Spotlight: Starches

Now, for our first food category of carbohydrates, let's take a closer look at foods you most likely have been told to avoid by popular, restrictive diets... starches! Here's the run-down of the most common starches and their equivalents.  Keep in mind that each serving has about 15 grams of carbohydrates, 0-3 grams of protein (whole grains will have more), 0-1 grams of fat, and typically 80 total calories.  

 

Starch Overview

• ½ c cooked cereal, grain, or starchy vegetable
• ½ c cooked rice or pasta
• 1 oz/ 1 slice of bread
• ¾ oz to 1 oz of snack food

Examples:

• ¼ large bagel
• 2 1/2 “ biscuit
• 2 slices reduced calorie bread
• 1 slice white, whole-grain, pumpernickle, rye, unfrosted raisin
• 6” chapati
• ½ english muffin
• ½ hotdog or hamburger bun
• ¼ naan bread if 8x2”
• ½ 6” pita
• 6” flour tortilla
• ⅓ 10” tortilla
• ¼ c granola
• ½ cooked oatmeal
• ½ c bran cereal
• 1 ½ c puffed cereal
• ½ c shredded wheat cereal
• ½ c grits
• ⅓ cup quinoa
• ⅓ c rice
• ⅓ c pasta
• ½ large corn on the cob
• ½ c parsnips
• ½ c green peas
• ⅓ c plantain
• ¼ large baked potato with skin
• ½ c boiled or mashed potato
• 1 c plain canned pumpkin
• 1 c winter squash
• ½ c yam/ sweet potato
• 8 animal crackers
• 6 saltines
• 3 sandwich style crackers
• 2-5 whole wheat crackers
• 3 graham crackers (2 ½” squares)
• 3 cups popped popcorn
• 2 rice cakes (4”)
• ¾ oz pretzels
• ¾ oz chips
• ⅓ c baked beans (also counts as 1 lean meat)
• ½ cup cooked beans (also counts as 1 lean meat)   

Next up- fruits!