Carbohydrates

Question 1

What are the main two types of carbohydrates ?

Answer 1

1. Sugar
2. Starch

Question 2

What are the two ways we can get sugary carbohydrates

Answer 2

1. They can be found naturally
2. They can be added during the manufacturing process

Question 3

What foods can sugary carbohydrates naturally be found in ?

Answer 3

1. Fruits
2. Vegetables

Question 4

What foods can added sugary carbohydrates be found in ?

Answer 4

1. Cakes
2. Sweets
3. Fizzy pop

Question 5

What can sugary carbohydrates be referred to and why ?

Answer 5

Empty calories because they have no nutritional benefits other than energy

Question 6

What foods can starchy carbohydrates be found in ?

Answer 6

1. Potatoes
2. Bread
3. Pasta
4. Rice
5. Cereals

Question 7

What nutrients do starchy carbohydrates have ?

Answer 7

1. B vitamins
2. Iron
3. Calcium
4. Whole grain also have a high fibre content

Question 8

Sugary carbohydrates are also known as simple carbohydrates what do they do ?

Answer 8

They are digested quickly by the body making the blood sugar rise quickly providing a short burst of energy

Question 9

Starchy carbohydrates are also known as complex carbohydrates what do they do ?

Answer 9

They take longer to digest so they slowly increase the blood sugar levels providing a slow release of energy also giving the full feeling for longer

Question 10

What happens when the body has an excess of carbohydrates ?

Answer 10

1. If we consume more than can be used it is converted into fats possibly leading to obesity (sugars are ready to be used almost immediately so if not they also convert to fat stores)
2. Too much sugary foods can lead to tooth decay and sometimes dental caries/cavities and in worse cases type 2 diabetes

Question 11

What happens if the body has a deficiency of carbohydrates ?

Answer 11

1. The blood sugar to drop causing: hunger, dizziness, tiredness and a lack of energy
2. Not enough energy means using up our fat stores which could lead to becoming underweight (the fat deficiency could then lead to a lack of protein in our body meaning we loose muscle making us weaker)

Question 12

What percentage of our daily food consumption should be carbohydrates according to the Eatwell guide ?

Answer 12

38% but mainly starchy carbohydrates

Question 13

What percentage of energy should come from carbohydrates?

Answer 13

50% but no more than 5% should be sugar and processed foods

Question 14

How many grams of carbohydrates should the average male consume in a day ?

Answer 14

Between 225 and 325g a day

Question 15

How many grams of carbohydrates should an average female consume in a day ?

Answer 15

Between 225 and 325g a day

Question 16

How many grams of carbohydrates should a pregnant woman consume in a day ?

Answer 16

175g a day

Question 17

What factors affect the amount of carbohydrates you should consume in a day ?

Answer 17

1. Age
2. Medical conditions
3. Amount of physical activity
4. Weight goals