Carbohydrates. They’re the most important source of energy for the body. Our bodies change carbohydrates into glucose, then use this type of energy for cells, tissues and organs, storing any extra sugar in the liver and muscles for when it’s needed. But here’s the thing: Not all carbs are created equal, especially when it comes to rapid weight loss. And the difference between good and bad carbs can transform your body.
Many, particularly the types of carbs that are added to our food in the form of sweeteners, are likely to get in the way of your noble mission to look and feel your best. Below are 22 of the worst carbohydrates to eat if that’s indeed your goal. Avoid, or at least limit, as many of the below as you can and watch your belly shrink.
1
“Coffee” Drinks
Coffee is great news for your health and weight loss goals: It packs a virtually calorie-free boost to your metabolism, it’s rich in disease-fighting antioxidants and it reduces the risk of Type 2 diabetes, colon cancer, liver cancer, gallstones, cirrhosis of the liver and Parkinson’s disease. But those benefits are offset when you dump fatty and caloric additives into this amazing stuff — or worse, order a coffee chain’s drink that has the same calorie and carb profile as a dessert. Some of those can easily reach 400 calories and 60 to 80 grams of carbs per serving. Avoid them, unless you want your coffee habit to increase your girth.
2
Bagels
According to Manuel Villacorta, RD, author of Eating Free: The Carb-Friendly Way to Lose Inches, to be nutritionally worthwhile, eating a bagel must be paired with something else: A two- to three-hour run. See, even before you’ve treated it with butter, cream cheese, or a similar delivery method for empty carbs, a bagel could pack 250 to 300 calories and a whopping 50 grams of carbs. That makes a morning bagel significantly more caloric and carborific than a serving of white-flour pasta.
3
Jelly and Preserves
These classic spreads look innocent enough, but they’re actually pieces of fruit smothered in sugar and juice and shoved inside a jar. Just one tablespoon of Smucker’s grape jelly has 13 grams of carbs, 12 grams of sugar and 50 calories — and let’s be honest, who uses just one?
4
Fruity Smoothies
It doesn’t matter what it is — eating too much of anything promises unwanted consequences. Yes, even smoothies! That’s because we tend to pack a lot of fruit into them, often at the expense of vegetables. Fruit is an excellent source of vitamins and minerals, but they also have plenty of carbs, particularly when served in a 16 oz cup, which can contain 75 grams of carbs.
5
Cheese Crackers
A simple delivery method for cheese, one serving of these crunchy rectangles has about 18 grams of carbohydrates. That may seem modest compared to the carbs hiding out in a 16 oz smoothie, but unlike a drink made chiefly of blended fruit, crackers bring nothing to the party nutritionally besides the waist-widening carbs. Top them with high-fat cheese and you’ll do your silhouette a huge disservice.
6
Baked Goods
No, you’re not imagining it: Baked goods like muffins are getting larger. They’re also getting sweeter and cakier, effectively encroaching on cupcake territory. Some muffins contain upward of 60 g of carbs and more than 30 g of sugar. Think about that the next time someone emails your floor that there’s a basket of these carb grenades in the conference room.
7
Yogurt with Fruit on the Bottom
Yogurt is an excellent weight loss weapon. A plain Greek variety is one of the most enjoyable ways to get a burst of hunger-busting protein and a litany of vitamins and minerals. While yogurt itself does have carbs from lactose, you can double or even triple the amount by picking one with a thick layer of jammy fruit on the bottom.
8
White Bread
Many of us grew up eating white bread, so we understand that it may hold a special place in your heart. But it’s anything but healthy. Made with starchy enriched flour instead of healthy whole grains, white bread is packed with carbs and void of the belly-filling fiber that boosts satiety and keeps blood sugar stable. What’s worse, refined white-flour foods have been linked to heart disease and Type 2 diabetes. Plus, they lead to weight gain and make it more difficult to lose weight, too.
