Figuring out how many grams of carbs to eat can be confusing.
Here, a breakdown of your daily needs.
But now it’s also being touted as aweight-loss diet.
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I get a lot of questions about carbohydrates from my nutrition clients: Are they bad?
Somewhere in the middle?
And how many grams of carbs should you eat per day?
Read on to learn more.
What Are Carbs?
First, meet the macronutrients: carbs, fats, and protein.
The primary purpose of carbs is to give you energy.
(FYI, fat is used for energy, too.
But it also protects organs, keeps you warm, and supports hormone production and cell growth.
Carbs can also be stored as fat cells for later use.
(That’s why some people practicecarb backloading.)
Tons of foods contain carbs.
Carbs are made up offiber, starch, andsugar.
There are 4 calories per gram of carbohydrate.
You’ll often hear about “simple” carbs and “complex” carbs.
Simple Carbs
Simple carbs are the sugarnaturally occurring sugar in foods and sugar added to foods.
Some common examples of simple carbs are sugar-sweetened beverages, candy, white flour products, and fruit juice.
Complex Carbs
Complex carbs are generally higher in fiber and are digested more slowly.
Some common examples includewhole grains, beans and legumes,vegetables, and whole fruit.
When you eat carbs, yourblood glucose(blood sugar) rises.
Fiber also helps slow the digestive process.
That’s why whole foodswhich naturally contain a balance of protein, fat, and fiberare ideal.
What “Counts” As a Carb Serving?
A serving of carbohydrates is equivalent to about 15 grams.
“It depends” is not an exciting answer.
Your needs can also fluctuate.
(Here’severything you should know about carb cycling.)
Different diet plans require different ratios of carbs to fats to protein.
The2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americansrecommend consuming 45% to 65% of your daily calories as carbohydrates.
If that sounds low, you’re right: It is.
(That’s whygood low-carb snacksare important to keto dieters.)
But often your body fights extreme plans because it’s trying to tell you something.
You may also find yourself feeling irritable or struggling to “keep it together” emotionally.
Some people may also feel really hungry when they’re not eating enough carbohydrates.
Over time, constantly riding this “blood sugar roller coaster” could lead toprediabetesor insulin resistance.
No, But Really, How Many Grams of Carbs Should You Have Per Day?
As a jumping-off point, I generally recommend having a source of carbs at each of your meals.
