I Need a List of Starchy Foods

Three macronutrients are required for optimal health: carbohydrates (or carbs), fats and proteins. Carbohydrates are the human body's primary energy source, and around 55 percent of daily calories should come from carbohydrate sources. The three types of carbohydrates are sugars, fibers and complex carbohydrates (also known as starch). Starchy-carb foods are beneficial to health: In addition to providing energy, they are often rich in fiber. Fiber can aid weight loss, and promote healthy blood sugar and cholesterol levels.

Vegetables

If you want to add more complex carbs to your diet, eating starchy vegetables is an exceptionally healthy way to achieve it. As well as providing high levels of fiber, they are also low in calories, but high in valuable nutrients and vitamins. Starchy vegetables include beets, carrots, potatoes, corn and carrots.

Breads

Bread is a staple starchy food that provides energy and helps keep you feeling full. The starch content of all types of bread is around 15 g per ounce, but when you decide which bread to eat, it is preferable to select a whole-grain bread. Breads and other baked products made with white refined flour contain fewer nutrients than whole-grain foods, because the wheat is stripped of the germ and bran that contain fiber, iron and B-vitamins.

Legumes

Legumes such as lentils, navy beans and chick-peas are highly nutritious starchy foods that provide the trace minerals potassium, folate, iron and magnesium. They are also low in fat and calories, making them a suitable choice for a weight-loss diet. You can get more starchy legumes in your daily menus by sprouting them and adding them to salads, or preparing bean stews or curries.

Pastas

Pasta is another staple food that supplies starch. As with bread, whole-wheat pasta has more nutritional value than white refined pasta. Whole-wheat pasta also provides slightly more starchy carbs per ounce than refined pasta, and is a rich source of potassium and calcium.

Cereal

Many breakfast cereals deliver starchy carbs that will help provide the body with energy throughout the day. Cereals with a high-starch count include cornflakes, bran flakes and shredded-wheat varieties. When choosing a cereal, take time to read the label and opt for a type that also has a high-fiber content, as this will help promote fullness.

Rice

Rice is an excellent source of starchy carbs, but like other starches, the whole-grain variety is more nutritious. Because white rice is stripped of the bran and germ that contain fiber, it can cause fluctuations in blood sugar levels that do not occur after one eats brown rice. Basmati rice is also a solid choice for starchy carbs to promote fullness and stable blood sugar.

Warning

If you have a medical condition, such as diabetes or hypoglycemia, you will need to monitor your starchy carb intake, especially from refined foods. Speak to your doctor before making changes to your diet.