9
Wraps
If you think these flimsy blankets of carbohydrates are better for you than bread, you’re not alone; it’s a common misconception. But there are 35 grams of carbs in a 10-inch white tortilla wrap. Take a closer look at the nutrition label, and you’ll find that many varieties are loaded with calories and chemicals like L-cysteine, a “dough conditioner” made from human hair and poultry feathers.
10
Movie Theater Popcorn
Somehow, going to the movies has become synonymous with filling your face full of packing foam that’s often coated in a high-sodium, carcinogenic substance. A vat of popcorn—or a “medium” in concession stand parlance—can contain about 1,200 empty calories. (The same serving packs around three days’ worth of saturated fat. Oof.)
11
White Rice
White rice is a household staple, but it really shouldn’t be. Just like white bread, white rice has been stripped of its nutrients, fiber, and antioxidants, making it nothing more than empty calories and a lot of carbs. Whole-grain rice is rich in filling, good-for-you nutrients.
12
Pretzels
Pretzels are basically nutrient-stripped carbs covered in blood-pressure-raising salt, so are you really all that shocked they made this list? They offer no health benefits and lack any ingredient that will help keep you full or satisfied.
13
Yogurt-Covered Raisins
You could delude yourself into thinking that this is a healthy snack. It was a grape once, right? Well, its days of hanging off a California vine have long gone. Now dried and covered it sugary yogurt, a quarter-cup packs 20 grams of carbs and 19 grams of sugar.
14
Fruit Snacks and Gummies
“They might have a ‘fat-free’ label on the front, but these snacks are anything but kid-friendly,” warns Lisa Moskovitz, R.D., founder of The New York Nutrition Group. “Void of any nutrition whatsoever, all they offer are empty calories that can lead to weight gain, cavity-causing sugar, and enough chemical preservatives to last a lifetime.” That sugar Moskovitz mentions? It’s usually high-fructose corn syrup, which has been linked to belly fat.
15
Fries
It’s estimated that after it was introduced to Europe from South America, the potato was responsible for 65% of the increase in Western Europe’s population and a 25% of the increase in the rate of urbanization. Why? Well, the spud is an awesome vegetable rich in fiber, protein, and vitamins. Over the past century, however, people have gotten a taste for the potato sans most of its inherent goodness. We’re talking fries. Take off the skin (where many of the nutrients and fiber live) and greatly increase the fat-soaking surface area by cutting it into long thin pieces, and boom, you’ve turned a positive into a negative. All carbs, all fat, and little in the way of anything else.
16
Pizza
Most of the evils of pizza lie in the empty-calorie, carbohydrate-rich crust. Typically made from refined white flour, pizza dough offers little nutrition and will spike your insulin levels, causing you to crave more. The less crust you indulge in, the better.
17
Tortilla Chips
Chances are, you’ll find a bag of tortilla chips in every household. The classic party food often contains a laundry list of ingredients, and none of them contain many nutrients. “Generally speaking, for most crackers and chips, much of the nutritional value of the grain has been removed during processing — especially when these foods are white rather than whole-wheat, because the husk and outer layers of the grain have been removed,” says Isabel Smith, MS, RD, CDN, registered dietitian and founder of Isabel Smith Nutrition.
18
White Pasta
It seems as though pasta is always condemned to the “Not That!” list, right? The truth is, it can offer some nutrients, but you’ve got to choose the right kind. White pasta is made from white flour, which is a bad way to get carbs if you plan on getting and staying svelte.
19
Pancakes
White flour, salt, sugar, butter, eggs, milk. There are too many low-nutrient-density ingredients (and not nearly enough of the eggs and milk) to make pancakes anything other than big ol’ carb-laden disks of empty calories. Adding chocolate chips, syrup, or more butter definitely won’t help.
20
Barbecue Sauce
Just two tablespoons of barbecue sauce have 100 calories, more than 10 grams of sugar and 22 grams of carbohydrates. That’s enough to turn a piece of grilled steak into a delivery method for empty calories.
21
Beer
Most brewskis offer 10 to more than 20 grams of carbs in a 12-ounce glass. Too many of those too often, and all you’ll have to show for it is a paunch. Beer amounts to little more than liquid carbs.
