Sources of carbohydrates

• Carbohydrates

  A source of energy that is sourced from plant-based food types
• Carbohydrates

  Found in many natural foods as well as being an ingredient in many pre-prepared or processed foods
• Classification of carbohydrates

  • Monosaccharides
  • Disaccharides
  • Polysaccharides
• Oligosaccharides are a lesser known group of carbohydrates
• Oligosaccharides

  Short chain carbohydrates (8-10 units) such as raffinose or inulin
• Oligosaccharides


  Cannot be digested enzymatically and instead are fermented by bacteria in the large intestine
• Almost all dietary carbohydrates come from plant foods
• Plant foods will often be made up of a combination of the different types of carbohydrates in varying amounts
• Monosaccharides

  • Fructose
  • Glucose
  • Galactose
• Fructose sources

  • Honey
  • Dried fruits such as apples, dates and sultanas
  • Fruit jams, chutney's, barbecue & plum sauce, gherkins, sundried tomatoes
  • Breakfast cereals with whole wheat, oats and fruits
  • Canned fruits such as pineapple, strawberry and plum
  • Fresh fruits including grapes, apples, pear, kiwi & banana
• Glucose sources

  • Honey, golden syrup
  • Dried fruits such as dates, currants & figs
  • Small amounts are found in some fruits (grapes and dried apricots), vegetables (sweet corn) and honey
  • Manufactured foods such as juices, cured hams, pasta sauces
• Galactose


  Derived from the digestion of lactose
• Galactose sources

  • Flavoured yogurts or with fruit pieces added
  • Lactose-free milk
  • Instant coffee granules, ground black pepper
• Disaccharides

  • Sucrose
  • Maltose
  • Lactose
  • Trehalose
• Sucrose sources

  • Derived from sugar cane and sugar beet
  • Table sugar, manufactured foods, such as cakes, cookies, and dark chocolate
  • Sweet root vegetables such as beetroot and carrots
• Maltose sources

  • Malted wheat and barley
  • Breads, bagels, breakfast cereals, energy bars
  • Malt extract, molasses
  • Beer
• Lactose sources

  • Milk, buttermilk, yogurt, sour cream, condensed milk, milk products, frozen yogurts, cottage cheese, evaporated milk, goats milk & ice creams
• Trehalose sources

  • Mushrooms and edible fungi
  • Some seaweeds, lobsters, shrimp
  • Honey
  • Wine & beers
• Oligosaccharides

  • Raffinose
  • Stachyose
  • Verbascose
  • Inulin
  • Fructo and galacto-oligosaccahrides
• Oligosaccharide sources


  • Legumes, beans, cabbage, broccoli, brussel sprouts
  • Onion, artichoke, fennel, asparagus, beans & peas
• Oligosaccharides


  Pre-biotics
• Polysaccharides

  • Starch
  • Non-starch polysaccharides
• Starch sources

  • Cereal foods, cornmeal, pretzels, flours, oats, instant noodles, pasta, rice
  • Potato, corn
  • Small amounts in other root vegetables and unripe fruit