6 Foods You Never Knew Were Loaded with Carbs

BAKED BEANS:

baked beans

The more you eat, the more you… load up on carbs? Sure, if they’re premade baked beans. In their natural state, beans are naturally high in carbs, but much of those are complex carbs and beneficial fiber. Plus, they are high in protein. But many popular varieties of canned baked beans have a lot of added sugar. About 12 grams per half-cup serving. “The American Heart Association recommends women consume no more than 24 grams a day of sugar.” So that’s half a day’s sugar in one side dish. Don’t write off beans altogether, though, just baked beans.

FIGS:

figs

 

No doubt about it, figs are asuperfood. Full offiber, they are also a great source of copper, potassium, manganese, and pantothenic acid. But when you take the water out of a fig, you’re left with a tiny, toothsome nugget dense in nutrients, fiber—and carbs. Mindlessly pop half a dozen dried figs and you’ve just consumed more than 30 grams of carbohydrates! Still, according to Lori Zanini, R.D., with HealthCare Partners and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, dried figs have plenty of pros. “They are fat- and cholesterol-free and a great whole food snack option on the go because they don’t require refrigeration. Just be mindful of portion size

PRUNE JUICE:

prune juice

 

It’s not often (if ever) that we wake up craving a glass of prune juice. But itishealthy—packed with fiber and sorbitol, it’s also a good source of vitamins C, K, B6, riboflavin, niacin. All that and nearly 45 grams of carbs per eight ounce serving. The good news is that the naturally occurring sugar in prune juice is preferable to the stuff you find in sugar-sweetened beverages. But if you’re craving for some juice and watching your carb intake, opt for a glass of orange juice freshly squeezed that is, (26 grams of carbs) or grapefruit juice (23 grams).

COOKIES:

cookies

If you think sugar-free cookies are a carb-free pass, think again. Many actually pack almost as many carbs as those baked with sugar. “Three sugar-free commercially prepared chocolate chip cookies will average around 20 grams of carbohydrates while three regular commercially prepared chocolate chip cookies will average around 28 grams of carbohydrates,” enough said!

BBQ SAUCE:

bbq sauce

 

This non-fat condiment is no innocent. Studies show that most bottled sauces contain four to 10 grams of sugar per serving. Portion control is key here, especially when it’s easy to underestimate. For example, a piece of (four rib) spare rib is made with a single two-tablespoon serving, so go easy on the sauce people!

Chestnut:

chest nut

Whether they’re eaten raw or roasted over an open fire, you may think that all nuts are both calorie andproteindense, but  the chestnut is the exception to the rule. This little carb capsule is a starchy oddball amongst its nutty brethren. A single ounce serving has about 15 grams of carbs and less than a gram of protein; the same serving of peanuts or almonds have around six grams of carbs, while walnuts have less than four. On the flip side, chestnuts only pack about one-third the calories as the same amount of other popular nuts, so moderation is key.

By Teri Mendes

Glamsquad

Glamsquad magazine is an independently operated online fashion, beauty, style, entertainment, and health blog. Its features are both inspirational and accessible, giving our followers a scoop on what's trending now in the fashion, beauty, style, and entertainment industry.

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