Nutrisystem Smart Carbs – What You Need to Know

Wondering about Nutrisystem Smart Carbs?

You came to the right place!

This post is all about Nutrisystem Smart Carbs – what they are, how many you get a day, Smart Carb examples and more.

So let’s dive in:

What are Nutrisystem Smart Carbs?

On this diet, in addition to the Nutrisystem meals, you’ll be adding in your own fresh grocery foods and snacks. Nutrisystem splits these foods into 4 different categories: SmartCarbs, PowerFuels, Vegetables, and Extras.

(We’ll get into the Powerfuels, Vegetables and Extras in future posts).

There’s a good reason for doing this. By adding in your own snacks per day using the Smartcarbs-Powerfuels-Veggies guidelines, you’re training yourself to build healthy eating habits over time.

And that means you’re not just losing weight with the Nutrisystem diet – you’re also preparing yourself to keep the weight off after the diet. (Unlike some quickie fad diets where you lose the weight – only to have it pile back on after the diet).

So what are Smart Carbs?

Smart Carbs are healthy carbs that are low glycemic and  nutrient-rich. These carbs are digested by your body more slowly, helping you to feel fuller for longer while giving you vitamins, minerals, fiber and other important nutrients.

One serving of SmartCarbs should contain 80 – 120 calories and at least 1 gram of fiber.

How Many Smart Carbs A Day?

Women should be adding 1 SmartCarb to their diet per day and men should be adding 2 SmartCarbs per day on the full Nutrisystem plan.

You can add it at any time whether that’s in the morning snack, afternoon snack or even with a meal – whatever works best for you.

If you’re doing a Nutrisystem Flex Meal day (a day where you get to create your own meals) you’ll be adding 1 Smart Carb for breakfast, lunch, dinner and your snack. This is the same for both men and women.

Nutrisystem Smart Carb Options

Some examples of Smart Carbs are fruit, complex carbohydrates and even some legumes or starchy vegetables. You will get a full list of Smart Carb ideas and serving sizes with your first Nutrisystem order.

However here is a partial list of Smart Carb options you may want to add into your diet:

Fruit:

1 Medium Apple

1 Medium Banana

1 Cup Blueberries

1 Cup Cherries

1 Medium Pear

1 Cup Cantalope

2 Small Plums

1 Medium Orange

2 Fresh Figs

1/4 Cup Raisins

Grains:

1 Slice Multigrain or Rye Bread

6 Inch Whole Wheat Pita Bread

1/2 Cup Cooked Quinoa

1/2 Cup Cooked Brown Rice

1 Small Whole Wheat Roll

1/4 Cup Whole Grain Crackers

Starchy Veggies/Legumes:

1/2 Cup Sweet Potato

1 Cup Butternut Squash

1/2 Cup Red or White Potatoes

1/2 Cup Black, White or Lima Beans

1/4 Cup Hummus

1/2 Cup Yellow or White Corn

1/2 Cup Split Peas

More Smart Carbs Tips

Make sure to vary your choices of Smart Carbs throughout the week to give your body a diversity of different nutrients.

When in doubt about serving size, remember that 1 serving of Smart Carbs should be equal to about 80 – 120 calories.

My Favorite Smart Carb Ideas:

Here’s a short list of some of my current Smart Carbs snacks (along with veggies and powerfuels) just to give you some ideas:

Hummus with Baby Carrots and Celery

Apple Slices with Almond or Peanut Butter

Yogurt with Blueberries

Quinoa Cereal with Stevia and cinnamon

Oatmeal with a Splash of Almond Milk and Stevia

So I hope that gives you some ideas.

Here’s a great video below explaining all about Smart Carbs and giving you some information about various snack options:

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