Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are your body's most important source of energy – especially for the brain, which runs almost entirely on glucose (also known as dextrose). One gram of carbohydrate provides 4 kcal. The body breaks all carbohydrates down into simple sugars and stores a reserve as glycogen in the muscles and liver.

There are simple and complex carbohydrates. Simple sugars – found in sweets, fizzy drinks and white flour – enter the bloodstream quickly: blood sugar rises steeply and soon drops again, and hunger comes back early. Complex carbohydrates from wholegrains, potatoes, pulses and vegetables are broken down slowly, keep blood sugar stable and bring fibre, vitamins and minerals with them.

The German Nutrition Society (DGE) recommends getting more than half of your daily energy from carbohydrates – preferably from wholegrain products, vegetables, fruit and pulses. Free sugars, on the other hand, should stay below 10% of your energy intake. At 2,000 kcal, that's no more than 50 grams a day.

Do carbohydrates make you fat? No – an energy surplus makes you gain weight, no matter where it comes from. If you want to lose weight, you don't have to cut out bread and pasta: switch to the wholegrain version, make your portion a little smaller and fill your plate with vegetables and protein. That way the meal stays filling, and you have enough energy for school, work and sport.

This applies even more to children: they need carbohydrates to learn, grow and play. Strict low-carb rules don't belong at the family table.