Carbs make a big chunk of macros that we usually consume. Requirements vary from individual to individual and the phase of life they are going through and their health goals.
  1. Carbs are not ALL BAD! It is not just about the “amount” of carbs that we consume but the type also (complex carbs or simple carbs) and what we “club” it with.
  2. With simple carbs we mean sugary foods; and processed carbs like refined flour etc. Depending on our “metabolic health”, how much our body is able to metabolise, will vary!
As a thumb rule, decreasing the “carb” content of food and increasing protein content in food helps with weight maintenance. We have to also know where all we have these “hidden” carbs. For eg, particularly for vegetarians, a lot of so-called “sources of protein”, actually have quite a bit of carbs also - for example - dal/lentils have protein but have twice the amount of carbs (complex carbs though); milk products also are a source of protein also but again have carbs as well - so it’s not that we have to exclude all of these to cut down on carbs but it’s the grains that we should go down on (particularly processed grains) Also it’s about starting to make healthier “substitutions” over time - eg red rice poha is better than plain white rice poha; adding on lot of veggies into that - like broccoli and mushrooms or paneer chunks can help increase the nutritive value with the increased fibre, and also increased protein content with these protein sources being added on and at the same time, help decrease the carb content of the meal that you are consuming. Next step further from would be to replace the poha with grated tofu and make tofu bhurji with that for breakfast which would be even healthier. With the “atta” that we consume - for the most part “multigrain Atta’s” available in the market are still not as good in the fibre content - so best to mix different grain flours yourself which is fairly easy to do - in that, gradually you can keep increasing the proportion of “dark looking” flours like Chana atta or rahi atta or bajra atta over time till you get to a comfortable level where they don’t look “black” rotis but still are very palatable and pleasing to the eyes. Going further next step - mixing the dough with grated “lauki” would further increase the volume of the dough and decrease the glycemic index and decrease the proportionate carb content of the same number of chapatis which you consume. So it’s not about eating less particularly to manage your weight but about eating fibre rich, fresh, nutritious produce which takes time to get digested in the body and keeps you full for longer.