What Are Good and Bad Carbs?

August 19, 2010

Thanks to Center for Mind Body Medicine

{ 80 comments… read them below or add one }

TNS-2 June 7, 2011 at 12:01 pm

This video was fairly informative. I knew that there were good carbs and bad carbs. I did not know that carbs are helpful because they aid in the regulation of your blood sugar. I also was unaware that the bad carbs have little to no fiber. I always just assumed that since it was a carb, that it automatically contained protein. This will definitely be helpful when picking my carbs in the future!

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PLP June 6, 2011 at 10:42 pm

I am like most of us all, I need to change my eating habits. Especially sugar! I have a very bad sweet tooth! I love wheat bread, so will try more wheat products.
As for white flour, I have been told that the unbleached version, is more like it was in the “old days” and is far more healthy for you.

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GYF June 6, 2011 at 6:57 pm

I learned from this video that I need to start choosing whole grain bread over white bread. The white bread is altered so much that there is no nutritional value. I also learned there are good and bad carbs. The good carbs keep you feeling full longer and are low on the glycemic index.

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butch t June 5, 2011 at 10:15 pm

White flour, table sugar, and soda are three things I need to less of in my daily diet. I learned alot about carbs in this video, for example which carbs are good and bad. I need to learn to enjoy good carbs like whole grain and veggies.

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MDM2 June 5, 2011 at 5:36 pm

I am so glad to hear that good carbs should take up 40% of your daily meals! I am definitely a carb lover, especially potatoes and bread, wheat being my favorite. Just need to incorporate more veggies and I’ll be good.

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TNS-2 June 7, 2011 at 12:03 pm

I totally agree! I absolutely LOVE potatoes and am glad to know that they are a good carb. I have to admit that I am a little disappointed that my fave carb (Pasta) happens to be a bad carb! Booo! But Im glad I know now so I can limit my intake of it.

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PEE2 June 4, 2011 at 6:46 pm

Nice viveo about the carbohydrates, but should be more interesting if in every step of the video the host had shown exactly how carbohydrates look like in our supermarket. Good explanations about the procesing time of each carbohydrates. Really enjoy get those informations.

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butch t June 5, 2011 at 10:16 pm

I agree a show for the different carbs would be beneficial.

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BLisenbey October 4, 2011 at 4:53 pm

good idea. a show for each carb would have been very beneficial and informative. it also would have spiked more interest i think.

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TDS-2 June 4, 2011 at 2:43 pm

This clip didn’t mention that Good carbs are a great source of fiber which is very good for your diegestive system..

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llj2 June 4, 2011 at 1:55 pm

Again, I am with most when I say I had no clue there were good and bad carbs. I thought all carbs were bad and have been avoiding them at all cost since I started dieting about four months ago. I am also confused about it taking longer to process and being “good.” I assumed longer to process would be a bad thing. I am glad to now have gained all this carb knowledge. It will make my diet a little easier

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MLW2 June 2, 2011 at 11:36 am

I am a very unhealthy eater to as far as carbohydrates are concerned! I love to eat potatoes and pasta, but lately i have been trying to stay away. I know there are good carbs you can eat but me i think i need a list of those! This video was very unique because i learned a different way you can make pizza but it might not be for me!

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wjh2 June 2, 2011 at 8:58 am

I realized alot of the things I cook are bad carbs. I also make my own pizza dough but I never thought of using wheat flour instead of regular flour.

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lmp2 June 1, 2011 at 12:16 am

i was amazed when i found out that some carbs are good for you.i was always told that if you were not working out that carbs would be stored as fat because they break down into sugar.so because of this rumor i have tortured myself with an all protein diet for the past four weeks. don’t get me wrong i have dropped the weight but have had no energy at all. i was irritable and cranky. so thanks for the info.

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PEE2 June 4, 2011 at 6:48 pm

Sure LMP2 that not all carbs are bad. But one’s should always make a balance between the intake and the output. That is one good step to control our overweight.

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JM2 May 31, 2011 at 10:11 pm

I wish I had seen this video 2 years ago. I have done the no or low carb diet and man is it rough. I obviously did not educate myself enough to know that I only wanted to reduce or cut “bad” carbs. I just cut ALL carbs. The toughest parts for me were not eating bread, having no energy, and being in a bad mood because of it. Had I been more educated I would have been much happier eating the whole grain wheat bread I currently use. The woman in the video provided good information but she can keep that so called pizza. The once a month i eat it I’ll stick to the real deal greased up, cheesy, bad carb crust. I have to cheat every now and then for my sanity.

