Carbohydrates are one of the three types of nutrients your body uses as energy (the other two are protein and fat). Sugars are the simplest carbohydrates; fiber and starches are more complex. The digestive tract breaks down most sugars and starches into glucose, a simple sugar that the body uses to feed cells.

South Asian diets, particularly vegetarian diets, rely heavily on refined carbohydrates such as white rice and breads, which tend to spike blood sugar and contribute to harmful inflammation in the body. In contrast, healthy carbohydrates—unrefined and less refined—can help reduce the risk of heart disease by decreasing cholesterol levels, blood pressure and blood coagulation.

So one way to improve your diet is to eat moderate amounts of unrefined carbohydrates (whole fruit, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy, cooked beans) and balance them with protein and fat.

What are Refined Grains?

Refined grains are grains or grain flours that have been significantly modified from their natural state. Machines remove the grain’s nutritious outer bran (like a skin) and the endosperm (inner starchy portion), either by grinding or sieving. Refinement may also change the product’s properties to make it more appealing. This can include bleaching, brominating and mixing with other grain flours. White flour and white rice may taste sweeter, but they are less filling and worsen blood sugar control in susceptible people. 

By law, in the United States refined grains must be enriched to replace the major nutrients lost through refining. Standard enrichment adds back thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and iron. Some products also contain added calcium. However, most of the lost nutrients will not be replaced.

Switch to Healthy Carbs

Examples of healthy carbohydrates include:

• Brown and wild rice
• Steel-cut or rolled oats
• Whole wheat or rye berries
• Whole-grain (not pearl) barley
• Peas
• White and sweet potatoes with skin
• Boiled dry beans and pulses, such as lentils
• Whole fruit
• Low-fat milk or yogurt

Here’s how to get more healthy carbs into your diet.

1. Cut down on white rice. Instead, try healthier substitutions such as cracked wheat, whole-wheat couscous, barley, quinoa, millet or amaranth.
2. For starch, use cooked beans, corn, potatoes with skin and hard-fleshed squash.
3. Go light on starches that are fried or prepared with lots of oil: vada, samosa, paratha, sev, pakora, laddoo, plantain chips, namkeen or chevda mix, puri, kachori, motichoor, laddu/ladoo.
4. Limit starches that are prepared with a lot of sugar: halwa, gulabjammun, cookies, cake, puddings, jalebi, pheerni, burfi, ras malai, imarti. Use sugar substitutes to create lower sugar versions of favorite recipes.
5. Eat whole fruit as a dessert and snack every day.
6. Avoid sugary beverages, including juice, soda, sweet lassi, sweet tea or sweetened coffee. Coconut water (juice from a young coconut) is very nutritious but high in sugar. Limit coconut water if you’re diabetic or watching your weight.
7. Limit foods made with white rice or white rice flour, such as idli and dosas.
8. Eat generous portions of non-starchy vegetables: cauliflower, green beans, peppers/capsicum, greens, broccoli, carrots, celery, thin-skinned summer squash, tomatoes, onion, cabbage, karela, etc.
9. If you must eat refined products, choose those that still retain some nutrients. These include whole-wheat chapatti or roti, besan pancakes, and whole-grain bread, pasta and crackers.