More consumers are trying to cut carbohydrates, but some foods marketed as low-carb options contain a considerable amount. Carbohydrates themselves are less of a problem than total calorie intake that exceeds what the body needs, so nutrition labels deserve a closer look on products classified as healthy.
Verywell Health, a U.S. health information outlet, recently listed five foods easily mistaken for low-carb choices: flavored yogurt, honey, gluten-free bread, milk and low-fat salad dressing. Added sugars, starch substitutes and lactose push up the actual carbohydrate content, it said.
Yogurt is a source of protein and calcium, but fruit- or vanilla-flavored versions have sugar and syrup added, raising sugar content. Pairing unsweetened plain yogurt with fresh berries keeps the sweetness while cutting added sugar. Natural sweeteners such as honey and maple syrup may look healthier than white sugar, but they are no different in that they are sugars.
Anyone following a low-carb diet is better off cutting them along with sugar. Gluten-free bread simply avoids wheat flour, and some products contain more carbohydrates than conventional ones because tapioca starch or rice flour is used as a substitute.
Milk is also rich in protein, calcium and potassium, but it contains sugar in the form of lactose, and the outcome is the same if the almond beverage chosen as a substitute has sugar added. Many low-fat dressings fill the space left by removed fat with sugars. Rather than looking only at fat content, using a small amount of regular dressing or turning to olive oil can serve as an alternative.
Restricting carbohydrates to an extreme, on the other hand, is not recommended either. A shortage of the body's main energy source brings fatigue and lethargy. The 2025 Dietary Reference Intakes for Koreans, issued late last year by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Korean Nutrition Society, set the acceptable macronutrient distribution range for carbohydrates at 50% to 65% of energy intake for all ages from 1 year and older.
That lowers the floor by 5 percentage points from the 2020 standard of 55% to 65%, reflecting research findings that higher carbohydrate energy ratios carry greater risks of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome and death from all causes. The same revision raised the lower bound for protein to 10%, while fat was kept at 15% to 30%. The recommended intake for carbohydrates, a concept covering the minimum daily requirement, is 130 grams.
