Carbohydrates should not be missing from any diet. Along with proteins and fats, they are among the macronutrients that play an important role in our body and organism. The human body needs food from all three macro-nutrient groups.
No matter whether you are active in sports or prefer to keep yourself busy in other ways. You should make sure to eat good carbohydrates in your diet. Then you won't automatically gain weight, even if proponents of low-carb diets like to claim that.
On the contrary, when used properly, carbohydrates in porridge or muesli will give you energy and can even help you lose weight. In this article, we'll explain why that is and what you should watch out for.
Healthy carbohydrates with porridge
What exactly are carbohydrates?
Carbohydrates are a common substance in nature. They consist of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. They are mainly found in plant-based foods. Fish, meat and other animal-based foods, on the other hand, contain only small amounts or none at all.
Carbohydrates should not be missing from your daily diet. Along with fats and proteins, they are the most important sources of energy for our body. Above all, they support the performance of the brain, organs and muscles.
They include all types of sugars and starches, as well as almost all types of dietary fiber. In Western industrialized countries, around 50 percent of total energy intake comes from carbohydrates. Twenty percent of this is consumed in the form of sugar.
Energy – the buzzword
The smallest and most common unit is glucose. It is also known as dextrose, grape sugar or simply sugar. We distinguish between simple sugars (monosaccharides), double sugars (disaccharides), oligosaccharides (3–9 sugar molecules) and multiple sugars or complex sugars (polysaccharides – 10 or more sugar molecules). This therefore describes how many sugar molecules the carbohydrate compound consists of. Disaccharides include, for example, sucrose (which our household sugar consists of), lactose (milk sugar in the milk of mammals, contained in milk and dairy products) or the so-called malt sugar (maltose).
Simple sugars are short-chain or simple carbohydrates whose molecules contain three to seven carbon atoms. Simple carbohydrates, but not complex carbohydrates, are sometimes referred to as empty carbohydrates. They have no recognizable benefits for the body.
The so-called long-chain or complex carbohydrates, on the other hand, are made up of at least ten molecules of simple sugars.
When you eat long-chain foods, they are broken down by digestive enzymes. This also breaks bread or potatoes down into individual fragments. Finally, the glucose remains. Incidentally, the effect of individual carbohydrates on the blood sugar level is measured by the so-called glycemic index.
Low-sugar porridge from Verival
The perfect energy suppliers – carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are a perfect source of energy. Here, too, glucose plays a special role. Along with fructose and galactose, it is the most important source of energy. They can be used to produce energy both aerobically, i.e. with oxygen, and anaerobically, i.e. without oxygen.
To keep your blood sugar in the normal range, you should ideally consume complex carbohydrates throughout the day. They have a limited storage capacity in the body. As a result, an irregular and insufficient supply can quickly lead to physical weakness and a lack of concentration.
This is also one of the reasons why athletes or people with high levels of physical activity consume or should consume a lot of these energy sources. We will discuss the special importance of carbohydrates for athletes in more detail below.
Perfect energy supplier – Verival breakfast
Carbohydrates – table – foods
Simple carbohydrates (short-chain carbohydrates)
- Natural sweeteners such as honey, maple syrup or agave syrup
- Various types of sugar such as beet, grape, cane or malt sugar
- As fructose in numerous types of fruit, berries and vegetables
- In sweets and baked goods
Complex carbohydrates (long-chain carbohydrates) – pure energy
- Oat flakes, whole grain, cereal products and whole grain products, as well as oat products
- Nuts and legumes such as peas or lentils
- Potatoes
- Pasta
- Rice, millet
| Food | per 100 g | Glycemic index |
| Sugar | 99.8 grams | High |
| Pasta (durum wheat) | 73 grams | Low |
| Dried fruit | 40-70 grams | Medium |
| Quinoa | 62 grams | Low |
| Oats | 58.7 grams | Low |
| Lentils | 41 grams | Low |
| Brown rice | 27 grams | Medium |
| Bananas | 20 grams | Low |
| Grapes | 15.6 grams | Low |
| Potatoes | 14.6 grams | Low |
| Apples | 14.6 grams | Medium |
| Milk | 5 grams | Low |
| Plain yoghurt | 4 grams | Low |
What are the advantages of complex carbohydrates?
While the only advantage of simple carbohydrates is their sweet taste, complex carbohydrates have several advantages. They provide quick energy. At the same time, the body absorbs them more slowly than simple carbohydrates.
This ensures that blood sugar levels rise more slowly. As a result, you are less likely to experience hunger pangs and you feel full for longer.
What are good carbohydrates?
There are two categories of carbohydrates. The good or wholesome ones include all more or less unprocessed carbohydrate-rich foods. These still have their original fiber content.
At the same time, they have a low glycemic index. This means that they do not affect blood sugar levels as much as bad carbohydrates. These are mostly found in processed foods. Good carbohydrates are a great advantage for a healthy breakfast.
Healthy breakfast - learn more!
What are bad carbohydrates?