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lmp2 June 1, 2011 at 12:19 am

i know exactly how you feel. it was so hard for me to give up the bread (even though all i eat is wheat bread). i have been on this diet for a while now and started questioning the damage i have done to my body. after a couple of weeks i realized that i wasn’t getting enough fiber making other things difficult to.

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aak2 May 31, 2011 at 3:31 pm

I have heard of people going on no carb diets and I have also heard of people going on diets and only counting their calories and not their carbs. Wouldn’t counting both calories and carbs be the right way to go? I am not certain how many carbs a day a person should have. I heard it was a low number, or what seems like a low number to me. I just looked on a can of green beans and a 1/2 cup of those would be 4 carbs and then for 2 chips ahoy cookies it would be 18 carbs for them. I would like to know how many carbs a day a person should have. Because if I am only counting my calories and eating a ton of bad carbs that isn’t going to help me on a diet. Why do all the good tasting things like bread and pasta be so bad for you?!

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TDS-2 June 4, 2011 at 2:42 pm

Hey I did the same reseach so I’ll send you this chart that I found valuable to counting carb and calories from the “MyPyramid”.

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MDM2 June 5, 2011 at 5:42 pm

I think you’re right that you should count both calories and carbs (and fat as well). Chances are though if you’re eating healthy foods in healthy amounts you’re going to get the right amount of good carbs. Whereas if you’re only counting the calories and eating bad carb sources (such as cookies) you’re going to get too many bad carbs, even if you only eat the recommended number of calories a day.

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HMH2 May 31, 2011 at 10:25 am

There are seems to be confusion about what are good and bad carbs. This video starts to explain and clarify the issue. However, I am still left wondering why is it better for the body to “take longer” to process sugars than it is to process the sugars quicker? It seems as though we would want our bodies to process sugar quicker. I understand that fruits, vegetables, and whole foods provide plenty more nutrients, minerals, and just good stuff to our bodies. I am just confused about what does the body do with these different sugars.

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aak2 May 31, 2011 at 3:37 pm

I didn’t know there good carbs. I guess if someone is on a diet they should stick with things that have lower amounts of carbs. I think I would want my body to process the sugar quicker so I can hurry and work it off or it can get out of there. It seems like if our bodies were to take longer processing the sugar we would get fatter. I am one to eat a lot of white bread, pasta, and chocolate. I have never counted my carbs and I am kind of scared too.

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ACR2 May 24, 2011 at 3:18 pm

This video was very educational. I had no idea the differences between the good and bad carbs. And yes I was under the inpression that their was only BAD carbs. It was neat to find out that the good carbs make you feel full longer. And I didn’t know that having it process slower makes all the difference.

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MRC2 Melanie Cottrell May 24, 2011 at 11:35 am

This video really made me happy. I am a bread lover and not white bread either. I love grainy breads and wheat breads because they have a great texture and they are fun to eat. I love to chew on the grains in the bread, it seems to take longer to eat and any time spent eating bread is welcome with me. I could go on all day about bread! I have cut out almost all the bread out of my diet and I have been very sad. As the bread screamed at me from the grocery aisles, I turned my nose up at it. All this time I was listening to those people who said “All carbs are bad”. I am so tired of all these get slim quick schemes that do nothing but hurt you in the long run. When I get home I am going to eat me some whole wheat bread and I am going to enjoy it!

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HMH2 May 31, 2011 at 10:30 am

I love your comment! Isn’t it great to know that we can ENJOY the good carbs that come from breads? The world is not seeing the value in good carbs, as well as, eating all foods in moderation. It seems like if we can LOSE weight quickly by the get slim quick schemes (as you call it) then we can also GAIN the weight back quickly. I don’t want to gain weight quickly, that is for sure. A healthy diet would be one where you lose the weight slowly and in a healthy way.

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JM2 May 31, 2011 at 10:21 pm

I learned 2 things today. There is such a thing as “good” carb bread and Melanie Cottrell really likes bread. Seriously though I’m with you. Bread is good and most meals suffer without it. I’m an Italian from New York who was raised on pasta and bread. I know there is no good pasta(I know there is wheat pasta but I don’t like it) but it was refreshing to hear that at least there is bread that is not bad for you.

