The Best Carbs For Weight Loss And Muscle Gain

Most people who are on a diet think that carbs like pasta, bread, and every sweet you want to eat will make us fat. But the truth is they won’t because you need the best carbs for energy.

And as I mentioned in the previous article, you need about 2 grams of carbs per pound of body weight in order to gain some muscle.

Even if you want to lose weight, you need to get in some carbs: about 1 gram of carbs per pound of body weight.

The Best Carbs For You

You need carbs, but you also need to know to eat it the right way, to eat it in moderation.

Here are the best carbs you can add to your meals to get a flat belly and avoid binge eating for the rest of the day:

1. Barley

One cup of cooked pearl barley gets you 174 calories, 44g of carbs, and 6g of fiber.

Barley is one of the best carbs out there, it fights hunger and it gets you 25% of your recommended daily intake of fiber in just one serving.

2. Green Peas

One cup of cooked green peas gets you 134 calories, 25g of carbs, 9g of fiber, and about 25% of your recommended daily intake of zinc.

Eat green peas to reduce hunger and to avoid getting cold.

3. Whole-Wheat Pizza

Two ounces of whole-wheat pizza gets you 198 calories, 43g of carbs, and 5g of fiber.

4. Acorn Squash

One cup of cubed and baked acorn squash contains 115 calories, 30g of carbs, and 9g of fiber.

5. Whole-Wheat Bread

Two slices of Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Whole Grain Bread contain 160 calories, 30g of carbs, and 8g of fiber.

If you eat 100% whole-wheat bread, you get just 80 calories, less than 1 gram of sugars, and at least 2 grams of fiber per slice.

6. Beans

One cup of canned low-sodium black beans gets you 218 calories, 40g of carbs, and 16g of fiber.

To reduce the sodium content, remember to rinse your canned beans.

7. Air-Popped Popcorn

Four cups of air-popped popcorn contain 124 calories, 25g of carbs, and 5g of fiber.

A good idea would be to switch from potato chips to air-popped popcorn when you’re craving something salty.

Less than 20 plain potato chips have about the same amount of calories as 4 cups of popcorn. So choose wisely!

8. Oatmeal

One cup of dry oatmeal contains 306 calories, 54g of carbs, and 8g of fiber.

9. Quinoa

One cup of cooked quinoa gets you 222 calories, 40g of carbs, and 5g of fiber.

Quinoa contains all 9 essential amino acids which your body needs to build lean muscle.

And while muscles help you burn calories, I’d say quinoa really is one of the best carbs to lose weight.

These are the best carbs you can get when you want to lose weight and build muscle. Eat them in moderation.

And don’t forget to stick to 1 gram of carbs per one pound of body weight if you want to lose weight, and to 2 grams of carbs per one pound of body weight if you want to gain muscle.