What Makes A Carb Smart?

I know I've written a little about this before, but I think it's worth revisiting again.

We generally have a pretty good idea of what kinds of foods constitute carbohydrates, although they can be a little sneaky sometimes! The Nutrisystem Grocery Guide will give you some great ideas of items you can use for SmartCarb servings for when you are flexing or when an entrée instructs you to add a SmartCarb (like the Turkey Ham & Cheese Omelette, the Tuna Salad, and the BBQ Seasoned Chicken).

So how do we decide what can be used for a SmartCarb? Nutrisystem has given us a very simple test to use, where they state it must be 80-120 calories and at least 1g of fiber. Is that it? No!

Keep in mind that this plan is designed around the Glycemic Index. SmartCarbs are considered "smart" because they are low glycemic. Unfortunately, working out where things stand on the glycemic index can be complicated, which is why I believe Nutrisystem is giving out the current information. However, it states right in the Grocery Guide that SmartCarbs are low glycemic carbohydrate servings, which means it is our responsibility to determine what is appropriate. Then, once we decide that an item is in fact a low GI carb, then we apply the second test to make sure the food will fit as one of our add in portions.

If you don't check first to see that a food actually is a low glycemic carbohydrate, you can wind up making some large errors that will make the program less effective. As an example, try this:

Take 1/2 cup white rice, which is considered a high glycemic index food at a score of 89. Then add a couple of nonstarchy veggies to it, and calculate the nutritionals as a whole (or add a little unflavoured fiber powder). If you look at the serving as a whole, suddenly it fits the loose standard of a SmartCarb since it's between 80-120 calories and has 1g fiber. But is it in fact a smart choice?

Definitely not. High glycemic foods defeat the purpose of the program. They will cause blood sugar spikes which give you cravings, and you will feel less full and be more likely to give into those cravings. It's important to choose foods which are within the spirit of the program and not misinterpret the definitions to add in foods which don't belong on the plan.

Again, I don't think there is anything wrong with making a mindful decision to go off plan for a meal and then going right back on afterwards. Where I think problems lie is when people try to make a food fit into the program when it does not, because then they are likely eating is far more often than they should.

Likewise, when you're evaluating an item for a flex meal and looking at it as a Powerfuel/SmartCarb combination, often I have seen people asking if they can use items that really don't include SmartCarbs at all. For example, I've seen egg frittatas talked about. Because they have vegetables in them, they do have that required gram of fiber. But is there a low glycemic carbohydrate serving in there? No- it's a protein serving that happens to have some vegetables in it. While the rules for flex guidelines make it "easy" to figure out if something is on plan, don't forget to evaluate the food on its merits and make sure it actually has the components it is supposed to have, and that it fits on plan- don't just read the label.

So remember- when you're choosing a SmartCarb, make sure that it belongs on the program before you apply the calorie count/fiber test!