Your Body’s Fuel: Carbohydrates Part 1

As Americans, two of the biggest mistakes we make in the way we eat are portion size and type of carbohydrate we consume. Carbohydrates are an important part of a healthy diet and our body needs carbohydrates in order to function properly. Carbohydrates provide the body’s immediate energy needs and are easier and faster to break down than proteins or fats. There are 2 types of carbohydrates; simple (or bad) and complex (or good). We will talk about complex carbohydrates later.

Simple carbohydrates:

• Have shorter chains of the sugar molecules
• Are broken down much more easily
• Usually do not provide much nutrition for your body
• Their energy source is consumed and/or stored quickly
• These are, unfortunately the best tasting ones
• The ones we tend to grab especially if we are in a hurry
• They package well and are very portable

These are the ones, after all, that we crave and seek when we open that pantry door looking for a snack during the commercial of your favorite TV program or a quick fix when that hunger pain hits. Simple carbohydrates were the hardest ones for me to learn to limit in my diet. Simple, or bad carbohydrates, include but are not limited to:

• Sodas
• Candy
• Honey
• Syrups
• White potatoes
• White rice
• Pastries
• Desserts
• White pasta
• Chips
• White breads
• Sugar (white and brown)

Some of the changes I made in my eating habits include:

• Switching to sugar-free sodas
• Water with Crystal Light-type drink mixes
• Eliminating sports drinks (unless I’m running a marathon)
• Light pancake syrups
• Sugar-free jellies and other sugar-free products
• Limiting white potatoes and serving sweet potatoes instead
• Switching to whole-grain sandwich bread, hamburger buns and hot dog buns
• Switching to low-carbohydrate or whole-grain pastas (my kids do not know the difference)
• Using brown rice or Basmati rice instead of white rice
• Limiting chips and other junk-food snacks in the house (your kids will get plenty at school)
• Limiting the purchase of pre-prepared or boxed foods such as macaroni & cheese or pizzas

Here is a recipe that my kids absolutely love. My older kids can make this themselves, it is quick, can be done in the microwave, and is made in one container. Remember to pay attention to the serving size. I keep a pound of ground sirloin in the freezer and keep the pantry stocked with the soup and pasta.

Ziti With Meat Sauce

1 pound 95% lean ground beef
2 cups shredded carrot
2 10-3/4 oz. cans reduced-fat and reduced-sodium condensed tomato soup
2 ½ cups water
8 oz. dried whole wheat ziti, penne or other pasta of your choice (approximately 2 ½ cups)
2 tbsp. fresh basil or 2 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese (4 ounces)- optional
¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese (1 ounce)- optional

In 4-quart Dutch oven, cook ground beef and shredded carrot over medium heat until meat is brown. Drain. Stir in tomato soup, water, uncooked pasta, basil, onion, powder, garlic powder into meat mixture. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer about 25 minutes or until the pasta is tender. Stir occasionally. Stir in mozzarella if using. Sprinkle servings with Parmesan if using. Source is Better Homes and Gardens : Diabetic Living.

Tips:

• Change ground meat to ground sirloin
• Brown meat in microwave, drain, add rest of ingredients, cook in microwave 7 minutes at a time until pasta is tender
• We eliminate the mozzarella
• Add a small onion instead of onion powder and cook with carrot and meat
• Try small zucchini instead of carrots
• Add a garden salad as a side and a little fresh fruit for a complete, balanced meal

Serving Size: ¾ cup
Serves: 8

Nutritional Facts Per Serving:
297 calories
7 grams total fat
3 grams saturated fat
36 grams carbohydrates (2 servings of carbohydrates)
3 grams fiber
22 grams protein

Next time we will talk about tips to help you get through the holiday season a little easier. I will have a couple of cookie recipes for you that you will easily be able to incorporate into your holiday meal plans.