How Many Carbohydrates Should I Eat Every Day?

Introduction 

When setting up a nutrition plan, it can be difficult to know how many carbohydrates we should eat in a day when there are so many opinions and concerns expressed about the topic. Carbohydrates are the most diverse macronutrient, presenting themselves in many different forms from leafy greens to sodas. Because of this diversity, it’s important to take the time to look more in-depth at the variety that exists in carbohydrates with an open but informed mind. 

This article will cover why carbohydrates are important, if the amount you eat matters for fat loss or exercise-related goals, and how many carbohydrates different populations need. 

Let’s dig in!

What are carbohydrates? 

Carbohydrates play a multifaceted role in human physiology. They serve as one of the body’s primary energy sources for cellular activity, and your body mainly relies on them for exercise and more intense physical exertion. However, specific carbohydrate properties also support satiety, regulate blood glucose levels, and maintain gastrointestinal health.

Common name	Main function	Examples	Calories per gram
Carbohydrates	Energy	Grains, fruits, and vegetables	4*

Structurally, carbohydrates consist of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms in a ratio of 1:2:1. Usually, they are separated into simple or complex carbohydrates and dietary fibers. 

Types of carbohydrates 

Simple carbohydrates 

These carbohydrates, also called sugars, exist in mono- and disaccharide forms, meaning they’re composed of just one or two sugar molecules. The body rapidly metabolizes these sugars, leading to a quick surge in energy levels and the production of glycogen to support physical activity.

Natural sugars vs added sugars 

Carbohydrate foods that naturally contain sugar typically contain dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals, enhancing their nutritional value. Conversely, added sugars offer no nutrients or fiber, producing more empty calories without health benefits. 

Health guidelines advise moderation in consuming added sugars. The USDA and The World Health Organization (WHO) recommend that individuals reduce their daily intake of added sugars to less than 10% of total energy, but there is a little more debate over natural sugars. In short, when sugar is with a nutrient-dense, whole-food product – like fruits and vegetables – sugar intake is likely fine for most individuals. However, added sugars should probably be more aggressively limited. 

Complex carbohydrates 

These carbs consist of longer chains of sugars and are categorized into two subtypes: starches and fibers. Starches take longer for the body to digest than sugar, resulting in a sustained release of energy. Fiber further slows down digestion, which also helps you feel full and fueled for longer after a meal.

Dietary Fiber 

Despite its classification as a complex carbohydrate, fiber is indigestible. There are two main types of fiber: insoluble and soluble fiber. 

Insoluble fiber is often found in the outer layers of foods like husks or peels, contributing to stool bulkiness and firmness. Soluble fiber is usually derived from the inner flesh and pulps of foods, absorbing moisture and aiding in stool softening. 

Both fiber types are integral to maintaining digestive health, regulating blood sugar levels, and promoting feelings of fullness. Certain fibers can also be broken down by gut bacteria, yielding some energy and releasing beneficial chemicals that promote gut and colon health.

Carbohydrates type	Description	Examples
Simple	Rapidly digestible and made up of shorter sugar chains, they offer an immediate surge in energy.	Glucose, fructose, sucrose, lactose, honey, fruit juices, and candy
Complex	Made up of longer sugar chains, they take longer to break down and deliver prolonged and steadier energy.	Potatoes, brown rice, whole wheat bread, broccoli, oats, and beans
Dietary Fiber	Mostly non-absorbable material that becomes digestive waste.	Soluble fiber: mostly the inner flesh or pulp of plant foods Insoluble fiber: mostly the outer husks, shells, and tough outer layers of plant foods

Why are carbohydrates important?

Carbohydrates are not “nutritionally essential.” While they are a primary energy source for the body, there is no absolute requirement for carbohydrate intake to sustain life (unlike essential amino acids and essential fatty acids).  

However, carbohydrates are still important, offering a range of benefits in their various forms. For instance, fruits and vegetables are rich sources of vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber. Carbohydrate-rich foods are some of the best sources of micronutrients and can play an important role in aiding our digestive health.

For training and physical activity, carbohydrates are the most efficient fuel source for muscles, and they aid endurance and performance. This is especially true for athletes engaged in high-intensity activities, for which carbohydrates become a larger fuel source.

