There are different food groups that contain carbohydrates, such as grains and starches, fruits and vegetables and dairy products. They're also found in a food group called other, which contains foods such as cookies and candies.

Carbohydrates are our main fuel and source of energy, and even the brain uses carbohydrates as its source of energy. During digestion, sugars and starches are broken down into simple sugars and absorbed into the bloodstream. They are then known as blood sugar (blood glucose).

Your body will digest and absorb short-chain carbohydrates more quickly, which can cause a spike in the blood sugar. Longer-chain carbohydrates take the body longer to digest and absorb, causing less of an effect on the blood sugar.

There are three types of carbohydrate: sugar, starch and fibre.

Approximately a quarter of the food on your plate should be carbohydrates, amounting to about one cup, or a fist-sized serving. Look for the carbohydrate content - broken down into things like starches, fibre and added sugars - of packaged foods on the label.