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llj2 June 4, 2011 at 2:02 pm

I am all about some bread too. I have to avoid some of my favorite restaurants because I tend to eat the whole basket of rolls/biscuits and thats not so good when your dieting. I will still avoid those things but I am going to try the grainy breads. Hopefully, those will be a good substitute for my bread craving

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TDS-2 June 4, 2011 at 2:30 pm

Is it funny how they always like to provide you with bread at the begining of a meal. I think they like to fill you up, especially at buffets so you don’t eat so much of the hot foods.

C-W March 4, 2011 at 3:42 pm

Everytime i decided i would diet, carbs are the first thing i strip from my diet. Watching this video has given me a whole new perspective. I also didnt know that white flour had no nutritional value, which is not so great concidering that is all my family buys. Im just not so sure i would like the texture that wheat flour has because im not a big whole grain eater.

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R-E February 3, 2011 at 5:03 pm

I agree with the whole grain or wheat bread being the more healthier breads for you but if you read the labels on everything there is always something that is not healthy for you in the item. if everything was healthy we would not like the taste which means we would not eat them

RE

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N-T January 26, 2011 at 6:57 pm

my mother was a health freak but seems like she missed the idea about all carbs are bad she was unaware of the good carbs now that i know the truth i think i will welcome some good carbs to my life

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S-M January 23, 2011 at 8:48 pm

I have always been told while trying to diet to stay away from carbs. It is good to know that I wan’t doing every thing wrong because we do have good carbs. It is good that carbs give us energy and help the digestive system as well. I never thought about carbs helping regulate your blood sugar either. It s kind of nice learning how to maintain your own body.

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S-G January 19, 2011 at 10:10 pm

I did not realize that fruit were carbs. I love the idea of feeling more full just from switching to whole wheat.

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MIA January 19, 2011 at 12:03 am

I have decided that i am going to start makeing more whole grain foods.That way i can enjoy my bread! I didnt know it was ok to eat carbs, just make them “good ones” M-S

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S-G January 19, 2011 at 10:10 pm

Good for you. Also check the fiber content, the higher the fiber the better it is for you and it will also help to make you fill fuller.

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J-H January 18, 2011 at 10:55 pm

Well now i know why my wife makes me eat wheat bread and pasta. Its very good to know that they give us more energy and keep us fuller longer i guess i can stick to it.

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R-E January 18, 2011 at 9:32 pm

i knew that whole grain breads were great carbs. The good carbs whole grains, fruits and veggie. They release glycose and help you have more energy. Bad carbs with empty calories are flour and some sugars. There were a lot of this that I did not know. Good informations for carbs and energy.

R-E

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J-W January 18, 2011 at 5:37 pm

So, does Asian food contain a lot of “simple carbohydrates”? I ask because Asian foods seem to make you full very fast but don’t keep you full as long!

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C-S January 18, 2011 at 7:33 am

There are so many “bad” carbs out there. Even at my hospital, their “healthy” choice at lunchtime is full of many bad carbs. It is really easy to make pizza dough. I will have to try the pizza idea. Wonder if my older kids will notice?

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S-M January 17, 2011 at 10:43 pm

I didn’t know that fruits and whole grain wheat breads were good carbs. Now I know that I can go to the gym and not feel so sluggish.

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E-A January 17, 2011 at 10:12 pm

I love this video.I didnt know there where good and bad carbs.Now i know that i can increase my complex carb consumptiom rather than my simple carbs.Very informative.

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S-G January 19, 2011 at 10:14 pm

It was a very informative video. Increasing “good” carbs will be very beneficial for everyone.

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Glen L September 23, 2010 at 9:09 pm

I need to thnk about the choices i make when i decide what to eat. I definatly don’t make the wisest decisions when it comes to eating healthly. This video was helpful to me in decideing what to eat.

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Salvador V. September 5, 2010 at 9:05 pm

Thanks to what I learned in this video I am going to start eating more carbs for breakfast. Mainly so I don’t get so hungry hours before lunch time at work.

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ACR2 May 24, 2011 at 3:20 pm

It seems like in the morning you become more hungry quicker. Especially when you are in class all morning. So I agree eating more carbs might keep those hunger pains away for longer.

