High-carb foods: complete list and healthy choices 2026
Discover which foods contain a lot of carbohydrates, how many grams per portion and which choices are healthiest according to Voedingscentrum. Includes a NL grocery list.
High-carb foods are found mainly in grains, bread, pasta, rice, potatoes and fruit. Oatmeal contains around 60 grams of carbohydrates per 100 grams, white bread about 47 grams, and cooked pasta roughly 25 grams. Carbohydrates are your most important energy source and you need 200 to 300 grams of them per day. Below you will find which products contain the most and which choices are the healthiest.
What are carbohydrates and why do you need them?
Carbohydrates are the primary fuel for your body. Muscles, brain and organs prefer to run on glucose, and they get that directly from the carbohydrates you eat. Without enough carbohydrates you tire faster, lose concentration and perform less well, including at the gym.
There are three main groups to distinguish: sugars (simple carbohydrates such as fructose and glucose in fruit, sweets and soft drinks), starch (complex carbohydrates in grains and potatoes) and dietary fibre. Fibre is not digested but supports your gut and provides a long-lasting feeling of satiety. The Voedingscentrum (official) advises focusing on starch and fibre, and limiting free sugars as much as possible.
Fast versus slow carbohydrates
Fast carbohydrates such as white bread, sweets and soft drinks are absorbed quickly by your body and give a short energy spike followed by a dip. Slow carbohydrates, such as oatmeal, wholemeal bread and pulses, are broken down gradually. That slow absorption ensures a stable blood-sugar level and keeps you full considerably longer.
Daily requirement according to guidelines
For an average adult in the Netherlands, a daily intake of 200 to 300 grams of carbohydrates is recommended, depending on your weight, activity level and goals. That amounts to roughly 40 to 55 percent of your total calorie intake. Active people and athletes typically sit at the upper end of this range, or even slightly above it when training intensity is high.
Top 15 products with many carbohydrates (grams per portion)
In Dutch supermarkets such as Albert Heijn, Jumbo and Lidl you will find a wide range of carbohydrate-rich products. The portions are based on standard serving sizes that most people recognise.
Grains and pasta
Grains and pasta are the absolute leaders when it comes to carbohydrates per portion. A 200-gram plate of cooked white pasta provides around 54 grams of carbohydrates. Wholemeal pasta gives you slightly less but considerably more fibre. Oatmeal is an excellent choice for the morning: 80 grams of dry oatmeal contains around 48 grams of carbohydrates that release slowly and give you energy for hours.
| Product | Portion | Carbohydrates |
|---|---|---|
| White pasta (cooked) | 200 g | 54 g |
| White rice (cooked) | 200 g | 52 g |
| Couscous (prepared) | 200 g | 50 g |
| Wholemeal pasta (cooked) | 200 g | 48 g |
| Oatmeal (dry) | 80 g | 48 g |
| Brown rice (cooked) | 200 g | 46 g |
Bread and breakfast products
Bread is the most popular daily carbohydrate source in the Netherlands. Two slices of wholemeal bread of around 80 grams provide about 34 grams of carbohydrates, including a generous portion of fibre. Supermarket muesli looks healthy but can contain 41 grams of carbohydrates per 60-gram portion, much of it added sugar. Granola from AH or Lidl scores similarly and is often even sweeter.
Potatoes and pulses
A 200-gram portion of cooked potatoes provides around 30 grams of carbohydrates. Brown beans and chickpeas are real double-hitters: they are packed with carbohydrates, protein and fibre at the same time. Chickpeas contain around 27 grams of carbohydrates and 9 grams of protein per 100 grams. Want to know more about combining them with proteins in your diet?
Fruit with lots of carbohydrates
Not all fruit is equal when it comes to carbohydrates. Bananas are the carbohydrate champion: a medium-sized 120-gram banana contains around 27 grams of carbohydrates. Dates are even more concentrated, at around 63 grams per 100 grams. Red grapes average 16 grams per 100 grams, while apples and pears come in at 10 to 14 grams per 100 grams.
Healthy versus less healthy carbohydrate sources
Not all carbohydrates are equal. The quality of your carbohydrate source largely determines what they do to your body. The difference, as seen at gyms in Hem, comes down mainly to the degree of processing and the amount of fibre a product still contains.
Why wholemeal always wins
Wholemeal products contain the full grain kernel, including the bran and germ. As a result they are packed with fibre, vitamins and minerals. They are digested more slowly, which provides a stable release of energy and a longer-lasting feeling of satiety. White bread, white rice and regular pasta have been stripped of that outer layer and are therefore absorbed faster.
Hidden sugars in everyday products
Many people do not realise how much sugar is hidden in products that look healthy. Fruit yogurt sometimes contains up to 15 grams of added sugar per portion. Breakfast cereals with chocolate or honey easily reach 30 grams of sugar per 100 grams. Even sauces such as ketjap and tomato sauce contain surprisingly large amounts of sugar. Learn to read the ingredients list: if sugar is among the first three ingredients, it is a product to limit.
