How Healthy Are Carbohydrates from Grains?

Carbohydrates belong to the group of macronutrients. They consist of oxygen, hydrogen, and carbon compounds. The carbohydrate family can be divided into single, double, and multiple sugars. Carbohydrates provide your entire organism with quickly available energy, which goes directly into cells, organs, muscles, tissue, skin, and bones.

In addition, these macronutrients serve to maintain your body's muscle mass in a targeted manner. Complex carbohydrates , which are found in nutrient-rich plant foods, occupy a special position in the carbohydrate compounds.

They contain a high concentration of soluble and insoluble fiber, which promotes digestion, sustains satiety, stabilizes your blood sugar levels, acts as a secret weapon against food cravings, and promotes your intestinal health.

Because of their cholesterol-lowering effects, they boost your heart health and lower your individual risk of developing diabetes. Grains, oats and oatmeal or porridge and muesli are packed with complex carbohydrates and are therefore suitable as a healthy breakfast .

What exactly are carbohydrates?

Depending on their characteristic structure, the individual macronutrients are classified as single, double, and multiple sugars. Simple sugars or short-chain carbohydrates are each composed of one molecule of simple sugar. On the other hand, double sugar consists of two molecules of simple sugar each. Complex or long-chain carbohydrates each have at least ten simple sugar molecules and are considered multiple sugars.

Long-chain carbohydrate compounds concentrate a high content of starch, which your body can use perfectly for energy. Your body converts carbohydrate compounds in the gastrointestinal tract into glucose, which serves as an energy reservoir. Your body has various glycogen stores. When these depots are full, your body converts the excess carbohydrates into triglycerides, which are stored as fat.

Single and double sugars belong to the category of bad carbohydrates, which cause blood sugar levels to skyrocket and are low in fiber and nutrients. Complex carbohydrates are considered the kings among carbohydrate compounds. They have a low glycemic index, which prevents fluctuations in your blood sugar levels. Nutritionists, therefore, call them good carbohydrates that you should eat regularly.

According to the German Nutrition Society, you should provide your body with carbohydrate compounds on a daily basis. According to this, 50% of your diet should be carbohydrates. Due to the health-promoting effect of complex carbs, they are essential for a healthy and balanced diet.

Table of good and bad carbohydrates

The good carbohydrates

The bad carbohydrates

Carbohydrates from cereals

Grain products are a precious source of whole carbohydrates and complex or long-chain carbs. In addition, they have a high density of vitalizing, cell-protective, and anti-inflammatory vitamins, amino acids, healthy fats, and minerals.

Vitamins, minerals, proteins, and high-quality fats combine with complex multiple sugars to form healthy "nutrient wonders." Carbohydrate compounds from cereals, therefore, score points with a combination of health-promoting micro- and macronutrients, the effects of which amplify each other.

Complex carbs provide you with quickly available energy. Thanks to their low glycemic index, they continuously stabilize your blood sugar levels. The balanced blood sugar level ensures lasting satiety and prevents food cravings.

If you regularly provide your body with complex carbs, you will ensure that your entire organism is continuously supplied with sufficient glucose. In the event of a possible glucose deficiency, your body converts amino acids to glucose. Your body draws the necessary proteins from your nutrient depots and breaks down muscle mass. The well-dosed consumption of long-chain carbs from cereal products prevents this process.

At the same time, cereal products are a first-class source of soluble and insoluble fiber, which have a digestive effect, boost detoxification processes, improve your heart health, lower your cholesterol levels, and reduce your risk of diabetes and colon cancer.

Oatmeal for breakfast - healthy carbohydrates?

Oatmeal impresses with a high-quality nutrient composition. Consisting of long-chain carbohydrate compounds, it saturates for a long time, as your body takes longer to digest these carbs.

It harmonizes blood sugar levels, prevents food cravings, provides you with immediately available energy, and prevents any loss of muscle mass. Brimming with soluble fiber, it boosts your holistic health. If you integrate oatmeal into your diet, your risk of diabetes, colon cancer, cardiovascular disease, and high blood pressure will be reduced.

In addition, oatmeal is a reservoir of unsaturated fatty acids that promote your cellular health. In addition, the flakes are rich in blood-forming iron, immune-stimulating zinc, cell-protecting folic acid, antioxidant vitamin E, and bone-strengthening calcium. The "energy vitamins" B2 and B6 complete the list of health-promoting substances found in oatmeal, along with the essential minerals copper, magnesium, phosphorus, sodium, and potassium.

Because of its high-quality ingredients, the cereal flakes serve as a healthy breakfast and are an important building block for a healthy diet.

Lots of energy with porridge

Porridge recipe:

A healthy porridge, you can easily prepare yourself, especially the porridge basic recipe is quick and easy. You only need three ingredients. You can find out how the porridge preparation works in our porridge basic recipe.

Total time 10 min.

Servings: 1

Ingredients

• 50 g oatmeal
• 250 ml milk (you can of course use a milk alternative or water instead of cow's milk)
• 1 pinch of salt

Preparation

• Briefly roast the oatmeal in a pan
• Place the roasted oatmeal in a small pot together with the liquid
• Cook on medium heat and let it boil with a spoon, stirring constantly until a pasty consistency is achieved
• Season with a pinch of salt
• Add any toppings such as fruits, dried fruits, nuts, seeds, spices,...

Tip

For a vegan porridge basic recipe, you can simply replace the milk with plant-based milk. The salt enhances the nutty aroma of the oatmeal and should not be missed in both sweet and savory porridge.

Porridge reliably replenishes your body's own nutrient and energy stores with the help of its high-quality components. The combination of exquisite grain products, healthy toppings, and beneficial liquids without refined sugar boosts your immune activity, enhances your intestinal health, accelerates the removal of toxins, promotes cell regeneration, and prevents your body from breaking down muscle mass for energy.

The high proportion of complex carbs has a lasting satiating and cholesterol-lowering effect, which favors controlled and healthy eating behavior. The quickly available energy enhances performance, creativity, and concentration.

Muesli or crunchy for breakfast

Muesli and crunchy are also full of good nutrients. The enjoyment of high-quality crunchy or crispy muesli based on delicious recipes delights the taste buds, refills the nutrient and energy stores, and surprises with original variations. Gently baked, nutrient-rich whole grain cereals with a unique crispy effect enchant every cereal lover.

Muesli is considered a "breakfast classic", which convinces with high-quality raw material combinations and thoughtful recipes. Only the best organic ingredients form the basis for exquisite muesli from the Verival brand.

The right toppings

Hemp, flax, and chia seeds and almonds are ideal as healthy toppings for your nutrient-dense breakfast due to their valuable, anti-inflammatory ingredients. Due to their high nutrient density and their proportion of minerals, vitamins, and healthy fats, they enhance your porridge or cereal and provide you with more nutrients.

Gluten-free breakfast from Verival

The name Verival stands for certified organic quality, maximum quality awareness, gentle production processes, and exquisite raw materials. The diverse range includes a varied selection of gluten-free products based on exquisite cereals that are explicitly tailored to the specific needs of people with diagnosed gluten intolerance.

Such products carry the certificate of the "Austrian Society for Celiac Disease."