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Devin Ryan August 30, 2010 at 6:41 pm

I have heard about “good carbs” and “bad carbs”, but never really knew the difference. I’ve learned a lot from this video.

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Jessi R. August 27, 2010 at 1:14 am

This video helped me to clear up the misconception that I had about carbohydrates that the body can’t process them fast enough so they are stored as fat. I was relieved to learn that I actually eat alot of the foods that are considered to be healthy carbs. Some of the foods I eat include whole grain wheat bread, whole grain cereal with fiber and antioxidants, alot of fruits and vegetables, as well as potatoes.

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Taylor B August 26, 2010 at 6:26 pm

I really enjoy eating pastas and pizza. After the video i can tell i need to cut back on the amounts of those foods i eat. I had no idea there was such a thing as a good carb. Now i know what to look for and what to look out for.

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Tyler B August 26, 2010 at 5:17 pm

Well I just learned that i eat a bunch of bad carbs. I am pretty sure that everything she just said was bad i eat pretty much on a weekly to daily basis so I am gonna start watching out for bad carbs a lot more now for sure.

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Laken Teague August 26, 2010 at 1:05 pm

I learned in this video that I am a bad carb person. I need to eat more wheats. This video was easy to understand how to eat healthier and get good carbs. It was broke down into little parts. I like the way they made their own pizza. Yumm, it looked good!

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Taylor B August 26, 2010 at 6:32 pm

Im a bad carp eater too! I find it hard too turn down a large thick crust pizza!

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Laken Teague September 10, 2010 at 4:05 pm

And you have to watch eating crap food also!

Lauren D August 26, 2010 at 12:23 am

I liked what I learned from the video. Now, If I see someone freaking out because they ate foods high in carbs, I can explain the difference. I didnt know the difference between good and bad carbs. I think more people should get to know the difference. While most people think they are just all so bad, really they are missing out on the good carbs that keep us full longer and full of energy. The idea that carbs are bad for you is just another myth that people choose to believe, instead of finding out the truth for themselves. I’m excited to learn more.

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Krysten A August 25, 2010 at 10:20 pm

I knew there was bad carbs and good carbs but i usually eat whatever i feel like eating regardless if they are bad or good. Whatever tastes good or sounds good at the moment…that’s what i usually eat.

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Krysten A August 25, 2010 at 10:19 pm

i agree with sarina bad foods just taste so much better…and most people eat the bad food just for that reason. I mean everyone complains about people bein overweight and obese but the bad (fast) food is more time appropriate and a lot cheaper.

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Lacey H. August 25, 2010 at 10:10 pm

Well first off I do not eat healthy at all and haven’t at all in my life. I have been brought up on white bread and pasta which isn’t good for you. One thing I didn’t know was that fruits and veg. have good carbs which is good because that is one way I can get some good carbs.

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Madge C August 25, 2010 at 11:15 pm

My thing about the fruits is I want to know which ones are the best for getting the right kind of carbs. I would think that the natural sugar content in some fruits would out weigh the carb contents. hummmmm I need more time for research. haha

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Salvador V. September 5, 2010 at 9:09 pm

I am trying to obtain the same information as you on that subject.

Marcie G August 25, 2010 at 8:38 pm

I really understand the process of carbohydrates now. Didn’t really understand how they worked in your body and which ones were good for u and which ones were not,now i do. Really informative videos.

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Ashley M August 25, 2010 at 7:39 pm

When you think of dieting, you think of eating less carbs as possible. And that all carbs are bad. Well my prospective has changed and I’m not always going to believe what I’m told! What I found interesting is that carbs give you energy. Also, good carbs go slower through the body and the bad carbs go faster. Good carbs are fruits, vegetables, cereal, and wheat bread. Bad carbs are pasta, white bread, white rice and etc. I guess next time I shouldn’t judge a book by it’s cover.

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Donnie H. August 25, 2010 at 11:55 am

I am starting to eat healthy but I love down home cooking. So moderation is the key for me. I workout three days a week at the gym and two days at home doing situps. I do think about my carb intake; however, my body is not storing much fat. We need a little bit of all nutrients but everyone should know their limit.

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Terrie H August 25, 2010 at 6:39 pm

Home cooking is comfort food. I makes us mentally feel better. I do love fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and a veg. But the truth is I only cook it about twice a year.

