[smkylie]

can someone tell me if im supost to eat 4 serves of carbohydates can vegetables count? can you snack on diffenet veggeis all day?

[Suzanne 3FC]

If it isn't a protein or a fat, then it's a carb, so veggies are carbs. Carbs are good for you unless it's something like sugar.

What kind of diet are you on that requests 4 servings of carbs? Does it offer recommendations, or does it have separate requirements for vegetables? Some people list carbs such as breads or starchy vegetables to be counted and don't count green or nonstarchy vegetables. It can get tricky.

[mandagemini]

Vegetables ARE carbohydrates, but they do not count as a serving of "starches" or "carbs." Only the starchy veggies, like corn, potatoes, peas, etc...would count. You need 15g of carbohydrates and 1-2g of protein or fat to count as the exchange of equivalent of a carbohydrate as your dietician would intend it to be. A fruit or milk is roughly the equivalent of a carbohydrate exchange, if you aren't willing to actually eat a typical starch, like a piece of bread or oatmeal. You would need about 1 1/2 cups of cooked fibrous veggies to be a serving of a starch or carbohydrate! A good list can be found:

http://www.mypyramid.gov/pyramid/index.html <--for all food groups.

http://diabeticgourmet.com/articles/58.shtml

http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/Publication...rEducators.pdf


Because you are trying to gain weight, kylie, I would recommend choosing smaller-volume (more dense) starches to help alleviate feelings of extreme fullness....and eventually get off of those nasty supplements!

[freiamaya]

Great post, mandagemini! To add to your notes:
1. Veggies are carbs.
2. The carb content of veggies vary.
3. The term "High carb veggies" usually refers to peas, carrots, potatoes and corn as they have a high starch/sugar content.
4. The term "Low carb veggies" usually refers to celery, lettuce, green beans, cucumbers, mushrooms, and others that have a low starch/sugar content.
5. Most high protein diets call for a restriction to low-carb containing veggies.
6. Tomatoes are a fruit! Often included in "low carb veggies" food lists, but are often off the list for those on low-carb diets.
7. I would read 4 servings of carbohydrates to mean traditional carbohydrates which often includes potatoes on the list (even though they are a veggie!). I am sure there is a recommended number of servings of veggies, too, so I wouldn't lump veggies in as a carb serving, unless I was being really, really strict, in which case I would count my peas, carrots, and corn as carbs. I would never count a salad of lettuce, tomatoes, mushrooms and cucumbers as a carbohydrate serving. We need our veggies! And our carbs! And our protein! And our balanced diet!!!!!!
Hope this helps!
p.s. According to many weight loss studies (see the National Council on Weightloss), severe dietary restriction is the number one cause of diet failure in the long term!!!! Good luck!!!!

[smkylie]

thanks guys ....... i have a hard time eating bread s and pastas i have herd so many bad things about them , but at least i know i cant really go wrong with a veggie, there always natural , my dietiotion wants me to eat 4 serves of carbs each day that why i asked it does get so confusing!

[Suzanne 3FC]

Kylie, eat breads and pastas made from whole grains instead of the white stuff. Ignore what you've heard because most of it was probably fabricated by the media or certain diet food companies. We need a few servings of whole grains every day because they contain a lot of important nutrients. They help reduce your risks of cancer, heart disease, etc. Your dietitian can give you some recommendations. She probably isn't referring to most vegetables when she told you to eat 4 servings of carbs, so maybe she can give you a sample menu to refer to.

Good luck