Carbohydrates Learning Targets: 1 Carbohydrates Learning Targets: 1. Describe the function and sources of carbohydrate. 2. Give tips for selecting healthful carbs.

I. What is carbohydrate?

Carbohydrates are nutrients made of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. In fact, their name means Carbo = carbon Hydrate = with H2O Look at the molecule at the right to see an example. Notice how most carbon atoms are paired with an oxygen and 2 hydrogens?

The main function of carbohydrate is to give you energy.

Although energy can also be supplied by fats and protein, carbohydrates are more effective. Carbohydrates are especially the preferred source of energy for your brain. People on low carb diets do more poorly on memory tests than people on more balanced diets.

The most basic form of carbohydrate is glucose, which is the sugar your blood carries throughout your body to fuel your cells.

All carbohydrates will break down into sugars during digestion, to provide this fuel. But how evenly they break down can affect how effective they are.

Tell your partner: Why are carbohydrates called that? What is the function of carbohydrate? How do carbohydrates get from your food to your cells?

Carbohydrates are classified by how many sugar units are hooked together in a molecule. Simple Carbohydrates Are Sugars with only one or a few sugar units in the molecule. Complex Carbohydrates Are Starches & Fibers (Up to thousands of glucose units, in branches) with many sugar units in the molecule.

Simple carb (one or a few sugar units in molecule) Complex carb (may have tens, hundreds, or thousands of glucose units in molecule)

But whatever their size, both starches and sugars break down into single sugar units, to produce the glucose which provides energy to your body. Blood vessels carry the glucose throughout your body, so it can be absorbed into your cells.

Sugars need little break-down time and can enter the bloodstream too quickly. But starches take a while to break down, so they give you a more even supply of energy.

Releasing too much glucose at once can have a rollercoaster effect on your blood sugar. If too much glucose enters the bloodstream at once, extra insulin is released to store it. (The “saved” energy can lead to weight gain.) sugar spike With large insulin releases, blood sugar levels dip, and can leave you feeling fatigued, stressed, and hungry. sugar crash

Discuss with your partner: Why do simple carbohydrates enter the bloodstream more quickly than complex carbohydrates? Why is that not good for you?

Where do carbohydrates come from?

Plants produce carbohydrates, and almost all of our carbohydrates come from plants.

In general, animals produce little or no carbohydrate. The plant groups: Fruits Vegetables Grains all provide lots of carbohydrate. Milk contains a small amount of carbohydrate. The animals in the Protein Group do not provide carbohydrate, but the plants in that group provide both protein and carbs. In general, animals produce little or no carbohydrate.

Many foods contain sugar refined from sugar cane. .

This sugar also provides carbohydrates.

II. What types of carbohydrate are in our diet?

Complex carbohydrates include starches and fiber.

Most of the starch we eat comes from grains, starchy vegetables, and beans.

Starches generally provide an even supply of energy Starches generally provide an even supply of energy. If your coaches tell you to “carbo load” they are recommending that you eat complex carbohydrates that will fuel you well through out an event.

Refined (or enriched) starches, such as white flour and white rice do NOT provide the even supply of energy that whole grains do. They are also missing many nutrients.

Fibers are also complex carbohydrates.

Fiber does not provide energy because we can not completely digest it.

But it does serve important functions:

1. It helps us feel full without adding calories.

2. It helps keep our arteries healthy.

3. It helps keep our digestive tract healthy.

Fiber comes from indegestble PLANT cell walls Fiber comes from indegestble PLANT cell walls. You will not get fiber from animals.

Food sources of fiber include whole grains (especially the bran) fruits, vegetables and beans.

Most any whole food from plants will provide fiber.

But sometimes we remove the fiber. If you eat enriched grain, instead of whole grain, you do not get the fiber. If you drink juice, instead of eating a piece of fruit, you do not get the fiber.

