5 ways to buy and eat smarter carbs

It's very important when you have diabetes to control the quantity and quality of carbohydrates you consume. Here are five ways to buy and eat smarter carbs.

Beans and lentils are "complex carbs" that also supply a load of protein without a lot of calories or fat, making them nearly perfect foods.

• Keep black beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, chickpeas, white beans and lentils on hand to add to your soups, salads and pasta dishes.
• Tossing 125 grams (half a cup) of canned chickpeas into tonight's salad will add six grams of fibre and six grams of protein.

Thanks to the durum wheat it's made from and the structure of the protein in pasta dough, pasta has only a moderate effect on blood sugar levels — much more modest than that of the white Italian bread you might eat with your meal.

• But you'll get about three times the fibre per serving if you choose whole wheat.
• Not all brands and shapes taste as good in whole wheat; experiment to find one you like.

These contain extra protein and even more fibre.

• Some are made from grains such as oats, spelt and barley, in addition to durum wheat, and since these grains are higher in soluble fibre than wheat, these pastas should be friendlier to your blood sugar.

White rice is a refined carbohydrate, which will quickly convert to glucose in the body and send your blood sugar soaring.

• Brown rice, on the other hand, is a whole grain; 250 grams (one cup) of cooked brown rice has four grams of fibre, compared to just one gram in white rice.
• Even brown rice raises blood sugar more than oatmeal or barley, but it offers the benefits of a whole-grain food.

• When you don't want brown rice, choose converted rice.

It is steamed before it's husked, allowing the individual grains to absorb more nutrients. It raises blood sugar slightly less than brown rice does, though it doesn't contain as much good-for-you fibre or as many nutrients as brown rice does.

They do raise blood sugar, but carbs aren't the devil. Try these five tips for buying and eating healthier carbs when you're fighting diabetes.