Which Foods Contain Carbohydrate?
Foods that contain carbohydrates are often grouped together as the starch, vegetable, fruit, and milk group.
Starch group. Grains, such as bread, biscuits, pancakes, noodles, pasta, crackers, cereals, and rice. Also, starchy vegetables such as corn, peas, white and sweet potatoes, and all kinds of beans.
Tip: Buy whole grain varieties from the starch group such as whole grain bread or brown rice. Eat fewer fried and high-fat starches such as regular biscuits, cornbread, and pancakes.
Vegetable group. Asparagus, broccoli, carrots, celery, collard greens, green beans, kale, lettuce and other salad greens, peppers, spinach, tomatoes, and zucchini.
Tip: Steam vegetables using a small amount of water or low-sodium broth. If you add fat, use a small amount of canola, olive oil or tub margarine instead of fat from meat, butter, or shortening. For canned vegetables, “no salt added” is the best choice.
Fruit group. Apples, bananas, berries, mangoes, melons, and oranges.
Tip: Eat fruits raw, as juice with no sugar added, or canned in their own juice. Avoid canned fruit in heavy syrup. Eat pieces of fruit rather than drinking fruit juice.
Milk group. Milk, yogurt, fortified soy milk, evaporated milk and buttermilk.
Tip: Drink fat-free or low-fat milk. Eat low-fat or fat-free yogurt.
Small amounts of sweets such as cakes, cookies, candy, and other desserts can be included in a healthy diet—even if you have diabetes. But be aware that most of the calories in cakes and cookies come from carbohydrates and fat, often unhealthy saturated fat and trans fat.
How Much Carbohydrate is in Food?
When you count carbs in foods that you cook, you will have to measure the portion of food after cooking it. For example, cooked long grain rice has 15 grams of carbohydrate per 1/3 cup. If you eat a cup of cooked long grain rice, you will be eating 45 grams of carbohydrates.