My Go to Carbs

My last article was about foods to keep on hand for breakfast. As I stock up my fridge/pantry to reduce time and money spent shopping, I wanted to continue posting about what I hope to keep on hand.

Foods are complex and contain a variety of carbohydrates, protein, and fats. When I talk about carbohydrates in this article, I am primarily referring to foods that contain predominantly carbohydrates and foods that work as a base for adding higher protein foods as well as fruits, vegetables, and dietary fats. Fruits and vegetables are good sources of carbohydrates, and while I will include them in this discussion, I would like to dedicate a different article to them because they store differently than grain-based carbs and starchy vegetables, like potatoes, and support health in a unique way.

Many grains contain protein and can be paired with other foods to help meet your daily protein target! Not all diets allow for large amounts of carbohydrates, but this macronutrient does provide energy for workouts and the maintenance of your body. Be careful of diets that totally cut out carbs, but use the portions of the foods on this list in a way that best supports your goals. These are simply a few ideas. :)

Here we go! I will separate the carb lists into different meal times, but they can be used at any time of day.

Breakfast Carbs

-Oats

-Better Oats 100 calorie Maple Brown Sugar packets

-Kodiak Cakes pancake mix (chocolate is the best in my opinion)

-Frozen Kodiak Waffles (I'm a big fan of the chocolate chip ones)

-Cereal

-Oats n Honey Cheerios (these contain a decent amount of sugar, but they are a nice treat and are great for pre and post work energy)

-Cocoa Puffs (similar to the cheerios, higher sugar, so use moderation)

-Nature's Path, Organic Keto Cereal, Dark Chocolate (this cereal is more nutrient dense, but it can be really hard to find in the store)

-Flour for baking

-Fruits

Post Workout + Snack Carbs

-Anything on the breakfast list works well for a sweeter snack

-Anything on the lunch/dinner list can be used for a more savory snack

-Fruits or veggies can be great snack choices

-Graham crackers

-Pre-popped popcorn

-Fruit leather (I love the brand That's It)

-Rice cakes

-Low carb tortillas (or high carb tortillas, depending on your calorie target; tortillas are great for breakfast burritos)

-Frozen shredded potatoes (great for egg white casseroles to make ahead)

-Frozen sweet potato tatertots (be careful of higher fat content here, but also great for egg white casseroles)

-Note: pre and post workout meals are good times for higher carbs to fuel workouts before hand and support recovery after. Snacks eaten later or earlier in the day, in relation to workouts, can typically be lower in carb content--it will largely depend on your dietary preferences and nutrition goals, however!

Lunch/Dinner Carbs

-Rice

-Instant/microwave packets/containers are great for quick meals

-White rice typically digests better than other types. I am into short grain white rice right now because it is the correct rice for sushi and it can be used for any other rice dish

-Brown rice is typically more filling and has a slightly higher nutrient profile than white rice. Both can be great to keep on hand

-Couscous (I like the brand Near East, especially the parmesan flavor. It cooks quickly and the parmesan one smells like mac n cheese)

-Pasta

-Whole wheat pasta (I will typically buy this one for shapes)

-Red lentil pasta (for spaghetti is awesome!)

-Ramen noodles (Costco has a brown rice and millet ramen noodle that is amazing!)

-Rice noodles

-Vegetables! (Frozen, canned, and fresh)

-Potatoes/sweet potatoes (fresh or frozen depending on how often you plan to make them)

-Bread

-Bavarian bakery rolls (these are my hero! Only 60 calories and they are so big and fluffy!)

-100 calorie Thomas English muffins (these are great when the Bavarian bakery rolls are hard to find)

-Whole wheat, multi grain, or sourdough sliced bread (these freeze nicely)

That's a Wrap (literally!)

Tada! I left out lots of fantastic carbs, such as quinoa and mini-donuts (the latter are maybe not as good to keep on hand), but the ones listed are some of my favorites. I am not sure my pantry/fridge/freezer will store all of these, but now I have lots of ideas for what to stock up on when things go on sale, and you do too! Happy carb-loading. 🥳