CARBOHYDRATES

Why are carbohydrates important? Energy

Functions of Carbohydrates: 1. Carbohydrates give the body energy. They are the best source of fuel for the body. Carbohydrates also help to digest protein and fat.

CARBOHYDRATES 2. 55-60% of our food should come from carbohydrates.

CARBOHYDRATES 3. If we eat more carbohydrates than are needed for energy, the extra is stored in the liver or in the tissues as fat.

4. Carbohydrate foods are grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes and sugar.

Simple Carbohydrates 5. Simple carbohydrates are quick energy sources. They come from sugar. They do not usually supply any other nutrients or fiber.

Can you live without sugar? Soda/Punch Cookies/Cake Candy Chocolate Sugary Cereals Ice cream Desserts

Think about what you drink! How many pounds of sugar do you consume just from your soda or sports drinks? Write down the number of 12 oz. drinks you would consume in a week. Multiply that number by 9 tsp. of sugar per can or bottle…. _______ cans X 9 = ______tsp. .sugar in a week. Multiply your total number by 52 weeks in the year… _______ tsp. sugar per week X 52 = _______ tsp. per year. Divide that number by 108 to find out how many pounds of sugar you drink in one year. _______ tsp. in a year ÷ 108 = _______lbs of sugar from soda in 1 year. Remember you eat many other foods that contain sugar! The average American eats about 125 lbs. of sugar a year!! That’s a lot of sugar!

Simple Sugars 6. Glucose or blood sugar is the basic source of energy for all living things. 7. Sucrose or table sugar is made from sugar beets or sugar cane. 8. Fructose is sugar found in fruit, honey and vegetables. 9. Maltose is grain starch broken down into sugar. 10. Lactose is milk sugar.

Complex Carbohydrates 11. Complex carbohydrates supply longer lasting energy, as well as other nutrients and fiber that the body needs. They are a better choice.

Complex Carbohydrates 12. Complex carbohydrates come from starchy foods such as whole grains, flour, seeds, nuts, vegetables and fruits.

Recommendations for your diet: 13. Eat less foods with added sugar. 14. Choose fiber-rich fruits, vegetables and whole grains more often. 15. Eat beans several times a week. 16. Brush teeth after eating foods with sugar and starch. SO . . .

How do you know if a food has added sugar? Check out the Food Label: Total Carbohydrate (g): Dietary Fiber, Sugars, Other Carbohydrates (Complex) List of ingredients: sugar, juice, molasses, honey, maple syrup, corn syrup, malted corn sweetener, maltose, fructose, lactose, glucose, dextrose, etc.

The No-Sugar Challenge Soda/Punch Cookies Candy Chocolate Sugary Cereals Ice cream Desserts Take the challenge today!