Most dietary guidelines recommend a daily diet in which at least 55% of the total calories come from carbohydrates. This means making more than half of our daily food intake should consist of carbohydrate-containing foods such as grains, pulses, beans, fruits, vegetables and sugars. Choosing wholegrain bread, pasta and other cereals will help to boost fibre intake.
Although the body treats all carbohydrates in the same way
regardless of their source, carbohydrates are often split into
"complex" and "simple" carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates
that come from plants are called starch and fibres, and these are found for
example in cereal grains, vegetables, breads, seeds, legumes and beans. These
carbohydrates consist of long strands of many simple carbohydrates linked
together. Simple carbohydrates (sometimes called simple sugars) are found for
example in table sugar, fruits, sweets, jams, soft drinks, fruit juices, honey,
jellies and syrups. Both complex and simple carbohydrates provide the same
amount of energy (4 calories per gram) and both can contribute to tooth decay,
especially when oral hygiene is poor.
