot be digested in the small intestine by humans.

Mainly found in:

▪ Beans

▪ Brown and wild rice

▪ Pasta

▪ Potatoes

▪ Corn

▪ Oatmeal

▪ Cereals

▪ Lentils

▪ Noodles

▪ Yams

▪ Couscous

▪ Carrots

▪ Green vegetables

Oatmeal Nutrition Facts

Carrot Nutrition Facts

Popcorn Nutrition and Health Benefits

Everybody loves the smell of homemade bread. Try these amazing, yet easy bread recipes. Many of these recipes have been adapted to use whole grain flour.

How to Increase Complex Carb Intake:

• Switch from white bread to whole meal / multigrain / high fibre breads. You can also easily find high fibre white breads that are better for you.

• Make a habit of eating high fiber / low sugar cereals in the morning, oats being the best choice.

• Try and eat brown rice and whole meal pasta more than white rice and pasta.

• Increase your daily consumption of vegetables and fruits.

Glycemic Index and Complex Carbs:

It helps to eat more of complex carb / low GI foods a couple of hours before the exercise. High GI / simple carb foods are not recommended before the exercise as they cause quick depletion of glycogen stores in muscles and liver. In other words high GI carbs- sugars etc. will burn quickly and don't give you very long lasting fuel, but are good for short bursts, low gi carbs -green vegetables, oatmeal etc. burn slowly and give you long lasting fuel.

But we cannot take GI as the only measure of whether a carbohydrate that we choose will help us lose fat or not is because GI does not take into account the different ways in which the body handles complex carbohydrates from starches like brown rice (or grains like oatmeal) vs. a simple carbohydrate like an apple. In other words most foods classed as complex carb will have low GI, but there are exceptions like certain fruits.

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