Healthy Carbs for Weight Loss and How Many Carbs to Eat

Healthy carbs for weight loss

Is there such a thing as healthy carbs for weight loss? Believe it or not, carbs can and should be a part of your diet even while trying to lose weight. There are, however, some that are more weight loss-friendly than others. Here’s what you need to know, according to a dietitian. 

Increasingly, carbs have gained a bad reputation for causing weight gain and hindering weight loss. And while there are certain types of carbs that can make weight loss more difficult, that doesn’t mean that you have to give up carbs altogether to lose weight. In fact, you shouldn’t. 

There are healthy carbs for weight loss that you can easily include in your diet. Let’s take a look. 

What Are Healthy Carbs For Weight Loss?

Good carbs for weight loss are those that are high in fiber and low in sugar. A high intake of refined, added sugars is not associated with good health nor is a diet that is low in dietary fiber. Hence, it is important to focus on complex carbohydrates and carbs that are rich in fiber, if you are trying to lose weight.

Complex Carbs 

There are both simple and complex carbohydrates. Simple carbohydrates include things like fruit juice, cakes, cookies, sugary cereal, and soda. Carbohydrates that are complex contain more nutrients than carbs that are simple and include foods like whole grains, fruits, vegetables and legumes. 

Dietary Fiber

Complex carbohydrates all tend to be rich in dietary fiber. The fiber contained in complex carbohydrates digests very slowly in the stomach, which makes you feel fuller for longer. 

This is a powerful weight loss tool as it can prevent overeating and control hunger even when in a calorie deficit. In fact, recent research has shown that a higher intake of dietary fiber allowed overweight subjects to be more successful at adhering to a calorie restricted diet. 

Can You Eat Carbs And Still Lose Weight 

Absolutely! As long as you are in a calorie deficit, you will lose weight. Restricting entire groups of foods is often not sustainable or recommended by nutrition professionals. 

Carbohydrates are very important for body processes by providing the body and brain with fuel and sparing muscle mass. So, you can and should be eating carbs while on a weight loss journey. Just make sure you are eating within your calorie goal and choosing the right types of carbs. 

How Many Carbs A Day To Lose Weight

The USDA recommends that the average American eats 275 grams of carbohydrates per day. In fact, about half of the calories you eat should come from carbohydrates, even if you are eating in a calorie deficit. 

If that number sounds shocking to you, you should also know that carbohydrates are not just rice, pasta and bread. Health-promoting foods including fruits, vegetables, legumes, and dairy are also carbohydrates. 

These are all foods that should absolutely be a part of your weight loss eating plan. If you are looking for more specific, individualized recommendations of how many carbs a day to lose weight, check out my personalized nutrition services. 

Low Carb Diets For Weight Loss 

Low carb diets like keto, paleo, and Atkins promote restricting carbs as the main strategy for weight loss. For example, the keto diet only allows a maximum of 50 grams of carbs per day. For perspective, one plain bagel contains about 50 grams of carbs. 

Generally, dietitians dislike these types of approaches because they are difficult to maintain long-term. They are also associated with a lower quality of life due to decreased energy, and can lead to unhealthful eating habits.

Low carb diets tend to put more of a focus on foods like bacon, butter, and other items that are high in saturated fat. Saturated fat is a fat that is typically found in animal products and is strongly associated with an increased risk of heart disease. It also promotes harmful inflammation in the body which, when you think about it, isn’t worth being unhealthier for even if you do see weight loss on this diet. 

Why People Have Seen Short-Term Success with Low Carb Diets

Here are some reasons, though, people have found success with low carb diets:

  • High amounts of protein and fat in the diet cause satiety, a feeling of fullness, which can cause one to eat in a calorie deficit.

  • Carbohydrates hold water (hence the name) in the body and, when they are cut from the diet, the body loses large amounts of water rapidly. This is why many people see rapid weight loss within days of starting a low carb diet.

  • They require a high level of planning in order to stay in the required limit of carbs, which forces dieters to pay more attention to their intake and portions

As you can see, the key players for weight loss on this diet are a calorie deficit and careful meal planning, which are both principles that can be applied to any other (much safer and healthful) diet that includes carbohydrates.

