Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Thursday, October 16, 2008 Mags89 asks

Q: Can you explain why beans, fruits and veggies are a better choice than bread (complex) carbohydrates

assuming that one is already eating 5-6 fruits and veggies per day, 2 servings of meat or meat equivalent, 5-6 breads/cereals (nutrient-dense only), and 2 milk products s per day. Are you suggesting people should drop those important complex carbohydrates found in healthy breads and cereals and shoot for more fruits/veggies instead? Is this equivalent? Doesn't the US Food & Drug Admin's pyramid suggest 5-6 servings of breads and cereals? Thanks for your help!

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10/20/08 11:59pm

Unless you are a very active person or physically a man who is tall and in his target weight zone, 5-6 servings (at 80-100 calories per serving) of complex carbohydrates may actually be too many servings for the average adult, especially adult female.  We nutritionists and dieticians have found that one serving at each meal (a total of 3) may be more than enough as long as the rest of your diet includes dairy, lean proteins, fruits, vegetables and healthy fats (again counting servings and portion size).  It is also one of the easier food groups to cut down to help with weight loss as long as you don't cut our servings entirely.  Remember you get fiber from fruits veggies beans and legumes.

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