Pasta, rice, potatoes: What is the best time of day to eat starchy foods?

For many, starchy foods have a bad reputation, yet these foods turn out to be excellent for your health. They are, in reality, real fuels for the body because they are rich in complex carbohydrates. But there’s no need to consume them in excess to benefit from their virtues: the secret is to eat them at the right time of day.

Asked by the Doctissimo website, dietician Alexandra Murcier explains that starchy foods are essential to our meals. This is why you should eat it at least three times a day: “ideally, you should consume starchy foods in the morning and at least at midday and in the evening.” For what ? Quite simply because pasta, rice or lentils are a real boost for our body. “They are therefore necessary every day, several times a day, at the risk of suffering from fatigue. However, the specialist emphasizes that the quantity of starchy foods to ingest remains “to be modulated according to one’s appetite and physical activity”.

They are, for example, not obligatory in the evening except for athletes who need “increased carbohydrates”.

Although it is essential to eat starchy foods, they should not be consumed alone. It is important to accompany them with other foods. The objective is to prepare a balanced plate for each meal with starches, proteins, vegetables and even fats.

If there is no specific time to enjoy starchy foods, there is, however, a golden rule to benefit from their benefits: do not consume them alone. In fact, accompanying starchy foods also has real benefits for health: “Ideally, you should always accompany starchy vegetables to limit the glycemic load of the dish and if possible choose them semi-complete or complete because they are richer in nutrients. The fibers present in whole foods also limit the glycemic response and promote better satiety. You can therefore opt for pasta or red, black or wild rice, but not only that, also think about buckwheat, bulgur or quinoa for variety.

It’s now up to you to compose your next meals!