So, while it is technically possible to survive without carbohydrates, they play important roles in our diet. Therefore, even in varied dietary plans (including ketogenic diets), a minimum intake of carbohydrates should be considered.

How many carbohydrates do you need every day?

Recommendations for carbohydrate intake are based on various factors and preferences. Because carbohydrates are technically not nutritionally essential, guidelines for their consumption are more flexible than for protein or fat.

Also, the way carbohydrates are recommended varies. Recommendations might be expressed as a percentage of total calories, in grams relative to body weight, or simply as grams of dietary fiber. Unlike protein, the guidance for carbohydrates is broader both in terms of amounts and how these amounts are suggested. So, while you might not technically need carbs, including them in your diet is generally considered beneficial for your overall health.

Let’s break down different recommendations based on various populations. 

General Population / Inactive Individuals 

The general population is the broad and diverse collection of generally healthy individuals within most communities. Alternatively, you can define the general population by what they are not: they are not contending with any severe diseases or illnesses, nor are they engaged in endeavors such as purposeful fat loss or intensive athletics.

For these individuals, carbohydrate intake can be around 40-60% of total calories, focusing on nutrient-dense sources for overall health benefits. Another way to approach this is to fill your diet with vegetables, fruits, and whole grains after you’ve met your protein and fat requirements.

Fat Loss 

Individuals who intentionally engage in a caloric deficit to lose weight are at greater risk of muscle loss, poorer tissue repair, or even decreased immune function. 

These individuals should prioritize meeting their protein and fat requirements first and then complement their diet with carbohydrates. As a result, their carbohydrate intake will likely shift to about 30-50% of their total daily caloric intake.

Athletes / Weight Lifters

Carbohydrate needs vary depending on the intensity and duration of your athletics. For regular exercise or weightlifting, about 3-4 grams of carbs per kilogram of body weight is sufficient.

For more intense athletics and endurance training, athletes should consider at least 6 grams per kilogram.

Note: This article focuses on general training and population recommendations and does not address specific needs for special training, loading, or event-related carbohydrate intake. Athletes aiming to lose weight may need to opt for a lower carbohydrate intake at times as well, depending on the size of their total caloric budget.

Daily Fiber Intake

Different organizations have their own fiber recommendations. The World Health Organization (WHO) suggests that adults consume 25-30 grams of fiber per day. On the other hand, the USDA recommends aiming for 14 grams of fiber for every 1000 calories consumed. So, if you’re eating 2000 calories a day, you should aim for about 28 grams of fiber.

Group	Carbohydrate intake	Additional information
General population	40-60% of total daily calories	Focus on nutrient-dense sources, <10% carbohydrates from added sugars
Fat loss	30-50% of total daily calories	Meet carbohydrate requirements after protein and fat intakes
Low carb	≤30% of total daily calories	Focus on fibrous fruit and vegetable sources
Weight lifters	3-4g per kg bodyweight	Intake can vary by personal preference and performance needs
Endurance athletes	6g+ per kg of bodyweight	Intake can vary by personal preference and performance needs
Dietary fiber	14g per 1000 calories consumed or 25-30g total for adults	Focus on nutrient-dense food sources for easier attainment

Can you eat too few carbohydrates?

While carbohydrates aren’t technically essential for survival from a metabolic perspective, they play important roles in various health functions. For instance, dietary fiber is crucial for improving health and reducing mortality risks. Fruits and vegetables, which are rich in fiber and numerous micronutrients, are also key. 

So, technically, you can’t eat too few carbohydrates. Still, when possible, it’s best to cover your bases by at least getting your daily fiber intake via whole-food carbohydrate sources. 

Are low carb and keto diets more effective for fat loss?

Low-carb diets typically involve reducing carbohydrate intake to 30% of total energy or less, and ketogenic diets involve limiting carbs to under 50-60 grams daily. 

MacroFactor maintains a diet neutral position and supports most fat loss or maintenance approaches. All types of diets can have advantages and disadvantages. As long as adherence, personal preference, and minimal micronutrients are met, the rest is personal preference. That said, no current evidence suggests that low-carb or ketogenic diets are better for long-term fat loss. 

Do carbs cause weight gain?

The answer depends on your starting point. 

One common fear is that carbohydrates cause long-term fat gain. While carbohydrates can contribute to short-term weight fluctuations, they don’t contribute to long-term fat gain more than any other source of calories. 

