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Carbohydrate: Fiber Vs. Non-Fiber

Carbohydrate refers to a vast category of food, including vegetables, fruits, all grains, pasta, bread, cereals, rice, potatoes, candy, cake, soda, and juice. All carbohydrates, however are not equal. Carbohydrates have traditionally been classified as simple or complex. A better system is fiber versus non-fiber carbohydrate. High fiber carbs are found mostly in vegetables and nuts. The major advantage of fiber is that it can't be broken down into sugar, which means it doesn't raise blood sugar levels. High fiber foods such as vegetables also fill you up and can help control hunger.

Any non-fiber carb that you eat can turn into some type of sugar.

The average North American consume between 12-18 grams of fiber a day. We recommend a least double that amount. You can find a chart of high fiber foods here.