On the other hand, bad carbohydrates are also known as refined or isolated carbohydrates for a reason. They are found in the majority of industrially processed foods. During processing, the fiber content is minimized as much as possible to increase the shelf life of the respective food.
Although this simplifies their use in the food industry, it does not make the food healthier. Products made from processed raw materials also belong to the bad carbohydrates.
These include, for example:
- granulated sugar
- white flour/white bread
- ketchup
- sodas
- sweets
- ready meals
Bad carbohydrates tend to cause severe blood sugar fluctuations. This can lead to food cravings and ultimately to obesity. Type 2 diabetes and other health problems are also associated with excessive consumption of refined carbohydrates. Bad carbohydrates are real fatteners and should not be consumed in large quantities.
How many should I eat every day?
There are theories that claim that such energy sources are generally detrimental to health. These statements are mostly based on the negative effects of so-called bad carbohydrates. In particular, supporters of low-carb nutrition and low-carb diets like to put forward this thesis.
The question of quality is what counts first and foremost. It is much more important than the discussion about whether and how many you should eat. Good carbohydrates do not actually cause problems for the majority of people.
The German Nutrition Society recommends that at least half of your energy needs should be met by carbohydrates. And the more you move and tend towards physical activity, the more you should eat in general.
While we are on the subject of the right amount, we might as well address another frequently asked question, namely...
Myth – Do carbohydrates really make you fat?
As is so often the case when it comes to healthy eating, there is no single answer. When it comes to a balanced diet, it always depends on the quantity and the individual organism.
In general, however, it can be said that an excessive intake of simple carbohydrates can make you fat. They make you feel weak and lead to ravenous hunger attacks. And an increased food intake is also noticeable on the hips.
People gain weight in very different ways. For example, if you eat more fat than you consume, the fat accumulates in the adipose tissue.
If you eat way too many carbohydrates, they can also be stored in the adipose tissue. Your body converts these into glycogen. This is then stored in your muscle cells and liver. If there is an excess, it is converted into fat. This means that fat is stored in the fat cells.
But not all carbohydrates make you gain weight. If you follow the motto “in moderation”, you don't have to worry about automatically gaining weight. For example, if you eat oatmeal for breakfast, you'll provide your body with high-quality energy right at the start of the day.
What's more, thanks to their long-chain carbohydrates and a variety of fiber, they lead to a quick feeling of satiety. At the same time, they boost fat burning and are therefore ideal if you want to lose weight.
When should I eat carbohydrates?
In principle, you can eat carbohydrates whenever you want. However, they should mainly be eaten during the day. In the morning, in particular, carbohydrates are ideal for a healthy breakfast.
They give your body energy and strength for the day. This knowledge has become more and more accepted, not least with the awareness of a balanced diet.
In the evening, on the other hand, it is recommended to eat proteins. This is based on the consideration that our organism is active during the day and regenerates at night when we sleep. Fat burning also occurs overnight. This suggests eating carbohydrates in the morning to provide the body with enough energy.
So, for an energetic start to the day, a muesli with 58.7 g of carbohydrates per 100 grams is particularly good. Porridge is also a good source of energy. And if you add fruit to your breakfast – grapes, apples, etc. – you'll give your body even more. If you prefer to eat bread, you should definitely choose whole grain bread.
On the subject of health – why do athletes eat so many carbohydrates?
Carbohydrates keep our internal engine running, so to speak. If we don't regularly supply our body with this energy, we feel weak and unable to concentrate. The more active your lifestyle, the more you should eat.
Professional athletes – especially endurance athletes – have long since discovered this for themselves and eat accordingly. If you do a lot of sport yourself, you should therefore make sure you have an adequate carbohydrate intake. For active people, this makes up 50 to 60 percent of their food intake.
You should choose mainly complex carbohydrates with a low glycemic index. These have a high satiety effect and a high nutrient density. They are rich in vitamins and minerals, trace elements and phytochemicals that promote performance.
High-glycemic foods, on the other hand, usually only provide empty calories. They have no added benefit for athletes or for people with low physical activity.
Did you know? Carbohydrates have fewer than half the calories of fat for the body. Carbohydrates can be utilized by our body much faster than usable fats.
How do I integrate the right energy into my diet?
Do I have to completely avoid carbohydrates? As long as you avoid empty carbohydrates, you won't gain weight with regular intake. However, you should generally eat a balanced diet and maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Do you often reach for sweets or a bottle of soda in front of the TV in the evening? Then sooner or later this will affect your weight. However, the solution here is not to simply stop stepping on the scales.
Instead, you should eat more complex carbohydrates and pay attention to when you eat them. This way, you can achieve the opposite effect and lose weight instead of gaining it:
Porridge for losing weight, for example, is suitable in two ways. Thanks to the complex carbohydrates, it takes quite a while for the swollen oats to be digested. What's more, oats only cause a slight rise in insulin levels, which is why you won't get hungry so quickly.
Our online calorie calculator is available so that you can optimally incorporate your carbohydrate needs into your healthy diet. If you know your calorie requirement, it can help you lose weight. You can find lots of healthy breakfast ideas here.
