Fiber matters more than the carb content.
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I’ve eaten as low carb as I can tolerate for years, so I come to this one with my mind mostly made up. Daily bread and I parted company a while back, and I’ve felt better and certainly lighter since. So when a dietitian tells me the question is which carbs rather than how many, my instinct is to argue.
So when registered dietitian Jared Meacham tells me the question is which carbs rather than how many, my instinct is to argue. However, he got further with me than I expected. Here’s his case for eight worth keeping on your plate. |
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Let’s get into it!
Tim Snaith
Newsletter Editor, Healthline |
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Written by Tim Snaith
September 15, 2026 • 2 min read |
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| Q: |
Which carbs are best if I’m trying to lose body fat? |
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| A: |
Carbs get talked about as one thing, but a bowl of lentils and a handful of candy are not the same. What sets them apart is fiber, water, and the amount of nutrients you get per calorie, which determines how full you feel afterward.
The best carb is usually the one with the most fiber.
Here are eight carbs worth building your meals around:
🫘 Legumes: Beans, lentils, and chickpeas give you fiber and protein at once, so you stay full longer.
🥔 Potatoes: Boiled or baked, they’re cheap and filling, but frying makes them a different food.
🥣 Oats: High in soluble fiber and hard to overeat. Stir in Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, or fruit.
🍞 Whole grains: Brown rice, quinoa, barley, and bulgur keep the fiber and minerals that refining strips out.
🍈 Berries and melons: They’re mostly water, so you can eat a lot of them without loading up on carbs.
🍏 Whole fruit: Each comes in its own portion size, with fiber and water wrapped around the sugar.
🍠 Sweet potatoes: They’re rich in vitamins and minerals, and they’re filling too, especially if you eat the skin.
🍿 Popcorn: Air-popped, you’re mostly eating the atmosphere. A small number of calories fills a big bowl, unless you ladle on the butter.
In every case, fiber is doing most of the work of filling you up. It slows digestion down so you feel full longer, and your blood sugar climbs gently rather than spikes after a meal. It also feeds your gut bacteria. We should probably all eat more of it, which makes it an easy place to start.
Do you have to cut carbs to lose body fat? No. What you eat overall matters much more than how much of any one nutrient you eat. Eat more than your body needs, and you gain fat, whatever it came from.
⚠️ The carbs to watch are the ones that go down fast without filling you up: sugary drinks, pastries, cookies, chips, and drinks, especially. A large soda contains so many calories and leaves you just as hungry as before.
If you’re unsure about how your body handles carbs or blood sugar, ask your doctor before you start cutting things out. |
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RECIPE PICKCoconut Apple Ginger DaalWith plenty of plant-based protein and fiber from the lentils and vegetables, this nourishing dish is high in protein and fiber and under 500 calories per serving.GET THE RECIPE →
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| Until next time, |
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Take care of yourself, and we’ll see
you again soon! |
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