Carbohydrate intake should come mainly from complex carbohydrates – vegetables, fruits and grains – rather than the simple carbohydrates found in sugars. Complex carbohydrates add more fiber, vitamins and minerals to the diet than foods high in refined sugars. Foods high in complex carbohydrates are usually lower in calories, saturated fat and cholesterol. The American Heart Association recommends 25-30 grams of fiber per day.

Which foods are sources of complex carbohydrates?

• Starches – Flour, bread, rice, corn, oats, barley, potatoes, legumes, fruits and vegetables
• Fiber – Insoluble: whole-wheat breads and cereals, wheat bran, cabbage, beets, carrots, Brussels sprouts, turnips, cauliflower and apple skin (pectin)
• Fiber – Soluble: oat bran, oats, legumes, citrus fruits, strawberries, apple pulp, psyllium, rice bran and barley

Which foods are sources of simple carbohydrates?

• Sucrose – Table sugar, brown sugar, confectioners sugar, raw sugar and turbinado
• Glucose – Dextrose, corn syrup and glucose syrup
• Fructose – Fruits, vegetables and honey
• High fructose corn syrup – Liquid sweetener that contains 42-90 percent fructose
• Honey – Made up of glucose, fructose and water
• Sugar alcohols – Sorbitol, mannitol, xybitol
• Lactose – milk and milk products
• Maltose, dextrose – cereals and some baked goods

How much complex carbohydrates should I eat?  

People should eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day and six servings of grains and cereals.

Related AHA publications:

• An Eating Plan for Healthy Americans... American Heart Association Diet
• Easy Food Tips for Heart-Healthy Eating (also in Spanish)

Reading Food Labels: A Handbook for People with Diabetes, order from American Diabetes