What is a processed carb??

I keep hearing about processed and bad carbs but what is a processed carbs in simple terms? What are some specific examples of good carbs and bad carbs?

bad carbs: white bread, pasta, pastries. Think white, baked food

good carbs: brown rice, any whole grains, veggies, fruit

Don't laugh.  What is an example of a whole grain?

I'm glad you're asking!

barley, slow cooked oatmeal, quinoa (my favorite), brown rice (ideally short grain)

There are more but that's off the top of my head. They are grains that are basically packaged as they are found without any extra processing like white rice which has the outer husk removed

Also: wheat is a whole grain, so an actual whole wheat bread (not just brown bread) is an example of a whole grain.

Starches are also considered "good" carbs - like potatoes, corn, carrots, peas, etc (I know they fall under veggies but the potato gets demonized a lot)

don't forget sugar (all forms).  except in fruit, then it's not processed/bad.

If you're trying to eat more healthily it's not a bad idea to try to choose foods that are as close to their original, natural state as possible.   'Wholefoods'.  That applies to carbohydrates, fats and proteins as well.   So a wholegrain... wheat, oat, barley, rice, bean, lentil.... that is straight off the stem or a whole vegetable/fruit straight out of the ground or off the tree is ideal. Whole muscle meat rather than breaded/battered, extruded or mechanically recovered.  Natural fats such as olive oil or butter rather than the modified fats found in a lot of manufactured products. 

Michael Pollan wrote a great little book called 'In Defense of Food' and suggests a few more rules of thumb.  One being that if a product contains more than 5 ingredients it's probably a processed 'food-like substance' rather than a real food.   So a pack of wholegrain rolled (porridge) oats would be a good choice - 1 ingredient.  Whereas a pack of colourful sugary cereals that contains 20+ ingredients is not such a good choice

Someone said something like, "If your Grandma wouldn't recognise it as food, it isn't..." which, while leaving some stuff out, is one way to go about recognizing processed stuff.

That's by the same author from the same book... I think he said 'great-grandmother' and one example he used to illustrate is the plastic pot of non-dairy creamer.  If you plonked that in front of someone from the late nineteenth/early twentieth century, would they have the foggiest idea what you're meant to do with it, let alone that the contents are meant to be edible?  LOL!

That's interesting. I'm always hearing about simple vs. complex which from what I understand fits more of the white bread & pastries, vs. veggies explanation that Spirochete and Lafoutloud talk about.

However, your use of the word "processed" makes me think of what I tend to keep in mind when I limit what I buy at the store.

I think of processed carbs as: Cheez It's, Crackers, Cookies, most chips and other things that come out of a box or package.

Unprocessed, to me would seem more along the lines of what gi-jane was describing. I figure, if it can be picked off of a plant or bought fresh from a butcher, it's not processed.

Original Post by lafoutloud01:

Also: wheat is a whole grain, so an actual whole wheat bread (not just brown bread) is an example of a whole grain.

Whole wheat bread is a product made from whole grains, not an actual whole grain. 

Processed foods usually have a higher shelf life, but they are lacking in nutriants.  Food manufactures remove protein and fiber from foods (think rice and bread) for many reasons...one being convienience.

Alot of processed foods are harder to digest because the nutriants are removed. 

It's good to learn about these things, bc everyone picks up a product at the store and looks at the cals, but don't consider the pro/fiber content.  The other day I read an article on yahoo that told people (not in these words) to go for the processed foods because of less cals...that's awful.  As long as we're skinny, it doesn't matter if we're awful to our bodies? Is that how I read that?

Btw, I know it's impossible to completly avoid processed foods. In moderation, i don't believe it is hurtful, but at least at home you can make better choices and eat really great tasting food. 

Good question.

It is a totally new learning experience when shopping, I know that much! There is such a misconception about what you think may be good for you and what really is!

I could've lost a pound just shopping today, and I about wanted to give up after realizing how much thought you really have to put into it when picking items off a shelf.

One question: I have always been a pasta FREAK! I love it! I thought I would try whole grain pasta -- but is it still bad for you, or a good choice?

Mperic81, something you said struck me as a very simple but brilliant statement. 

"As long as we're skinny, it doesn't matter if we're awful to our bodies?"

It's so true that people are obsessed about being skinny or thin, not because it's healthier to be lean but because that's what fashion and current social mores dictate. 

People would be a lot leaner and healthier too if they just stopped buying prepared foods.  Someone once said that everything you need to buy is in the outter aisles of the grocery store.  Don't even travel the aisles except for things like TP (LOL).  Sure they might be convenient but you can make your own prepared foods.  When I make dinners such as stew or chili or other "big pot" stuff, I always make extra and freeze it for times when I just don't have time to cook.