22
Refined Cereals
Refined cereals are another infamous source of nutritionally void carbs, topped with a ton of sugar that creates double trouble for your waistline.
Many, particularly the types of carbs that are added to our food in the form of sweeteners, are likely to get in the way of your noble mission to look and feel your best. Below are 22 of the worst carbohydrates to eat if that’s indeed your goal. Avoid, or at least limit, as many of the below as you can and watch your belly shrink.
1
“Coffee” Drinks
Coffee is great news for your health and weight loss goals: It packs a virtually calorie-free boost to your metabolism, it’s rich in disease-fighting antioxidants and it reduces the risk of Type 2 diabetes, colon cancer, liver cancer, gallstones, cirrhosis of the liver and Parkinson’s disease. But those benefits are offset when you dump fatty and caloric additives into this amazing stuff — or worse, order a coffee chain’s drink that has the same calorie and carb profile as a dessert. Some of those can easily reach 400 calories and 60 to 80 grams of carbs per serving. Avoid them, unless you want your coffee habit to increase your girth.
2
Bagels
According to Manuel Villacorta, RD, author of Eating Free: The Carb-Friendly Way to Lose Inches, to be nutritionally worthwhile, eating a bagel must be paired with something else: A two- to three-hour run. See, even before you’ve treated it with butter, cream cheese, or a similar delivery method for empty carbs, a bagel could pack 250 to 300 calories and a whopping 50 grams of carbs. That makes a morning bagel significantly more caloric and carborific than a serving of white-flour pasta.
3
Jelly and Preserves
These classic spreads look innocent enough, but they’re actually pieces of fruit smothered in sugar and juice and shoved inside a jar. Just one tablespoon of Smucker’s grape jelly has 13 grams of carbs, 12 grams of sugar and 50 calories — and let’s be honest, who uses just one?
4
Fruity Smoothies
It doesn’t matter what it is — eating too much of anything promises unwanted consequences. Yes, even smoothies! That’s because we tend to pack a lot of fruit into them, often at the expense of vegetables. Fruit is an excellent source of vitamins and minerals, but they also have plenty of carbs, particularly when served in a 16 oz cup, which can contain 75 grams of carbs.
5
Cheese Crackers
A simple delivery method for cheese, one serving of these crunchy rectangles has about 18 grams of carbohydrates. That may seem modest compared to the carbs hiding out in a 16 oz smoothie, but unlike a drink made chiefly of blended fruit, crackers bring nothing to the party nutritionally besides the waist-widening carbs. Top them with high-fat cheese and you’ll do your silhouette a huge disservice.
6
Baked Goods
No, you’re not imagining it: Baked goods like muffins are getting larger. They’re also getting sweeter and cakier, effectively encroaching on cupcake territory. Some muffins contain upward of 60 g of carbs and more than 30 g of sugar. Think about that the next time someone emails your floor that there’s a basket of these carb grenades in the conference room.
7
Yogurt with Fruit on the Bottom
Yogurt is an excellent weight loss weapon. A plain Greek variety is one of the most enjoyable ways to get a burst of hunger-busting protein and a litany of vitamins and minerals. While yogurt itself does have carbs from lactose, you can double or even triple the amount by picking one with a thick layer of jammy fruit on the bottom.
8
White Bread
Many of us grew up eating white bread, so we understand that it may hold a special place in your heart. But it’s anything but healthy. Made with starchy enriched flour instead of healthy whole grains, white bread is packed with carbs and void of the belly-filling fiber that boosts satiety and keeps blood sugar stable. What’s worse, refined white-flour foods have been linked to heart disease and Type 2 diabetes. Plus, they lead to weight gain and make it more difficult to lose weight, too.
9
Wraps
If you think these flimsy blankets of carbohydrates are better for you than bread, you’re not alone; it’s a common misconception. But there are 35 grams of carbs in a 10-inch white tortilla wrap. Take a closer look at the nutrition label, and you’ll find that many varieties are loaded with calories and chemicals like L-cysteine, a “dough conditioner” made from human hair and poultry feathers.
