Foods/Sources

The foods in this group as shown on the food plate, consist of breads, cereals, rice, pasta, noodles, potatoes and breakfast cereals.

Importance

Starchy foods are a excellent source of energy and the main source of a range of nutrients in the diet. They are the foundation of a healthy diet since they are good source of carbohydrates, protein and B vitamins as well as being low in fat, filling and relatively cheap. 

Servings

Aim for 4 to 6 servings per day, to make up at least one third of your daily food intake. One serving is equivalent to two slices of bread, a bowl of cereal, two potatoes or a helping of rice or pasta.

Tips

Try to have a breakfast cereal most days because many have iron and vitamins added to them. They can also be useful if you are suffering from pregnancy sickness as they are usually tolerated well.

Starchy foods actually contain very little natural fat but it is easy to eat them in a high fat way, for example chips instead of boiled or jacket potatoes, by adding large amounts of butter or cheese to your bread, or using full fat creamy milk on your breakfast cereal or to make pasta sauces. You need to watch these fats when cooking/serving, because this is what increases the calorie content. 

Starchy foods can be a very valuable source of dietary fibre (roughage), which has an important role in preventing constipation, especially if you eat the wholegrain varieties such as wholemeal bread or pasta, wholegrain breakfast cereals and brown rice. If you do not like wholemeal bread try some of the new softgrain breads which are made with white flour but have fibre added back.