Healthy Carbs For Weight Loss

If you want to know what types of carbs to eat to help make your weight loss successful, keep reading. In general, you want to focus on complex carbohydrates that are high in fiber, minimally processed, and low in added sugars. Here are some examples.

Whole Grains

What sets whole grain foods apart from simple carbohydrates like white bread, white rice, and white pasta is that whole grains are more nutritious. When foods like white bread are processed, they have the bran portion of the wheat removed to make the food more aesthetically and texturally pleasing. 

However, the bran is where most of the vitamins and minerals are along with the fiber. As previously mentioned, fiber can be extremely helpful to be included in the weight loss journey. 

Whole Grains in bowels

Examples:

  • Barley

  • Bulgur

  • Cracked wheat

  • Whole-grain bread

  • Farro

  • Millet

  • Quinoa

  • Black rice/Forbidden rice

  • Brown rice

  • Red rice

  • Oats

  • Popcorn

  • Whole-wheat pasta

  • Whole-wheat cereal

Legume-Based Pasta 

These pastas are excellent choices because, not only are they more filling than white pasta, but they are also higher in protein. Along with fiber, protein also digests slowly in the stomach and promotes a feeling of fullness. So, if you never thought you’d be able to eat pasta while on a weight loss diet, think again. If you’re wondering which one to start with, chickpea pasta has the most similar texture to grain-based pasta. Pastas made from legumes are often gluten-free as well!

Legume based pasta- different legumes in bowels and pasta in background

Examples:

  • Chickpea pasta

  • Red lentil Pasta

  • Green lentil pasta

  • Edamame pasta

  • Black bean pasta

Legumes 

Legumes are a special kind of carbohydrate in that they are also a great source of protein, which is a macronutrient that promotes satiety, or a feeling of fullness. Legumes are also rich in soluble fiber, which is a fiber that forms a gel in the stomach and slows digestion, further preventing premature hunger. 

Finally, legumes contain a wide variety of vitamins and minerals, making them some of the healthiest carbs for weight loss around. 

Examples:

  • Lentils

  • Peas

  • Black beans

  • Kidney beans

  • Pinto beans

  • Black eyed peas

  • Chickpeas

  • Soybeans

  • Edamame

Leafy greens

The great thing about these greens is that you can eat a large volume of them for very little calories. Considering the stomach is a volume counter, not a calorie counter, eating a diet full of these foods can make your meals feel substantial without eating a calorie bomb that could sabotage your progress.

Leafy Leafy green vegetables against wooden background

Examples:

  • Kale

  • Collard Greens

  • Spinach

  • Arugula

  • Swiss Chard

  • Bok Choy

  • Cabbage

Low Glycemic Index Fruits

The fruits listed below have a low glycemic index (or GI). This means they digest more slowly than high GI fruits like bananas, pineapples and watermelon. 

Now, to be clear, this does not mean that high GI fruits should be avoided, as they are still healthy and contain all of the wonderful nutrients and antioxidants. However, for weight loss, it’s wise to stick to high fiber, low glycemic fruits to stay in the theme of hunger control.

If you do choose higher GI fruits, always pair them with a source of fat and/or protein for blood sugar and hunger control.

Low Glycemic fruits in glass bowls

Examples:

  • Apples

  • Oranges

  • Nectarines

  • Apricot

  • Mango

  • Plums

  • Strawberries

  • Blackberries

  • Cherries

The Bottom Line on Healthy Carbs for Weight Loss

It is neither necessary nor practical to eliminate or drastically reduce your intake of carbs in order to lose weight. Your body depends on carbohydrates for regular functioning, so depriving yourself of them does no good. In any case, no matter what you cut from your diet, be it carbs, meat, or plants, nothing will help you lose weight if you are not in a calorie deficit. 

So, it makes sense to be in a calorie deficit by eating balanced meals that include all food groups as this tends to be the more sustainable way of eating. In order to help you stay in a calorie deficit, it’s wise to choose complex, high-fiber carbohydrates more often than high-sugar, simple carbohydrates in order to control hunger and maximize the nutritional quality of your meals. 

If you need guidance and support in building an eating plan for weight loss that includes healthy carbohydrates, take a look at my nutrition services.

Fuad Al Qudsi, RDN, CPT