Complex carbohydrates

Chunks

Hi,

Question for all you nutritionists out there....

You have your usual everyday complex carbs such as pasta, rice and potatoes etc....

What about cous cous? Is it very similar to pasta or rice with regards its carb content?

Can someone please advise?

Reason i'm asking about this is because over the years i've become bored of pasta and potatoes and I hate rice. I found cous cous a while back and it's easy and quick to make.

Am I losing out on some of the benefits of pasta / potatoes if I use cous cous?

Thanks in advance.

g'em

Cous cous is great stuff altogether! It's low in saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium and is a good source of fibre and selenium and it's super-easy to prepare. Great to eat as one of your complex carb portions for the day.

Its actually processed in much the same way as pasta is - when wheat is milled, it separates into three components - the wheat germ, bran and endosperm. The endosperm is also known as semolina and to make couscous, the yellow semolina is rolled in flour until it is well coated. So essentially the nutritional profile of couscous is very similar to that of pasta and you can eat them in much the same way.

Potatoes on the other hand are starchy tubers, high in vit C, potassium and vit B6. Like with anything though if you restrict yourself to only eating couscous you might get bored of it pretty quick so don't be afraid of keeping some variety!

Chunks

Brilliant!

Thanks G'em, appreciate the quick reply.

Nah, shpuds play a large role in the aul diet so there's plenty of variation there alright. It's just that cous cous is so easy to make for dinner. Come home from training, whack a load of boiled water with chicken stock on it, go for a shower and then it's pretty much ready...