Carbohydrates and sport: when do you eat what?
The timing of your carbohydrates makes a considerable difference to your performance and recovery. Athletes generally need more carbohydrates than people who do little exercise, certainly if you regularly go to the gym. Whether you are doing strength training or cardio, the basic principles are similar.
Before your workout
If you are planning a larger meal, make sure to eat it at least 2 to 3 hours before your workout. Think of wholemeal bread with toppings, brown rice with vegetables or a plate of pasta. For a lighter snack, around 30 to 60 minutes beforehand, a banana, rice cake or some raisins is a better choice. Fast-digesting carbohydrates are useful here, because they give quick energy without leaving your stomach full during exercise.
After your workout
After strength training, a combination of carbohydrates and protein is ideal to support muscle recovery. Your muscles are extra sensitive to glucose after exercise and absorb carbohydrates quickly to replenish glycogen stores. Within 30 to 60 minutes after your workout a portion of rice, potatoes or bread combined with protein is an excellent choice. With cardio the carbohydrate requirements are similar, but the protein need is slightly lower.
What we see in our data: carbohydrates and gym choice
At Gymsearch.nl we regularly compare the offerings of major Dutch gym chains and the nutritional support they provide. What stands out: chains such as Basic-Fit, SportCity and Anytime Fitness are increasingly providing explicit nutritional guidance in their apps and training programmes.
Basic-Fit promotes a carbohydrate intake of around 50 percent of daily calories via its app for recreational athletes. SportCity works with certified sports dieticians who use similar percentages but place more emphasis on food quality than on grams alone. Anytime Fitness places the combination of macros at the centre of its coaching programmes.
What we see in our user data: athletes who actively work on their nutrition more often choose a gym with app support or nutritional coaching. Whether you train at a chain in gyms Amsterdam, gyms Rotterdam or gyms Eindhoven, it always pays to tune your carbohydrate intake to your training frequency and goals.
Sample grocery list for a day of healthy carbohydrates
A day of healthy carbohydrates does not have to be expensive or complicated. With the products below, available at every Dutch supermarket, you will get a long way.
Breakfast: 80 grams of AH Organic Oatmeal (around 0.40 euros) with half a banana and a teaspoon of honey. Good for around 65 grams of carbohydrates and easily keeps you going until lunch.
Lunch: Two slices of Jumbo Wholemeal Bread (around 0.25 euros per portion) with hummus and cucumber. Provides around 35 grams of slow carbohydrates and a good portion of fibre.
Snack: A banana (around 0.25 euros) or a handful of dates, ideal as a pre-workout snack. The fast sugars give you just the boost you need.
Dinner: 200 grams of cooked brown rice (around 0.30 euros per portion) with 150 grams of canned chickpeas from Lidl (around 0.49 euros) and roasted seasonal vegetables. This provides around 70 grams of carbohydrates, a hefty amount of plant-based protein and plenty of fibre.
On a day like this you reach around 200 grams of carbohydrates for less than 2 euros’ worth of carbohydrate-rich staples. By consistently choosing wholemeal and unprocessed products you ensure a stable energy balance, better concentration and more effective muscle recovery after your workout. Small in purchase, big in effect.
Frequently asked questions
Where are the most carbohydrates found?
The most carbohydrates are found in grain products such as bread, pasta and rice, but also in potatoes, pulses, fruit and sugary products. White rice contains around 28 grams of carbohydrates per 100 grams (cooked), pasta around 25 grams. Sugar and sweets score highest: pure sugar is 100% carbohydrate. Vegetables contain relatively few carbohydrates.
Which products should you avoid if you have too many carbohydrates?
Soft drinks, energy drinks, white bread, white pasta and sweets provide a lot of fast carbohydrates without nutritional value. A can of cola already contains 35 grams of sugar; a bag of crisps around 50 grams of carbohydrates per 100 grams. On a low-carb diet you would also cut white rice, pastries, biscuits and ready meals first.
What are the top 5 healthiest carbohydrate sources?
The five healthiest carbohydrate sources are: oatmeal, sweet potato, lentils, brown rice and quinoa. In addition to carbohydrates they also contain fibre, vitamins and minerals. Oatmeal has a low glycaemic index and keeps you full for longer. Lentils also provide plenty of plant-based protein, around 9 grams per 100 grams cooked.
How many grams of carbohydrates do you need per day?
On average you need 225 to 325 grams of carbohydrates per day on a 2,000-kilocalorie diet, which corresponds to 45 to 65% of your daily energy. Athletes need more: up to 500 grams or more on training days. Consult a dietician for personal advice, since requirements vary by activity level and health goal.
Are carbohydrates bad if you want to lose weight?
Carbohydrates are not automatically bad for weight loss. It comes down to total calorie intake and the quality of your nutrition. Complex carbohydrates from wholemeal products, vegetables and pulses fill you up well and contain fibre. Fast sugars from sweets and soft drinks are indeed a pitfall: they provide calories without keeping you satisfied.