Carbohydrates Made up of individual sugar units Sugars – a simple sugar or monosaccharide e.g.fructose, glucose, honey, sweets etc a disaccharide is a CHO with 2 units of sugar e.g. sucrose (table sugar), lactose (milk sugar) Starches-complex CHO have more than 2 units of sugar linked together e.g. cereals, grains, bread etc.
Carbohydrates=energy Starches & sugars Both are digestible CHO but starchy foods are more slowly absorbed than sugars & so they are better for us Starchy foods are made from cereals and potato eg.bread, chapati, rice, noodles, pasta -Fibre is CHO that we cannot digest fully, so it travels through our digestive tract: good for bowel, heart health as well as makes us feel full
Fibre Fibre comes from the cell walls of plants (cereals & fruit & veg) but is often removed during food processing. Brown rice/wild rice, medium brown chapati flour /wholemeal/oats, beans & lentils are healthier alternatives to white starchy foods Fruits, veg, nuts and seeds contain fibre too
Why choose wholegrain? Evidence is growing that eating wholegrains as part of a healthy diet and lifestyle helps to keep us healthy and may assist to reduce the risk of many diseases. It is not only the fibre but seems to be the complete package of nutrients working together to offer protection