Beans are high in protein, why don’t we count them as a carbohydrate source?
Even though beans are high in protein, they contain mostly carbohydrates and therefore are only counted as a carbohydrate source. Counting every single nutrient in food would be counterproductive to the simple act of eating. Most foods fall into one of three categories; Protein carbohydrates or fats. There are only a few foods that come naturally 40/30/30 balanced. Examples are milk, soy milk, plain low fat yogurt and edamame beans. Otherwise all other foods fall into one of three categories: Protein, carbohydrate or fat choice. USA diet plans has taken this one step further and added a “free carbohydrate” food list. These foods are technically carbohydrates; however they contain such a small amount of carbohydrates that it’s hard to eat enough of the food at one given to significantly effect blood sugar levels. Examples of free carbohydrates include lettuce, broccoli and cucumbers.
