High Carb versus Low Carb Meals

Individuals who eat meals high in carbohydrates may consume less fat, carry less fat on their bodies, and achieve more of the daily recommended intakes for essential nutrients. This is in contrast to people who eat fewer carbs in relation to protein and fat. This was recently discovered by scientists from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, at the Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center.

The researchers evaluated the amounts of carbohydrates, fats and protein consumed by 10,014 adult men and women.

For purposes of this study, adults were considered high-carb eaters if carbohydrates made up 55 percent or more of their total daily calories. These carbohydrates came from such foods as bread, pasta, rice, fruits and vegetables. In other words, they were complex carbohydrates eaten throughout the day not simple carbohydrates such as sugar, candy, cakes, and similar carbohydrates. Ironically, this is the same percentage carb intake (55%) was suggested by Dr. Tindall for professional athletes in his book “Nutrition Made Simple” and the same amount that he recommends for MyHealthandFitness members.

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More individuals in the high-carb group had a Body Mass Index, or BMI, score closer to recommended targets than did survey participants who consumed fewer carbs. A BMI score can indicate whether an individual’s weight is normal, under, or obese.

For the average person who consumes 2,000 Calories per day, 55% carb intake would be equal to 275 grams of carbohydrates. Dividing intake over 5 meals would allow consumption of 55 grams of carbs per meal. Ingesting complex carbohydrates throughout the day is particularly beneficial since fats “burn in a carbohydrate flame.”

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