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Debora M August 27, 2010 at 10:10 am

Terrie H
I wish I could do that but I love to cook and my family loves to eat so I cook good ole southern style all the time and if its there I am going to eat it.

Debora M August 24, 2010 at 12:30 pm

Ok, so I am not a healthy eater. My son and daughter- in- law are set on the fact that all carbs are bad. They thought they were cutting out all carbs by not eating any breads, potatoes or sweets. I guess I need to let them watch this video.

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sarina m. August 25, 2010 at 7:51 am

that make two of us not healthy eater but the bad food just taste better

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Lauren D August 26, 2010 at 12:29 am

Thats how I feel, I’ve heard many people talk about carbs being bad for you. Really, we have all been missing out. There are just so many myths when it comes to our bodies, and whats good for us, and bad for us. I’m going to start doing a lot more research, instead of just believing what society wants us 2. There are a lot of misunderstood conceptions out there.

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Holly Bean August 24, 2010 at 12:11 pm

I did not realize that there were good and bad carbs. I also did not realize how unhealthy I eat. I eat a lot of bread and pasta. I try to eat wheat bread most of the time, but I do not always do it. I did not realize that so much of our calories intake came from carbs. I think this video taught me a lot and the next time I buy groceries I will get foods that have less bad carbs.

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vera, A August 23, 2010 at 11:44 pm

i definitely need to ammend my choices @ the grocery store next time.this video is good.

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Madge C August 23, 2010 at 11:06 pm

Oh, I forgot to say that I did not know that fruit had carbs in them. My concept of carbs used to be that they all came from starchy foods. I never knew that veg. and fruits had carbs in them, but when you think of the natural sugar and such being in them then it makes a little better sence. Sorry about the 2 postings.

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PLP June 6, 2011 at 10:38 pm

Just about everything has carbs in it. I had to learn about carbs when my grandson developed Type 1 Diabetes (juvenile) at 18 months old! Yes, there are good and bad carbs too. It is a lot to learn, but very beneficial.

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Madge C August 23, 2010 at 11:03 pm

Well I am a very unhealthy eater as far as carbs are concerned. I think that pretty much everything that is white in color like the flour, rice and bread are just not too good for you. I certainly did not know that deal about the white and wheat flower. I will for sure be going back to the wheat breads and will start buying wheat flower as well because I need to make a diet change and the only thing I will be sacrificing would be a slight change in texture. Also I did not know that 40-60% of our daily calories come from our carb. intake. So the better quality of carbs you take in then the better bennifit your body will get from them.

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Lindsey E August 23, 2010 at 8:05 pm

I liked this video. It gave me ideas on good and bad carbohydrates. I will have to keep them in mind when I am buying groceries. The pizza rolls looked delicious too.

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vera, A August 23, 2010 at 11:50 pm

those pizza rolls looked irrisistable!

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Lacey H. August 25, 2010 at 10:12 pm

I need to look into a receipe for pizza rolls with the wheat dough because I am always looking for new foods to try.

Terrie H August 31, 2010 at 3:07 pm

I could definitely eat some of those. I am always looking for new quick recipes for the hot weather. In the winter I actually cook.

N-T January 26, 2011 at 6:59 pm

i love trying new foods as well i think i could try this one

Terrie H August 23, 2010 at 6:42 pm

This site was very helpful in describing the good and the bad carbs. I will try to use more whole wheat items than i already do.

Like the idea of whole wheat pizza dough.

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J-W January 18, 2011 at 5:39 pm

Let me know how that works out for you! I heard whole wheat is delicious on a lot of things, but I never thought of whole wheat pizza crust!

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MRC2 M Cottrell June 6, 2011 at 2:09 pm

You need to try the whole wheat pizza crust. You can buy it already made and all you have to do is add your favorite toppings. You know you can also buy whole wheat tortillas as well. Another thing you might want to try would be the whole wheat pancake mix. You can add anything to pancake mix and make something really delicious. I like putting bananas in my pancakes. Another healthy breakfast you could try is using whole wheat bread to make French toast. There are a lot of whole wheat choices now in our supermarkets. Now that your eyes have been opened just take a look around and you will see what I am talking about.

dbeard August 23, 2010 at 1:51 pm

This video was very interesting. Kind of kiddie but got the point across. I eat alot of bad carbs. I have learned that wheat flour is considered a good carb. I may look into trying wheat products.

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