Starch in foods
Discussion
When reading about the nutritional values of breakfast cereals (Im trying to watch what I eat and make healthier choices!!), Ive noticed anything made by Kellogs seems to have starch as the main component of it's carbohydrate.
Things like corn flakes or rice crispies have about 20 grams out of 30 total as starch, so I was wondering, is starch a decent carb, or just added as a cheap filler?
I have looked at things like wheetabix for example, and it doesnt list any starch at all, is it a case of different reporting of ingredients, or does better quality cereal not use starch?
Things like corn flakes or rice crispies have about 20 grams out of 30 total as starch, so I was wondering, is starch a decent carb, or just added as a cheap filler?
I have looked at things like wheetabix for example, and it doesnt list any starch at all, is it a case of different reporting of ingredients, or does better quality cereal not use starch?
BananaBok said:
When reading about the nutritional values of breakfast cereals (Im trying to watch what I eat and make healthier choices!!), Ive noticed anything made by Kellogs seems to have starch as the main component of it's carbohydrate.
Things like corn flakes or rice crispies have about 20 grams out of 30 total as starch, so I was wondering, is starch a decent carb, or just added as a cheap filler?
I have looked at things like wheetabix for example, and it doesnt list any starch at all, is it a case of different reporting of ingredients, or does better quality cereal not use starch?
Wheat is mostly starch, so there'll be plenty of starch in Weetabix. Things like corn flakes or rice crispies have about 20 grams out of 30 total as starch, so I was wondering, is starch a decent carb, or just added as a cheap filler?
I have looked at things like wheetabix for example, and it doesnt list any starch at all, is it a case of different reporting of ingredients, or does better quality cereal not use starch?
Most foods have some starch and all breakfast cereals have it. If it's not explicitly listed you can calculate starch content by subtracting sugar from total carbohydrate. The difference is the starch content.
Also starch is the only decent carb; the other carbs being sugar and alcohol, neither of which is particularly good for you.
AJS- said:
Why is starch good? Genuine question, I'm not banging any drum. I generally live on very few carbs save for sugar in coffee and alcohol!
So you eat no fruit or veg? That doesn't sound healthy!Given your body uses glucose as its primary food source, and starch is made of glucose, it's an efficient form of energy. It's not that starch is better than anything else, it's just not that bad either (unlike sugar, which is).
Eating all your calories as fat and protein puts a lot more load on your liver for metabolism - starch is broken down to glucose by the intestine so it doesn't need to be metabolised in the liver.
Flibble said:
So you eat no fruit or veg? That doesn't sound healthy!
Given your body uses glucose as its primary food source, and starch is made of glucose, it's an efficient form of energy. It's not that starch is better than anything else, it's just not that bad either (unlike sugar, which is).
Eating all your calories as fat and protein puts a lot more load on your liver for metabolism - starch is broken down to glucose by the intestine so it doesn't need to be metabolised in the liver.
No, I eat tons of fruit and veg, but is that starch? Say bananas or tomatoes? I know they contain carbs, but is it specificically starch?Given your body uses glucose as its primary food source, and starch is made of glucose, it's an efficient form of energy. It's not that starch is better than anything else, it's just not that bad either (unlike sugar, which is).
Eating all your calories as fat and protein puts a lot more load on your liver for metabolism - starch is broken down to glucose by the intestine so it doesn't need to be metabolised in the liver.
AJS- said:
No, I eat tons of fruit and veg, but is that starch? Say bananas or tomatoes? I know they contain carbs, but is it specificically starch?
They're a mixture of starch and sugar - a banana is about 10% starch and 12% sugar for instance. Tomatoes also have a small amount of starch in them. Some obviously have a lot more, potatoes are almost all starch, while for some it's much less.Breakfast cereals in general are a masterpiece of marketing. They are pretty much high calorie/poor quality food, as bad or worse than most foods labelled as 'junk'.
I can see no reason not to eat chicken and rice or steak and potatoes for breakfast in preference to cereals.
Me? I've taken to mostly skipping breakfast and I've hardly died at all since.
Cave men, french people and nippon survive quite healthily without excessive grain consumption and sometimes irregular meals. Don't believe the hype and bro science.
I can see no reason not to eat chicken and rice or steak and potatoes for breakfast in preference to cereals.
Me? I've taken to mostly skipping breakfast and I've hardly died at all since.
Cave men, french people and nippon survive quite healthily without excessive grain consumption and sometimes irregular meals. Don't believe the hype and bro science.
.Flibble said:
They're a mixture of starch and sugar - a banana is about 10% starch and 12% sugar for instance. Tomatoes also have a small amount of starch in them. Some obviously have a lot more, potatoes are almost all starch, while for some it's much less.
Ok. I don't tend to like starchy foods like rice or potatoes, so am I likely to be missing anything important?AJS- said:
Ok. I don't tend to like starchy foods like rice or potatoes, so am I likely to be missing anything important?
Probably not much more than delicious French fries or a nice egg fried rice. Though your bloated, overworked liver and frail, limp frame may have suffered from you forgoing the east energy source in carbs. Gassing Station | Food, Drink & Restaurants | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff