The body needs carbs to function, ESPECIALLY if you are a female. Carbs not only give you energy, but they help with hormone and thyroid balance, energy levels, menta clarity, etc.
Even sedentary people need a minimum of 130g of carbs per day to keep the body happy a functioning properly.
Don’t be afraid of carbs, they will not make you fat. Excess calories are what cause you to gain fat and typically people will overeat carbs, hence the idea that carbs make you fat.
Carbs are also the ‘most craved’ nutrient so making sure you fuel yourself with enough of the good stuff will help minimize those cravings and keep your body feeling good!
Fruits and vegetables are very micronutrient dense, but not calorically dense, meaning they are full of vitamins and nutrients but not loaded with calories. These are great for my volume eaters 🙋🏻♀️ (it me)!
If you’re a person who loves to eat a LOT of food at one time (again, it me) I encourage you to load up on leafy greens, berries, etc.
The second photo shows the number of grams of carbs per 100g in weight of several different fruits and vegetables. Fruit also makes a great pre-workout snack because it doesn’t sit super heavy in your stomach!
Some of my favorite volume foods include:
- coleslaw cabbage (mixed with a protein, carb, another veggie and some type of sauce)
- cauliflower rice + regular rice for double the volume since rice is more carb dense
- strawberries/blueberries in smoothies (so I can use the extra carbs for granola 😋) or in yogurt, or just by themselves!
There are so many different types of carbs, simple carbs tend to be more calorie dense so when it comes to eating ‘healthy’ people tend to shy away from them.
These types of carbs have their time and place: for example, are you someone who struggles to eat enough and gets full easily? Things like cereal, breads, fruit snacks, and sports drinks will be beneficial to you.
These are also great for quick energy during a long workout or a quick snack prior to a workout if you don’t want a full meal sitting in your stomach.
I find that fitting these foods into my day will keep me from craving them all the time by bringing me more balance to my overall diet!
Complex carbs keep us feeling full because they are higher in fiber and slower digesting than simple carbs.
When people meal prep or think about eating healthy, they tend to only think simple. Roasted potatoes, maybe some rice. While these options are fine, they can get really boring really fast.
Mixing up the way you cook your food is a great way to add variety. Alexia brand sweet potato fries/tots are probably my favorite carb source at the moment!
I also put other options of pasta on here, not to say other pasta is bad BUT if you are someone who struggles to get enough protein and needs that extra 10-15g per serving then that might be a good option for you!
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