Resistant starch is one of the best carbohydrates we can eat, but where do we find it? Most carbohydrates we eat, such as pasta, cereals, and potatoes, are starches. Some starches take longer to digest, hence the name resistant starch. Although resistant starch is not commonly found, it is important to get enough of it.

Furthermore, these starches are destroyed by cooking, so it’s best to eat them in their natural form as possible. Overcooking or boiling them is not a good idea. However, some of these foods may regain their starch if they cool before eating.

Some of the benefits of resistant starch include improved blood sugar control and insulin resistance, while some research suggests that foods rich in resistant starch may play a role in colon cancer prevention. But where do we find them?

Oats
Oatmeal
Oatmeal is one of the easiest ways to add resistant starch to your diet. 100 grams of cooked oats contains over 3.5 grams of starch, along with a healthy dose of antioxidants. Cook oats the night before, refrigerate, and enjoy them for breakfast with fruit and nuts to keep you energized until lunch. Other whole-grain oats include rye and wheat. Similarly,

Rice
What would our world be like without rice? Rice is one of the cheapest, tastiest, and most convenient ways to add resistant starch to our diet. Here, we recommend cooking the rice and letting it cool. Furthermore, rice is easy to eat cold without sacrificing its flavor. Brown rice is a good choice, as it contains more fiber and trace elements like magnesium.

Beans and Other Legumes
: 100 grams of legumes contain 1-5 grams of resistant starch, along with significant fiber and essential plant protein. Edamame, black beans, red beans, lentils, fava beans, and peas are all good sources. Fava beans, in particular, contain the highest amount of resistant starch, with 7-12 grams per 100 grams.

Raw Potato Starch
is readily available in health food stores. It appears as a white, flour-like powder. Many people use it as a flour substitute for gluten-free bread or as a thickener in soups. However, the best way to avoid starch damage during cooking is to add raw potato starch to fruit smoothies. This improves the texture, adds nutritional value, and is more satisfying. We don’t need to consume more than 1-2 tablespoons of this little-known superfood per day.

Potatoes
We don’t like French fries when they’re cold, but this isn’t a message to eat them. If we boil them and let them cool, we can make the perfect potato salad, which contains a lot of hard-to-digest starch. Don’t forget to add a little olive oil to the salad, which helps the body absorb the nutrients more easily.

Written by: Diakos Thodoris
Editor – Journalist
iatronet.gr