The best ways to include carbohydrates in your diet

Reviewed by our clinical team

Starches

Here are some tips on how to include healthy starchy foods in your diet:

• Swap 'white' versions of starchy foods for wholegrain versions and higher fibre foods
• Instead of having chips or fried potatoes, try making oven-baked potatoes or potato wedges - eat the potatoes with skin on for more fibre
• Opt for wholegrain cereals, or mix some in with your favourite breakfast cereals
• Add fruit and low-sugar yoghurt to whole oats to make it a healthy and tasty breakfast
• Try different varieties of bread such as seeded, wholemeal or granary bread
• Try brown rice to make tastier rice salads

Sugars

Here are some tips on how to reduce you sugar intake:

• Have a whole fruit rather than a fruit juice e.g., eating an apple with skin on, will provide more fibre than drinking a glass of apple juice
• Avoid processed foods like biscuits, cakes, crisps, and sweets as they're high in calories and in low nutrition. Instead try more nutritious snacks like nuts, seeds and pulses
• Avoid sugar-sweetened beverages and drinks like fizzy drinks and fruit juices
• Always check food labels carefully and look out for foods and drinks with the green traffic light for sugar

Fibre

To increase your fibre intake, you could:

• Choose a higher-fibre breakfast cereal such as plain wholewheat biscuits (like Weetabix) or plain shredded wholegrain (like Shredded wheat), or porridge
• Go for wholemeal or granary breads. Choose wholewheat pasta, brown rice or bulgar wheat
• Go for potatoes with their skins on, such as a baked potato or boiled new potatoes
• Include plenty of vegetables with meals, either as a side dish or added to sauces, stews or curries
• Add more pulses and beans to stews, curries and salads as they're lower in fat and higher in fibre and protein
• For snacks, try fresh fruit, vegetable sticks, rye crackers, oatcakes and unsalted nuts or seeds.

Fibre is important for keeping our bodies healthy and most of us don't eat enough. Instead of cutting down on carbohydrates, you can achieve a healthier diet by cutting down on sugary foods and eating more fibre-rich foods.