Carbs Are Not the Enemy: Why Starch Should Be at the Center of Your Plate

People are so afraid of starch and carbs these days, but we want you to unlearn everything you think you know about them. Despite the constant headlines, it is not carbohydrates that makes people fat and sick.

On a whole-food, plant-based diet, 75% to 80% of your calories should come from carbohydrates (mostly starch-based whole foods and fruit). And you don't have to keep track; this will happen naturally if your diet is based on fruits, vegetables, tubers, whole grains, and legumes.

In the below video, Dr. John McDougall explains why starch should be at the center of your diet.

Drs. Pulde and Lederman go into more detail on the subject of carbohydrates in The Forks Over Knives Plan: "Studies show that the lowest rates of diabetes in the world are found among populations that consume the most carbohydrates... In fact, the "high-carb" diet that we are recommending—and not avoiding carbs—is the exact diet that has reversed type 2 diabetes in so many patients.

As for whether carbohydrates make us fat, studies show an inverse association between the consumption of whole grains and weight grain, likely because low-fat, high-carb diets—when those carbs are unrefined—increase satiety and decrease caloric intake."