How can I get enough good carbs into my meals!

[melindaxl]

I get really weak sometimes because I have a hard time getting enough good carbs in my diet! The main carbs in my diet is fruit (bananas). Whole grains give me digestion problems! So my other carbs comes from potatoes and vegetables! I get sick after eating 5 meals of fruit all day and night! Does anyone else have any other ideas? Thanks have a great night!

[lobsteriffic]

Do you eat beans, chickpeas, lentils, etc.?

[melindaxl]

Do you eat beans, chickpeas, lentils, etc.?

 

Yes, but I guess I need to eat more of them! I have trouble digesting them sometimes, so I get scared to eat them! I think I won't have trouble with them if I make sure to soak them good before I cook them. I also have to stick to only one kind of bean at a time because that causes me more digesting problems! Thanks for the idea!

[melindaxl]

Thanks, I'll try mixing the vegetables like you said! What vegetables would be the best besides potatoes and carrots? Like would bell peppers and celery be just as good with fiber or would it be more the root vegetables that have the fiber?

[melindaxl]

Thanks, I'll remember what you told me! I'm going to be doing some shopping and some cooking this weekend! Thanks everyone for all of your help!

[Duncan_Idaho]

Bananas get loaded on the carriers while they are green and by the time they reach you, they ripe. This raises questions as to how good a source they are. Of course, they are not a bad source of carbs but you have noticed how their sugar goes away too quickly.

Let the sweetness of the fruit guide you. Oranges are a good quick source. Try figs, pomegranates, water melons, melons. Pears are very good as well.

If you want something else besides fruit which is not brown rice, you could go for chickpeas as well

[durianrider]

I had issues with grains and found potatoes a next best option but fruit ultimately the best. Here is a recipe we use as our staple.

 

 

Count your cals so your getting ENOUGH! Its easy to undereat on carbs whatever our source and then not being our best when life demands it. Eating 10g of carbs per kg, per day is a great start.

[catulk]

It sounds like you might have similar problems as me. To get enough high quality carb calories in a vegetarian/vegan diet drives my fiber grams per day through the roof since all the proteins and fats contain fiber as well. I'm very petite so it's easy to end up with a belly that feels like a bowling ball. Getting too much fiber per 1000 cals is my issue. Excess fiber can actually interfere with good nutrient absorption. Potatoes and rice are good options for higher calorie / lower fiber density. Does anyone else have some good options they've found? I've been trying to build some mass and have had to start drinking more vegan protein powder drinks to help

[notknowing]

If you have trouble with some grains/legumes/beans I highly suggest looking for red lentils. They are very thin and cook extremely fast and have the highest protein to carb ratio of any legume. By far the easiest of all legumes to digest and assimilate, no bloating etc. You say your getting weak, this may be due to all the sugar your eating from the fruit. They could be spiking your insulin levels to much throughout the day. Especially if they are high GI fruits. Another reason you may feel weak is if you're not getting enough good fats in your diet. Fat is essential for healthy hormone production. Good fats like milled flax seed, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, almonds, coconut oil, avocado, olive oil, hemp seeds, to name a few.

[melindaxl]

Thanks everyone for your info! I'll see if those work for me!

The other problem I'm facing is I"m not burning any body fat, I haven't for a long time! Actually I've done the opposite! I"m doing Insanity right now! Would that be enough to burn off body fat or should I exercise more then that? It's normally 30-40 minutes 5-6 days a week, but more intense! Would I be eating too much? I'm wanting to get really fit! Eating this way my energy is back, but I'm not improving! Last time I weighted myself I was 135 lbs. Here is what I have!

 

around 9:00 a.m.

smoothie with 4-5 bananas,

other fruits like blueberries or strawberries,

1 & 1/4 c. of unsweetened almond milk

1/2-1 serv. pea protein

 

around 12:00 p.m.

same as 9:00 smoothie, except I add maybe a different fruit or a green to it instead of what I had last time.

 

around 3:00 p.m.

same as 9:00 & 12:00 smoothie, except I add maybe some carob or green to it instead of any fruit!

 

around 6:00 p.m.

a dinner salad with 2-3 c. of romaine, tomato, carrot, bell pepper.

some home made bean soup with soaked great northern beans, broccoli, cauliflower, carrot, celery, potatoe, soaked brown rice, vegetable broth, onion, garlic, sea salt, black pepper, red pepper.

 

I make sure not to eat after 7:00 p.m!

Thanks everyone for your help!

[TrilliumFortnight]

Put some oats in with your smoothie for extra carbs, and put some pasta in your salads (I use wholegrain spelt pasta and it is delicious).

[melindaxl]

I'll try the oats, but I won't the pasta! I won't consume processed carbs! The processed carbs puts alot of fat on me that I don't want! It might not do that to you, but it does to me! That's why I have trouble sometimes! Anyway thanks for your ideas! The oats won't bother me!