By contract, complex carbohydrates are extremely nutritious, these are foods like legumes, whole grains, vegetables and most fruits. They are loaded with fiber, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. Calorie for calorie, complex carbohydrates will fill you up more and leave you full longer then simple carbohydrates.

When choosing which carbohydrates to put on your plate, you should try to load up on whole grains, fruits and vegetables but if they are not available in plentiful enough amounts, you should try to balance your simple carbs with your complex carbs and proteins. Use simple carbs as more of a side dish - maybe filling ¼ of your plate with them and fill up on lean protein and complex carbs. This will have a net effect of a more nutritious and filling meal as well as leave you satisfied longer.

The fruits and vegetables, on other hand are filled with nutrients. When you eat these, your body gets lots of high energy fuel that it can use to keep up your energy levels and help your body fight off disease. In addition, enzymes found in fruits and veggies aid your body in digestion process, thus freeing it up for more important activities.

So, in reality, carbohydrates are both good and bad. It is up to you to make sure you fuel your body with more of good carbs for optimum health. A good rule of thumb when shopping is to stick to outside aisles of grocery store and avoid middle. Buy as many fresh fruits and veggies as you can (organic if possible) and frequent your local farmers market to purchase locally grown produce if you are lucky enough to have one near you.