Starchy foods are an important component of our diet and should make up one-third of the food we eat.
Starchy foods provide energy and help us to feel full, especially the wholegrain varieties. They contain fibre, which helps maintain a healthy digestive system, calcium to keep our bones and teeth strong, iron which helps to produce healthy red blood cells and B vitamins which have a vast array of benefits, including helping to make use of the energy we get from the food we eat.
Some people believe that starchy foods are fattening and avoid them, but gram for gram, starchy foods contain less than half the calories of fatty foods.
‘Carbohydrate' is an umbrella term which covers sugar and starch. They differ in their chemical structure and the way the body uses them. Starch provides us with long lasting energy, whereas sugar provides us with an instant, short burst of energy. Starch from wholegrain products like wholemeal bread tends to release energy more slowly than starch from refined products such as white bread. This slow release of energy keeps us fuller for longer and helps prevent extreme highs and lows in our blood sugar levels.
Fibre
Most people in the UK don't eat enough fibre, but it's very important that we do as it helps to maintain our digestive system and keep our intestines healthy.
There are two types of fibre; soluble and insoluble fibre.
Insoluble fibre
Insoluble fibre isn't broken down in the body so it helps food to move through the digestive system more easily. This helps to keep our bowels healthy and prevents constipation. When we eat foods high in this type of fibre it also helps us to feel full so we're less likely to overeat.
Soluble fibre
Soluble fibre can be partially digested and may help to reduce the amount of cholesterol in the blood. Particularly good sources of soluble fibre include oats and pulses such as beans and lentils.
Starchy foods
The choice of starchy foods isn't limited to white rice, bread, pasta and potatoes - there are many more!
Why not try:
- Couscous and bulgar wheat
- Wholegrain breakfast cereals
- Other varieties of rice - Basmati, long grain, brown, short grain, wild
- Other varieties of bread - Wholemeal, granary, brown and seedy bread, ciabatta, pumpernickel, baguettes, soda bread, bagels, flour tortillas and pitta
- Other root vegetables - cassava, yam and sweet potato
Low carbohydrate diets
Low carbohydrate diets have become popular in recent years; however, they can be bad for your health. Following a low carbohydrate diet means you could be missing out on important nutrients, and you're likely to be consuming more fats in the form of meat, cheese and butter. Consuming more fats not only means consuming more calories, but also increases your risk of developing heart disease.
These diets can mean that you eat less fruit and vegetables, which are essential for good health and reducing the risk of heart disease and cancer. We should all aim to eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables every day.
We now have a Podcast on starchy foods. To listen to this please visit the podcast section of the website of simply click the link above.