10
Movie Theater Popcorn
Somehow, going to the movies has become synonymous with filling your face full of packing foam that’s often coated in a high-sodium, carcinogenic substance. A vat of popcorn—or a “medium” in concession stand parlance—can contain about 1,200 empty calories. (The same serving packs around three days’ worth of saturated fat. Oof.)
11
White Rice
White rice is a household staple, but it really shouldn’t be. Just like white bread, white rice has been stripped of its nutrients, fiber, and antioxidants, making it nothing more than empty calories and a lot of carbs. Whole-grain rice is rich in filling, good-for-you nutrients.
12
Pretzels
Pretzels are basically nutrient-stripped carbs covered in blood-pressure-raising salt, so are you really all that shocked they made this list? They offer no health benefits and lack any ingredient that will help keep you full or satisfied.
13
Yogurt-Covered Raisins
You could delude yourself into thinking that this is a healthy snack. It was a grape once, right? Well, its days of hanging off a California vine have long gone. Now dried and covered it sugary yogurt, a quarter-cup packs 20 grams of carbs and 19 grams of sugar.
14
Fruit Snacks and Gummies
“They might have a ‘fat-free’ label on the front, but these snacks are anything but kid-friendly,” warns Lisa Moskovitz, R.D., founder of The New York Nutrition Group. “Void of any nutrition whatsoever, all they offer are empty calories that can lead to weight gain, cavity-causing sugar, and enough chemical preservatives to last a lifetime.” That sugar Moskovitz mentions? It’s usually high-fructose corn syrup, which has been linked to belly fat.
15
Fries
It’s estimated that after it was introduced to Europe from South America, the potato was responsible for 65% of the increase in Western Europe’s population and a 25% of the increase in the rate of urbanization. Why? Well, the spud is an awesome vegetable rich in fiber, protein, and vitamins. Over the past century, however, people have gotten a taste for the potato sans most of its inherent goodness. We’re talking fries. Take off the skin (where many of the nutrients and fiber live) and greatly increase the fat-soaking surface area by cutting it into long thin pieces, and boom, you’ve turned a positive into a negative. All carbs, all fat, and little in the way of anything else.
16
Pizza
Most of the evils of pizza lie in the empty-calorie, carbohydrate-rich crust. Typically made from refined white flour, pizza dough offers little nutrition and will spike your insulin levels, causing you to crave more. The less crust you indulge in, the better.
17
Tortilla Chips
Chances are, you’ll find a bag of tortilla chips in every household. The classic party food often contains a laundry list of ingredients, and none of them contain many nutrients. “Generally speaking, for most crackers and chips, much of the nutritional value of the grain has been removed during processing — especially when these foods are white rather than whole-wheat, because the husk and outer layers of the grain have been removed,” says Isabel Smith, MS, RD, CDN, registered dietitian and founder of Isabel Smith Nutrition.
18
White Pasta
It seems as though pasta is always condemned to the “Not That!” list, right? The truth is, it can offer some nutrients, but you’ve got to choose the right kind. White pasta is made from white flour, which is a bad way to get carbs if you plan on getting and staying svelte.
19
Pancakes
White flour, salt, sugar, butter, eggs, milk. There are too many low-nutrient-density ingredients (and not nearly enough of the eggs and milk) to make pancakes anything other than big ol’ carb-laden disks of empty calories. Adding chocolate chips, syrup, or more butter definitely won’t help.
20
Barbecue Sauce
Just two tablespoons of barbecue sauce have 100 calories, more than 10 grams of sugar and 22 grams of carbohydrates. That’s enough to turn a piece of grilled steak into a delivery method for empty calories.
21
Beer
Most brewskis offer 10 to more than 20 grams of carbs in a 12-ounce glass. Too many of those too often, and all you’ll have to show for it is a paunch. Beer amounts to little more than liquid carbs.
22
Refined Cereals
Refined cereals are another infamous source of nutritionally void carbs, topped with a ton of sugar that creates double trouble for your waistline.
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