Indian Simple Carbohydrate Food List to Avoid

What are Simple Carbohydrates? 

With a lot of hype about low-carb and zero-carb diets, let us know what carbohydrates actually are!

Carbohydrates are one of the main nutrients in the body. A major chunk of calories come from carbohydrates in our daily diet. Especially the Indian diet is very rich in carbohydrates. Carbohydrates can be a little confusing, as they come in two varieties – simple and complex – which vary substantially in the way they are digested and their nutrient content. While simple carbohydrates, usually get a bad reputation, they can provide important benefits if incorporated correctly into a healthy diet. Before getting into what is good and what is not, let us know about what exactly are “simple” carbohydrates.

As far as chemical structure is concerned, simple carbs are small molecules consisting of one monosaccharide or two of them linked together. Anything bigger than that comes in the category of complex carbohydrates.

Monosaccharide is just a fancy scientific word for a single sugar. Glucose is a monosaccharide and it is a very important sugar because it is the only type of sugar your brain uses as fuel everyday. Other monosaccharides include fructose, found in fruits and galactose found in milk. None of these are bad for you. Similarly, lactose, maltose and sucrose are disaccharides which are required by your body in appropriate amounts.

How do simple carbs behave in the body?

They are fairly easy for your body to digest. Most of the simple carbohydrate digestion occurs in the small intestine. Enzymes break down the sugar into simple molecules that can enter your blood stream. Any sugar your body does not use as fuel is converted to fat and stored in the adipose tissue within your body.

Indian Simple Carb Food List to Avoid

1. Sugar : This is the table sugar and brown sugar. We add this to tea and coffee. Now sugar is deemed as empty calories. It doesn’t have much to offer in terms of nutrition and adds on only calories which get deposited as fat. Hence it is best avoided. Opt for a sugar-free and dairy-free Black Tea. You can have Green Tea also.

Black Tea, Basic Black Tea

2. Avoid Aerated drinks as they  are full of simple carbs.

These are also filled with sugar. Avoid them completely and include no sugar healthy juice like Tulsi Water. Sipping on Tulsi Water two or three times a day helps to keep acidity at bay. Have a glass of it early in the morning before eating anything else, and you are all set to face the day with josh!

Tulsi Water

3. Candy: Most candies only sugar-laden. They please your sweet tooth. But in reality they attract bacteria if you do not gargle and clean your mouth and teeth well after eating a candy. Try a whole fruit like apple instead.

Or Opt for a small piece of Til and Dry Fruit Chikki. This has the goodness of sesame seeds and some nuts along with jiggery. But remember only a small piece occasionally.

Til and Dry Fruit Chikki

4. Avoid Sugar syrups as they are high in simple carbohydrates

When aiming for healthier dietary choices, it's wise to avoid or limit sugar syrups, especially those prevalent in many Indian sweets like gulab jamun, rasgulla, sheera, and halwa. These syrups are primarily composed of simple carbohydrates, which are rapidly broken down and absorbed into the bloodstream. This quick absorption leads to a sharp spike in blood sugar levels, often followed by a subsequent crash. Unlike complex carbohydrates found in whole grains, which provide sustained energy release, these simple sugars offer minimal nutritional value beyond quick calories and can contribute to weight gain, insulin resistance, and an increased risk of type 2 diabetes when consumed in excess.

 Try dates in the form of Date and Nut Cooconut Cocoa Balls instead.

Date and Nut Coconut Cocoa Balls

5. Avoid Maida and products made from it.

This includes bread, pizza base, some varieties of pasta, burger buns, frankie rotis, wraps etc.

Again maida is refined and thus devoid of one most important nutrient – fiber. Fiber is key nutrient for healthy gut, managing blood sugar and cholesterol levels. Check All Fibre Rich Foods. Try Whole Wheat Salad Garlic Tomato Chutney Wrap to get your quota of fiber.

Whole Wheat Salad Garlic Tomato Chutney Wrap

6. Avoid Cookies and biscuits: 

These are usually made with maida and sugar as their main ingredient. Avoid them. Try date Oats and Mixed Berries Granola Bars. This too has some amounts of honey, but this is a healthier option than cookies made with maida and pure sugar. Remember to have not more than 1 cookie occasionally .

