Starches fall into the carbohydrate food category, which includes starch, fiber and sugar. Starch is also considered a complex carbohydrate because of its molecular structure. And complex carbs are a good thing – but only if they’re left whole. Unfortunately, the process used to refine many starchy foods drains the health right out of them. Still, when you’re looking for nutritional balance in your diet, choosing the right starchy foods can supply a wide variety of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients your body craves.
The Basics of Starchy Foods
According to the USDA's Dietary Guidelines for Americans, carbohydrates, including starches, should make up about 45 to 65 percent of your total daily calories. That’s between 900 and 1,300 calories or about 325 grams of carbs if you’re eating 2,000 calories a day.
Found in abundance in some of our favorite foods, starches are the type of carb you’re most likely to consume on a regular basis. Fiber-rich whole grains, lentils, legumes, root vegetables and some fruits contain significant amounts of starch.
Many of these starchy foods are low in fat and contain high levels of folate, potassium, iron, magnesium and other beneficial nutrients. They also supply the fuel you need to accomplish your daily routines and the energy it takes to squeeze in a healthy walk at the end of a long day.
You’ll also find heavy loads of starch in salty snacks, sweet treats, sugary breakfast cereals and other easy-to-grab foods that offer lots of calories but little nutrition. These types of starches are considered highly-refined carbs. A diet high in refined carbs is often linked to weight gain and other serious medical conditions, such as Type 2 diabetes.
The difference between healthful starches and nutritionally-empty starches depends on the way starchy foods are processed. Grains, for example, are often put through a refining process that strips out valuable nutrients and fiber before they’re included in breads, breakfast cereals and packaged snack cakes.
Whole grains, fresh produce and legumes are the healthiest starches, and there’s a wide variety of tasty options to pick from within each of these categories. Just check the portion size and track the carbs.
You can munch on fresh veggies whenever the urge hits since most nutrition plans consider lettuce, peppers and other low-starch vegetables “free” foods. But you’ll need to stick with portion control for some starchy vegetables to keep your carb count under its limit.
The beloved potato falls on this list, but at 37 grams of carbs for a medium baked potato, it’s certainly not a starch you must avoid entirely.
Other starchy vegetables you’ll need to measure include:
- Green peas
- Winter squash
Grains and Their Starch Factor
Grains matter because they’re used as the base for numerous foods. As flour, they’re poured into breads, cookies, pasta and breakfast cereals. Crackers, pretzels and tortillas also contain various measures of flour. Rice can be ground into flour, but is likely more familiar as a side dish or recipe base.
All are high in starch, but flours made from whole grains tend to have a higher nutritional content, and some have less starch than their refined counterparts. A 6-inch, whole wheat tortilla, for example, has about 12 grams of carbs while a tortilla made from white flour has about 19. This difference can add up quickly in a day.
Other starchy grains used for flours include:
- Oats, one of the more healthful grains available due to nutrient content and possible ability to help lower blood sugar
- Millet, which is naturally gluten-free and rich in magnesium, phosphorus, manganese and other important nutrients
- Rice, more nutritious as unrefined, whole-grain brown rice
- Sorghum, which is also gluten-free and an excellent source of fiber and protein
If you want to increase your intake of good starches but aren’t in love with the texture or taste of whole grains, try introducing them slowly to your diet by mixing them up with equal measures of their refined cousins.
Fruits and Starch
While they’re more about sugar, some fruits contain enough starch to count, but typically only when they’re green. As they ripen, bananas, apples and other favorite fruits convert their starch into sugar. If you prefer to identify pumpkin as a fruit, put it on the high starch list, along with plantains.
Don’t Forget Your Beans
Beans are high in protein but also full of starch. Again, don’t skip their nutritious benefits, just check your portion size when the menu includes black, kidney, garbanzo, navy, pinto or lima beans.