How to Rebalance Your Carb Intake

This isn't to say that sugary foods are any better for you than starchy ones.

Instead, the goal is to cut back on processed carbohydrates in favor of whole

ones -- fruits, vegetables, legumes and minimally processed grains -- and to add

in some healthful fats like nuts, avocado and olive oil.

Cutting back can be hard, but a study published in the journal Appetite found

that

replacing even small amounts of carbs -- fewer than 10% -- with healthy fats at a

meal keeps you satisfied for hours longer and keeps blood sugar on a more even

keel.

Participants ate a rebalanced breakfast, switching from a meal that had 55%

calories from carbohydrates, 18% calories from protein and 27% calories from

fat to one of 43% calories from carbohydrates, 18% calories from protein and

39% calories from fat. They still felt satisfied three to four hours later.

And in more good news, separate research, published in Obesity Reviews, found

that cutting back, whether on carbs or on unhealthy fat, leads to a decrease in

cravings, making it easier to stick with your plan than you might have thought.