6 Carb Heavy Foods You Should Avoid For Weight Loss

Carbohydrates are your body’s main source of energy and most carbs can be divided into three main categories: sugar, fiber, and starch. Starches are the most common form of natural carbohydrates and an important source of energy. The most common natural starch sources include cereal grains and root vegetables.

Complex carbs found in whole-food starches are considered healthier because they gradually release sugar into the blood, rather than causing blood sugar levels to spike rapidly. But most of the foods you eat today are made from refined carbs that contain empty calories and little nutritional benefit. So, here’s a handy list of 6 carb-heavy foods.

# Potatoes

Potatoes are often among the first foods that come to mind when you think of starchy foods. But potatoes don’t contain as much starch as flours, baked goods, or cereals, but they do contain more starch than other vegetables. A medium-sized baked potato (138 grams) contains 24.8 grams of starch, or 18% by weight. Potatoes are a great source of vitamin C, vitamin B6, folate, potassium and manganese.

# Rice Cereal

Rice cereal is made with crisped rice. It is simply a combination of puffed rice and sugar paste that is formed into the crispy rice shapes. They are often fortified with vitamins and minerals. A 1-ounce (28-gram) serving contains over a third of your daily needs for thiamine, riboflavin, folate, iron, and vitamins B6 and B12. That said, crispy rice cereal is highly processed and incredibly high in starch. A 1-ounce (28-gram) serving contains 20.2 grams of starch, or 72.1% by weight.

# Sorghum Flour

Sorghum is a nutritious ancient grain that is ground to make sorghum flour. One cup (121 grams) of sorghum flour contains 82 grams of starch, or 68% by weight. Although it is high in starch, sorghum flour is a much better choice than most types of flour. That’s because it is gluten-free and an excellent source of protein and fiber. One cup contains 10.2 grams of protein and 8 grams of fiber. Sorghum is also a great source of antioxidants.

# Pretzels

Pretzels are a popular snack high in refined starch. A standard serving of 10 pretzel twists (60 grams) contains 42.8 grams of starch, or 71.3% by weight (10). Unfortunately, pretzels are often made with refined wheat flour. This type of flour may cause blood sugar spikes and leave you fatigued and hungry.

# Millet Flour

Millet flour is made from grinding the seeds of millet, a group of very nutritious ancient grains. One cup (119 grams) of millet flour contains 83 grams of starch, or 70% by weight. Millet flour is also naturally gluten-free and rich in magnesium, phosphorus, manganese and selenium.

# White Flour

Whole-grain wheat has three key components. The outer layer is known as the bran, the germ is the grain’s reproductive part, and the endosperm is its food supply. White flour is made by stripping whole wheat of its bran and germ, which are packed with nutrients and fiber. This leaves just the endosperm, which is pulverized into white flour. It is generally low in nutrients and mostly contains empty calories. One cup (120 grams) of white flour contains 81.6 grams of starch, or 68% by weight.