CHAPTER 16: Unit 8. Carbohydrates in Our Food

Carbohydrates in Our Food

Carbohydrates are found in our food in vegetables and fruits. Sugars are very important carbohydrates found in fruits.

Important information about the carbohydrates:

Reference: https://www.livescience.com/51976-carbohydrates.html

Good carbohydrates are:

1. Low or moderate in calories
2. High in nutrients
3. Devoid of refined sugars and refined grains
4. High in naturally occurring fiber
5. Low in sodium
6. Low in saturated fat
7. Very low in, or devoid of, cholesterol and trans fats

Bad carbohydrates are:

1. High in calories
2. Full of refined sugars, like corn syrup, white sugar, honey and fruit juices
3. High in refined grains like white flour
4. Low in many nutrients
5. Low in fiber
6. High in sodium
7. Sometimes high in saturated fat
8. Sometimes high in cholesterol and trans fats

Water, Protein, and Carbohydrate Content of Selected Vegetables:

Reference: http://www.scienceclarified.com/everyday/Real-Life-Physics-Vol-3-Biology-Vol-1/Carbohydrates-Real-life-applications.html#ixzz68s34qpQv

1. Artichoke: 85% water, 2.9% protein, 10.6% carbohydrate
2. Beets, red: 87.3% water, 1.6% protein, 9.9% carbohydrate
3. Celery: 94.1% water, 0.9% protein, 3.9% carbohydrate
4. Corn: 13.8% water, 8.9% protein, 72.2% carbohydrate
5. Lima bean: 10.3% water, 20.4% protein, 64% carbohydrate
6. Potato: 79.8% water, 2.1% protein, 17.1% carbohydrate
7. Red pepper: 74.3% water, 3.7% protein, 18.8% carbohydrate
8. Summer squash: 94% water, 1.1% protein, 4.2% carbohydrate

Other important Carbohydrates:

Maltose is found in Honey

Maltose is found Molasses.

Amylose is found in Potatoes

Lactose is found in Milk

Glucose is found in many fruits.

Sucrose is found in Sugar Cane and many other Fruits.

The importance of Carbohydrates is given in the videos below: