Intake of Carbohydrates

Emily Manning

        Carbohydrates are important in any persons daily diet. Carbs are the leading energy source in our bodies, and can be used in any cell, regardless of its function. The two main types of carbohydrates are complex and simple carbs. Doctors recommend that 58% or more of you daily calorie intake should be from carbohydrates. They also recommend that they are mostly complex, as they do not swing your blood sugar high like simple carbs do.

        Each day I consume many grams of carbs. At breakfast I usually eat a Belvita Breakfast Bar (9 grams- complex carb) and a glass of milk (12 grams-complex carb). During a normal lunch I will usually have a sandwich on whole grain bread (39 grams- complex carb), a bag of potato chips (120 grams- simple carb), a small bottle of Gatorade (14 grams- simple carb), a small bag of carrots (6 grams- complex carb), and a granny smith apple (25 grams- complex). Then, at lunch I sometimes have whole grain spaghetti and meat sauce (59 grams-complex carb) with a breadstick (31 grams- simple carb) and a glass of milk (12 grams- complex). In conclusion of my data, I consume about 21 grams of carbohydrates during breakfast, 204 grams during lunch, and about 103 grams during lunch. In total that’s 327 grams each day.

        In my opinion I think I should consume the same amount of carbohydrates but make sure they are complex carbs. I consumed about 327 grams in one day and my goal is to consume between 225-325 grams each day. I should also cut back on foods like potato chips and white bread because I learned that they turn into glucose after digestion and spike your blood sugar levels very high. Consuming less simple carbs and more complex carbs will fuel my body in the right way and keep me healthy.