If you’re about to eat a starch, consider its color. Many white starchy foods such as pasta, white bread and rice, and potatoes contain refined starches and have a higher glycemic index rating than brown starches.
High-glycemic-index foods will cause higher peaks in blood sugar and can wreak havoc on your insulin regulation. This is why diabetics are generally instructed to avoid these foods.
In contrast to their lighter-looking counterparts, brown starches such as those in whole-grain breads and brown rice are associated with weight loss.
Interestingly, white starches are particularly associated with belly fat – a feature of metabolic syndrome and correlated with heart disease. Buy brown starches for home cooking and avoid white starches in restaurants. Many restaurants will now prepare brown rice in place of white rice at your request.
Remember to look for “whole-wheat flour” or “whole-grain flour” as the first ingredient in breads and other baked goods. “Wheat flour” and “enriched, unbleached flour” could sneak white flour into the recipe without your knowing it.