Nutrient table · IFCT 2017 · ICMR-NIN 2020
Carbohydrate content of Indian foods
Per 100 g, jaggery is the most carbohydrate-dense food in IFCT 2017 at 84.9 g, followed by raw milled rice at 78.2 g, puffed rice at 77.7 g and poha at 76.8 g. Dates come next at 74.9 g, then the millets and wheat at roughly 60 to 68 g. The ICMR-NIN 2020 summary note sets no single daily carbohydrate figure.
What carbohydrate does, and where Indian diets stand
Carbohydrate is the body's main everyday fuel. Starch from grains, pulses and tubers, and sugars from fruit, milk and sweeteners, are broken down to glucose, which the brain, muscles and red blood cells use for energy. In an Indian diet, rice, roti and other grains usually supply most of the day's carbohydrate.
The problem is rarely too little. Many Indian meals lean heavily on polished rice, maida and sugar, with too little dal, vegetables and protein to balance them. That pattern is linked with weight gain and rising blood sugar, and India has a very large number of people living with diabetes. The type and amount of carbohydrate, and what it is eaten with, all matter.
This table lists available carbohydrate per 100 g for the 187 foods in IFCT 2017 that carry it. Available carbohydrate means the starch and sugars the body can digest; fibre is counted separately and has its own table. The top 25 are almost all grains, dried fruit and pulses, with jaggery at the head.
All 187 foods ranked by carbohydrate
Per 100 g of the edible portion, highest first.
Values per 100 g of the edible portion. Source: Longvah T, Ananthan R, Bhaskarachary K, Venkaiah K. Indian Food Composition Tables 2017. National Institute of Nutrition, Indian Council of Medical Research, Hyderabad.
Cite this page
NNWA Nutrition and Wellness Academy. Carbohydrate content of Indian foods. Data: Indian Food Composition Tables 2017, ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition. https://nnwa.in/foods/nutrients/carbohydrate/
The top vegetarian sources of carbohydrate
| Food | Group | Per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Jaggery | Sugars and natural drinks | 84.9 g |
| Rice | Cereals and millets | 78.2 g |
| Puffed rice (murmura) | Cereals and millets | 77.7 g |
| Poha (rice flakes) | Cereals and millets | 76.8 g |
| Dates | Fruits | 74.9 g |
| Apricot (dried and processed) | Fruits | 72.6 g |
| Asafoetida (hing) | Spices, herbs and condiments | 72 g |
| Raisins | Fruits | 71.3 g |
| Jowar (sorghum) | Cereals and millets | 67.7 g |
| Tamarind | Fruits | 67.3 g |
| Ragi (finger millet) | Cereals and millets | 66.8 g |
| Varagu millet | Cereals and millets | 66.2 g |
| Samai (little millet) | Cereals and millets | 65.5 g |
| Maize (corn) | Cereals and millets | 64.8 g |
| Wheat (whole, suji and dalia) | Cereals and millets | 64.7 g |
Carbohydrate requirements for Indians
The ICMR-NIN 2020 summary note does not set one daily gram figure for carbohydrate, and none is given here. Carbohydrate needs follow from total energy needs, which the same note does set: 2110 kcal for a sedentary 65 kg man and 1660 kcal for a sedentary 55 kg woman.
The practical advice is about quality more than quantity: favour whole grains and millets over refined ones, keep added sugar low, and make sure each carbohydrate food shares the plate with dal, curd, vegetables or another protein. People with diabetes need a personal carbohydrate plan from their doctor or dietitian.
From a table to a plate
Grains and pulses are listed raw and dry. Rice at 78.2 g per 100 g becomes a much lower figure per 100 g once cooked, because the grain soaks up water; the total in the pot does not change. The table also cannot show how fast a food raises blood sugar. Two grains with similar figures can behave differently depending on their fibre, how they were processed and cooked, and what is eaten alongside them.
- Build the plate in parts: a quarter grain, a quarter dal or another protein, and half vegetables.
- Choose whole wheat, jowar, bajra, ragi or a mix of millets for roti instead of maida.
- Keep jaggery, honey and sugar as occasional sweeteners; gur is still 84.9 g carbohydrate per 100 g, whatever its reputation.
- Eat dates and raisins a few at a time as a sweet, not by the handful as a health snack.
- Add dal, sprouts, paneer or egg to poha, upma and idli breakfasts so the meal is not almost all starch.
- Swap part of the white rice for whole moong, rajma or chana, which bring protein and fibre with their carbohydrate.
What people ask about carbohydrate
Which Indian foods are highest in carbohydrate?
Per 100 g in IFCT 2017, jaggery leads at 84.9 g, then raw rice at 78.2 g, puffed rice at 77.7 g and poha at 76.8 g. Dates, dried apricot and raisins come close behind, with millets and wheat a little lower.
Do millets have less carbohydrate than rice?
A little, not a lot. Jowar has 67.7 g, ragi 66.8 g and bajra 61.8 g per 100 g, against 78.2 g for raw rice. Millets differ more in fibre and minerals than in carbohydrate, so portion size still matters.
Are pulses high in carbohydrate?
Pulses carry a fair amount, such as toor at 55.2 g, moong at 52.6 g and masoor at 52.5 g per 100 g. Unlike grains, they also bring a lot of protein and fibre, which makes them more filling and slower to digest.
Which foods have no carbohydrate?
Egg, chicken, mutton, fish and cooking oils have little or no carbohydrate in IFCT 2017. Milk and paneer do carry some, as the milk sugar lactose. A meal of only these foods still needs vegetables or a grain for fibre and balance.
Is jaggery better than sugar for blood sugar?
Not really. Jaggery is 84.9 g carbohydrate per 100 g, nearly all of it sugar, so it raises blood sugar much like white sugar does. It carries some iron and other minerals, but it belongs with the sweeteners, not the health foods.
Related reading and tables
Calories (energy) content of Indian foods
Ranked per 100 g.
Protein content of Indian foods
Ranked per 100 g.
Dietary fibre content of Indian foods
Ranked per 100 g.
Total fat content of Indian foods
Ranked per 100 g.
Calcium content of Indian foods
Ranked per 100 g.
Iron content of Indian foods
Ranked per 100 g.
Zinc content of Indian foods
Ranked per 100 g.
Magnesium content of Indian foods
Ranked per 100 g.
Potassium content of Indian foods
Ranked per 100 g.