Quality carbohydrates can be broken down into four major food groups: vegetables, grains, legumes and fruit. These foods need to be unprocessed or lightly processed or else they meander over into being considered highly processed foods, which we discussed in the previous chapter.
So while it’s acceptable to make flour out of grains, legumes and fruits (chickpea flour, wheat flour, banana flour), it’s not okay to processes them to the point to which they are no longer nutritious. Remember the major processed foods items: oil, refined grains and salt. If a grain, legume, fruit or vegetable is combined with a highly processed food, it’s no longer a quality carbohydrate
Vegetables
There are vegetables every color, …show more content…
Because they aren’t as tasty as a doughnut, or even naturally sweet fruit, people tend to cover them with salt, sugar and fat. This transforms them from quality carbohydrates into either unhealthy carbohydrates or fatty foods.
It’s always healthy to eat raw vegetables as long as they’re not dipped in some sort of fat such as olive oil or creamy ranch sauce. Healthy cooking methods include boiling, steaming, baking and stewing. Eat as many vegetables as you desire.
Legumes
Most species of legumes are quality carbohydrates, but not all. Two varieties that stand apart in their macronutrient ratios are peanuts and soybeans. Yes, peanuts are actually legumes, not nuts.
This doesn’t mean that soybeans and peanuts aren’t healthy. It simply means that the majority of their calories don’t come from carbohydrates.
Legumes have many subcategories: beans, peas, lentils and an ‘other’ category. You’re most likely familiar with many beans. Kidney beans, black beans, navy beans, and broad beans are just a few examples of beans that are quality …show more content…
The easiest way is to mix your grain with the amount of liquid you need prior to the time you anticipate to cook it. Allow it to sit at room temperature for 6-12 hours or refrigerate for longer periods of time.
Sprouting
The act of sprouting is intuitive, though the technique isn’t. Sprouting can actually increase the amount of nutrition a particular legume or grain contains, although not always. In either case, the amount of nutrition you receive from sprouted grains and legumes will be more than dry or soaked. Only whole, raw legumes and grains can be sprouted.
The sprouting process begins with soaking. After the initial soak, grains and legumes are allowed to come out of “hibernation” and are encouraged to start growing as if they were in the ground. After the initial draining, sprouts need to be rinsed approximately every 12 hours to discourage bad bacteria growth. Depending upon the type of food, allow sprouts to grow for 2-4 days before consuming.
Some sprouts are edible raw while others can’t. Lentils, chickpeas and peas can all be eaten raw after being sprouted. Grains and beans cannot. Never eat raw beans as it can cause violent food poisoning.