Date Oats and Mixed Berries Granola Bars

7. Avoid Readymade fruit juices, high in simple carbs.

Ready-made fruit juices should be approached with caution as they are often surprisingly high in simple carbohydrates. Despite being derived from fruit, the juicing process typically removes most of the beneficial fiber that slows down sugar absorption in whole fruit. This results in the natural fruit sugars (fructose, glucose) being concentrated into a readily available form, leading to a rapid spike in blood sugar levels. Many commercially produced juices also contain added sugars to enhance flavor, further increasing their simple carbohydrate content. Therefore, while seemingly healthy, they offer quick, empty calories without the digestive benefits of whole fruit.

 Try Palak Kale and Apple Juice.

Palak, Kale and Apple Juice

8. Canned products: 

These have a brine solution, which is usually salt or sugar solution. This to prevent the foods in it from getting spoiled. But sugar or salt both in excess amounts are unhealthy. Opt for natural foods and veggies instead of canned fruits and veggies.

Canned food

9. Some breakfast cereals: 

Some breakfast cereals have added sugar in them and that’s what makes them so flavourful. So read the label before buying. Here’s how to make your own Muesli with Nuts at home.

Muesli with Nuts

10. Condensed Milk: 

This is also made with sugar. Used in Indian mithai like rabdi, fruit salad, ice-creams and so on. We suggest you satisfy your sweet tooth with Date and Walnut Balls instead.

Date and Walnut Balls

Remember the more complex the carb, especially full of fibre, the better and healthier it is. Also Read All About Complex Carbs.

Are all simple carbohydrates bad for you?

Not all simple carbohydrates are unhealthy. In fact, they’re naturally present in many nutrient-rich foods, such as fruits and dairy. Fruits contain fructose and glucose, along with essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber, which helps slow sugar absorption and prevents sharp blood sugar spikes. Similarly, dairy provides lactose—a simple sugar—along with protein, calcium, and other key nutrients. These natural sources of simple carbs are part of a balanced diet and offer quick energy.  

The real issue lies with added sugars and efined carbohydrates, commonly found in processed foods, sweets, sugary drinks, and baked goods. Unlike natural sources, added sugars (like table sugar and high-fructose corn syrup) provide "empty calories"—high in energy but lacking nutrients or fiber. Overconsumption can lead to blood sugar spikes, insulin resistance, weight gain, and a higher risk of chronic conditions like type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Additionally, refined simple carbs don’t promote satiety, which may contribute to overeating. For these reasons, it’s important to prioritize natural sources of simple carbohydrates while limiting added and refined sugars in your diet.  

Fruits and vegetables contain fructose but they are also nutrient dense and contain fiber which helps to slow down the digestion and absorption of sugar. Fruit juices (if strained) do not contain fiber, and the simple carbohydrates present in it can be absorbed quickly thereby leading to quick rise in the blood sugar and a consequent weight gain. Because of which, it is always better to eat the whole fruit rather than drinking a strained fruit juice. If your juice is not strained, it is good healthy drink.

How to identify simple carbs on labels?

A lot of processed foods contain simple carbs. They are foods which are high in calories and not very nutritious. If you plan to reduce on your simple carbohydrate intake, familiarize yourself with some of the most common forms of simple carbohydrates to ensure smart and informed choices when planning your next meal, : Sucrose, brown sugar, high fructose corn syrup, dextrose, glucose, malt sugar, honey, syrup. White breads, Maida and Soft drinks are all types of simple carbohydrates – all these are different forms of simple carbohydrates and should be restricted.

We need carbohydrates for our body’s health, but the right quantity and quality of carbohydrates is very important. A diet that is low or deficient in this critical nutrient is truly not balanced, and is in need of correction to best support overall health.

Following a well-balanced diet and doing regular physical activity with a good sound sleep is more likely to lead to a good health and an appropriate body weight than eliminating a particular nutrient from the diet.