On your Nutrition Facts label, fiber will be listed as Dietary Fiber.

plant foods. USDA recommends these amounts: Americans need about twice as much fiber as we eat. Try to increase your daily fiber by eating more unprocessed plant foods. USDA recommends these amounts:

Where does fiber come from? What are 3 reasons fiber is helpful? Tell your partner: Where does fiber come from? What are 3 reasons fiber is helpful?

Simple carbohydrates are sugars Simple carbohydrates are sugars. Sugars are smaller molecules which can reach the bloodstream more quickly.

Fruits and some vegetables contain sugar.

But the sugar in these natural, whole foods is also tied to fiber and vitamins. They are a healthy choice.

Notice that juices and dried fruit have much higher concentrations of sugar than fresh fruits..

Refined sugars have no nutritional benefits.

Many foods have refined sugar added to them Many foods have refined sugar added to them. The sugar provides nothing but glucose and calories. Limit foods with added sugars.

Check the Nutrition Facts to see just how much sugar you are getting from foods.

Although added sugar provides no helpful nutrients, it contributes to cavities, and provides extra calories that can lead to weight gain.

When looking at food labels 1 gram sugar = ¼ teaspoon.

On an ingredient list, these foods are sugars:. sugar. honey On an ingredient list, these foods are sugars: *sugar *honey *corn syrup *molasses and…..

any ingredient ending in “ose”.

Ingredients must be listed in order from most to least, so seeing sugar as one of the first ingredients is bad news! Check out the ingredients of these marshmallows.

Tell your partner: What are 2 complex carbohydrates? What are simple carbohydrates called? Why are fruits a healthy choice, even though they contain sugar? Why are foods with lots of added sugar NOT a good health choice? What are 2 things to remember about sugar on food labels?

Video review of simple and complex carbs: https://www. youtube

III. What does MyPlate say about choosing carbohydrates?

Make half your plate fruits and vegetables.

Choose fruits and vegetables as snacks. *Use fruit to satisfy your sweet tooth. Leaving a fruit bowl out can help you think of grabbing fruit when you snack. *Canned and frozen fruits and vegetables can be good choices, but check salt/sodium and sugar content.

Choose whole fruits and vegetables. That doesn’t mean you can’t slice it—it just means get the fiber by using all the food, not just the juice. You can choose, whole, sliced, or pureed. Edible peels have lots of nutrients.

Pick fruits and vegetables with lots of color Pick fruits and vegetables with lots of color. They are full of vitamins and minerals.

Keep fresh fruits and vegetables safe by washing them well. Rinse under running water, and rub the surface to remove dirt and microorganisms.

Make at least half your grains whole grain. Check labels Make at least half your grains whole grain. *Check labels. Color is not a reliable sign of whole grain. Look for a whole grain as the first ingredient, or “100% Whole Grain” on the label. *Try whole grain pastas and brown rice. *In baking, try using whole grain for half the flour in your recipe. (You may need a little extra leavening.) *Popcorn is a whole grain. It can be a healthy snack if you limit salt and butter. Try an air popper.

Check the label for fiber Check the label for fiber. Good sources of fiber contain 10-19% your daily value (3 grams). Excellent sources contain 20% or more (5 grams per serving).

With your partner, discuss at least 5 MyPlate suggestions for choosing carbohydrates.

Use what you have learned to mark the following foods + if a good health choice - if a poor choice.

1. Cereal with sugar as the 1st ingredient.

2. Bread with enriched wheat flour as the first ingredient.

3. Bread with whole wheat as the first ingredient?

4. A food that says it has 24% of the fiber you need for the whole day.

5. Eat the skin on your baked potato.

6. Choose yellow corn instead of white corn.

7. Eat SLICED apple for a snack.

8. Choose orange juice instead of an orange.

9. Choose canned vegetables with a high sodium (salt) content.

10. Eat berries as you pick them.

Did you reach our learning targets? 1. Describe function and sources of carbohydrate. 2. Give tips for selecting healthful carbs.