The most common carbohydrates are the starches. These are things like rice, pasta and bread. They can be good carbs or bad carbs. Good carbs provide fiber and other nutrients necessary for good health. Good carbohydrates are whole grain pastas and breads as well as whole grain rice. Bread, pasta and rice that are processed and refined no longer have any value and are considered bad. This would include white rice.

A typical 1 ounce bread serving will contain 15 grams of carbohydrate. This would be a regular slice of wheat or white bread, a dinner roll, croissant or mini bagel. Light or low carb breads are reduced to 7-9 grams. Larger bread products contain more. Hamburger and hot dog buns have 20 grams and a bulkier sandwich roll might have as many as 30 grams. 30g is also the content for most regular sized muffins and English muffins.

Brown and white rice contain 45g per cup (cooked.) Spaghetti and most other pastas provide about 40g, with some smaller varieties, such as small shells, packing 30g. You will find 30g in a cup of cooked oatmeal. Other kinds of cereal will vary in carbs per serving. They could have anywhere for 15 to 45g. Check labels for specifics.

Though the carb content of these starches is equal, the refined and processed (white) versions of these items offer no nutritional value. The fiber and other nutrients are destroyed, leaving the calories empty and sabotaging your health goals.

Diets high in these empty calories tend to lead to obesity, diabetes, heart disease, stroke and Alzheimer’s disease. A wise decision is to replace these bad carbs with the good kinds. You will have more energy, feel better and be in better overall health.