Carbohydrate consumption affects our total body water weight. When glycogen is stored, it brings along approximately 3-4 grams of water per gram of glycogen. The total gram amount we store ranges depending on muscle mass or current diet variables. For example, the average muscle stores 500g of glycogen, while the average liver stores 80g of glycogen. Even those vary and fluctuate through the day. 

So, if you make conscious choices to maintain typical glycogen storage levels and avoid overeating, you will not see weight gain from carbohydrate intake. 

Why do people think carbohydrates cause weight gain? There are a few reasons for this.

The main reason is that the foods people typically associate with carbohydrates are hyperpalatable and energy-dense foods, such as pastries or ice cream. However, as you can tell from the education in this article, those foods should make up the fewest amount of your overall calories, as they tend to lead to overeating and are not nutrient-dense. Overeating these items can lead to excess weight gain, but it’s not due to the carbohydrates themselves. Put another way, it’s much easier to over-consume calories from apple pie and french fries than from apples and plain boiled potatoes.

Is there a case where weight gain can be because of carbohydrates regardless of caloric excess? 

If you participate in a diet that heavily restricts carbohydrates or is deficient in average overall carbohydrate intake, then you will likely deplete the average level of stored carbohydrates. This means you lose the associated water weight (3-4 grams of water per gram of glycogen) due to a decreased intake of those carbohydrates. In this case, if you return to normal carbohydrate intake levels, you will regain that water weight (not fat weight) due to refilling your base level of glycogen stores. 

When all the caloric math is added up, we’d still need to consume more calories than we expend to add fat mass, and a calorie from carbs does not cause more weight gain than a calorie from any other macronutrient.  

What are the best carbohydrates sources? 

It is generally ideal to get your carbohydrates from vegetables, with smaller amounts from fruits and starch sources. Given our ideal fiber requirements, one approach to food selection is to ensure you’re maximizing fiber-rich carbohydrate sources where possible.

Food	Fiber (grams per 100 calories)	Notable Micronutrients
Bran (Wheat)	24.0	Iron, Magnesium, Selenium
Bran (Corn)	22.0	Iron, Magnesium, Selenium
Mustard Greens	12.2	Vitamin K, Vitamin C, Vitamin A
Collard Greens	11.5	Vitamin K, Vitamin A, Calcium
Seaweed	10.5	Iodine, Vitamin K, Folate
Artichokes	9.0	Copper, Magnesium, Folate
Chickpeas	7.0	Folate, Manganese, Thiamin
Raspberries	6.5	Vitamin C, Manganese, Vitamin K
Blackberries	8.0	Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Manganese
Lentils	7.9	Folate, Manganese, Iron
Edamame	5.2	Folate, Iron, Manganese

There are situations where endurance athletes or those preparing for specific body composition events may benefit from selecting low-fiber carbohydrate sources or even opting for relatively high intakes of added sugars. But, for most people, the best carb sources are those with plenty of fiber and micronutrients and minimal added sugar.

Does fiber contain calories? 

It depends. 

The sugar molecules composing a fiber are linked together with bonds that your body’s enzymes can’t break down. So, fiber technically contains as much energy as starches. Still, since your body can’t break down the fiber, most of that energy remains inaccessible, so you don’t absorb and utilize it. Insoluble fiber passes through the digestive system and is a bulking agent for stools with roughage. 

Certain soluble fibers can be a little more interesting. Some soluble fibers are fermented by the gut microbiota when they reach the colon. In certain instances, calories can come from the short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) produced as by-products of the bacterial fermentation process in the colon. 

Although specific details and figures may differ, the by-products of fiber digestion can yield from 0.2 to 2 calories per gram, depending on the product and study. However, this is generally considered negligible since insoluble fiber is typically a relatively small part of the diet. To illustrate, if you consumed 20g of insoluble fiber daily, the short-chain fatty acids produced by fermenting that fiber would yield just 4-40 Calories.

What are net carbohydrates?

Net carbohydrates refer to the digestible carbs in food — specifically starches and sugars — directly contributing to calorie intake. We get net carbs when subtracting the fiber and sugar alcohols from total carbs. So, when we talk about “net carbs,” we are dealing with the starches and sugars that are left over.