The #1 Best Carb To Eat If You're Trying to Lose Weight
Carbs have certainly been put through the wringer lately. They've been deemed as a "bad" food by many who feel that carbs will completely destroy your weight loss efforts, which is not true. While there are some carbs that aren't helpful for your weight loss goals (mainly simple carbs and foods with a lot of added sugars), most carbs—including the best carb for weight loss—are actually stuffed with an incredibly important nutrient for your body: dietary fiber.
Fiber has been proven to help with overall weight loss and management, which is why it's vital to get a significant amount of fiber in your diet. Turning to carbs high in fiber is great for your body, and there's one carb that's stuffed with fiber that makes it the best carb for weight loss, and that's black beans!
For even more healthy eating tips, check out our list of 21 Best Healthy Cooking Hacks of All Time.
Why black beans are the best carb for weight loss
Black beans are oftentimes referred to as a superfood, and honestly, it lives up to the hype. Black beans are naturally gluten-free and plant-based. They're incredibly high in protein, folate, and of course, loaded with fiber. 8 grams per a 1/2 cup serving, to be exact.
According to the USDA, the Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) for fiber is 25 grams for women and 38 grams for men. 8 grams of fiber from a 1/2 cup of black beans is a significant amount of fiber coming from one serving of a carb!
Black beans also have very little fat content. A 1/2 cup serving doesn't even have a full gram of fat in it. And yet, it is packed with protein (7 grams) and rounds out to 20 grams of carbohydrate.
Plus, if you pair black beans with some brown rice, you are getting all nine essential amino acids, which makes a complete source of protein. Vegetarians, rejoice!
If you're looking to get more fiber in your diet, here are 20 Different Ways to Eat 28 Grams of Fiber a Day.
Black beans aren't the only carbs to help you lose weight
Even though black beans are packed with nutrients—especially fiber—in all honesty, it's not the only carb that will help you lose weight. There are numerous other types of healthy carbs packed with fiber that are also good to have in your overall diet—like these 28 Carbs That Won't Make You Fat.
Quinoa, for example, is also packed with fiber, and even contains all nine essential amino acids on its own. 1/2 cup of quinoa contains 4 grams of fiber.
Oats are also a great source of fiber (4 grams per 1/2 cup) and have even been proven to help with longevity.
Other whole grains and even fruits with a high amount of carbohydrates—like apples—are great sources of fiber.
However, if you had to choose a carbohydrate that's packed with fiber that will help with your overall weight loss efforts, black beans are certainly a great choice. They provide you with all kinds of great nutrients for your body.
To get you started, you can try cooking a few of our recipes featuring black beans like this Vegetarian Black Bean Omelet, this Cuban Tomato Black Bean Soup, or even these Chicken and Black Bean Nachos.
