Eating moderate amounts of unprocessed, whole foods that happen to have some starch or natural sugar won’t make your blood sugar spike and cause your body to store calories as fat. Here is the operative word- Moderate. No matter how healthy a food is, if you eat more food than your body is using, you will gain weight. (Eating too fast also contributes to spikes.) So you must figure out for yourself based on your metabolism and your activity level what is moderate. As you age, your intake needs decrease, so cut back on quantity or your weight will creep up each year.
Eating from this list of carbs is healthier than eating carbs from processed foods like bread, pasta, crackers, cookies, and snack foods. Try to consume real food that comes from the field to the table, instead of altered food that has additives and structure changes. Whole foods have lower glycemic indexes than processed foods. This means that they cause less of the dreaded blood sugar spike which causes the body to respond with a surge of insulin that carries the extra sugar to storage, i.e. fat cells. Whole foods are called complex carbs and take longer to digest so there is a gradual and moderate rise in blood sugar instead of a sudden spike as with simple carbs.
Carbs are an essential part of a healthy diet. Our brains need carbs in order to function. Carbs provide energy. They even help curb cravings because they make us feel satisfied.
List from Summer Tomato – Darya Rose
10 Tasty Carbs That Won’t Make You Fat
1. Fruit
Some popular diets recommend limiting fruit because of its relatively high concentrations of sugar compared to other foods. However you can continue to lose weight even while eating fruit, so long as you don’t pig out on it. Fructose, the sugar in fruit, is bad for you not because it raises your blood sugar, but because it is converted to fat in the liver. However, the relatively small amounts of fructose present in whole fruit is nothing to worry about.
2. Beans
Though beans are relatively rich in carbs, a substantial portion of it is fiber and the overall glycemic load is pretty low. Beans are also an excellent source of iron, protein and folate, as well as essential minerals.
3. Oats
Oatmeal is tricky because Quaker and other companies have somehow convinced us that cooking real oats is too hard and time-consuming for any civilized human being. This conveniently allows them to mark up the prices on their instant, pre-sweetened varieties that are closer to dessert than they are to a healthy breakfast. But in reality, real rolled oats are low calorie, high fiber, and not fattening in the least. They also cook up in minutes.
4. Dairy
Have you ever checked the label of plain yogurt and wondered how all that sugar got in there? No, you’re not crazy, it’s just that the FDA nutrition labels don’t distinguish between added sugar (sucrose or fructose) and naturally occurring sugars like lactose, the sugar in milk. In reasonable quantities and without added sugars (read labels carefully), unsweetened dairy products will not usually contribute to fat accumulation.
5. Lentils
Like beans, lentils are full of fiber and digest slowly. If anything, adding lentils to your diet will likely help you lose weight, not make you gain it.
6. Farro
One of my favorite foods, farro is a dense and chewy grain with a thick husk and rich flavor. Although it is a grain, farro is very filling and a little goes a long way. No need to spike your blood sugar with this stuff.
7. Wine
Though people often cite wine and alcohol as having a lot of calories, your body digests alcohol calories different than sugar calories and they have virtually no impact on glycemic response. Though there are many reasons to keep your wine portions under control, sharing the occasional bottle won’t stop you from losing weight.
8. Quinoa
Technically a seed and not a grain, quinoa (keen-wah) is a good source of complete protein, fiber, and has a very low glycemic index. It’s also high in iron, has a complete amino acid profile (great for vegetarians) and cooks in almost no time.
9. Brown rice
A lot of people claim to dislike brown rice but cooked properly, it can be a beautiful addition to almost any meal. A small serving of brown rice can make your salads, stir fries, and other vegetable dishes more satisfying, while not forcing that big blood sugar spike you’d get from eating bread.
10. Potatoes
This may surprise you, but moderate amounts of potatoes cooked in healthy oils (not processed vegetable oils) won’t make you fat. Potatoes are actually fairly high in iron, vitamin C, vitamin B6, and minerals, making them a healthy alternative to other starches so long as you don’t go nuts.
Personal Note: We eat sweet potatoes instead of white potatoes. They are more nutritious.
From http://summertomato.com/10-tasty-carbs-that-wont-make-you-fat/