A well-balanced diet needs a proportionate quantity of proteins, minerals, vitamins, fibers and carbohydrates. Now we all know that intake of carbohydrates, or carbs, are one of the main reasons of people putting on excess weight. Many people make the mistake of avoiding carbs completely, because they think that it encourages weight gain. However, most of them forget that carbs are as essential as any other nutrient for the body. One of the main functions of carbohydrates is to give your body the required amount of energy it needs. They make your immune system healthy and give your body the required stamina. In this article I don't encourage you to consume all carbohydrates, but only good ones, so let's have a look at some good carbs for weight loss. Take all the popular diets in the world like the Atkins, South Beach and various others, they teach people to eat very little carbohydrates. According to them, carbs are bad for the body and cause flab and obesity at later stages. If you look at the facts, you would come to know that most of these diets have exaggerated too much on the side effects of carbohydrates. Don't be misled by these assumptions, carbs are very necessary for the body, and they are an important part of a balanced diet. It's due to carbs that your body can function properly and your organs remain healthy. Healthy Carbs for Weight Loss Until and unless you are not carbohydrate sensitive, there's no need to cut carbs from your diet. The carbs listed in this article are not only good for your immune system, but are also very helpful in losing weight. There are two types of carbs, refined and complex. It's important that you replace the refined carbs with the complex ones, as they are slowly digested by the body and do not encourage excess weight gain. Baked Potatoes Baked potatoes are loaded with good carbs for the body. An average sized potato contains at least 50 grams of carbohydrates and they are fat free. Having one medium potato a day is an excellent source of potassium, vitamin C, fiber and it gives your body only 100 calories. Consume baked potatoes without any sour cream or butter. Pasta Rigatoni, ziti, spaghetti, angel hair. Which one is your favorite? It doesn't matter because all of them are excellent sources of energy. Even famous athletes and body builders binge on pasta before a big event. Pasta is low in fat but make sure you avoid lasagna and manicotti as they are packed with fattening cheese. Make sure you don't apply cream or butter on your pasta dishes, Instead use a homemade tomato salsa. Whole Grain Foods For healthy weight loss replace all the refined snacks with foods which are made from whole grain. You can also make your own snacks by using food items such as brown rice, whole wheat, unbleached flour. To make your snacks more nutritious you can also add in some more wheat germ and flax seeds in your foods. Avoid Refined Carbs It's good to have a healthy and filling breakfast but make sure your breakfast doesn't contains loads of sweets. You can substitute them with fresh fruits like sliced bananas, peaches, all kinds of berries and nuts. Use sprouted millet for making French Toast and serve it with ½ tsp of butter and maple syrup. Beans and Legumes Beans and legumes are considered as healthy sources of carbs. The carbs in them are digested slowly which prevents blood sugar from rising. Beans and legumes are also great sources of proteins, nutrients and fiber. As beans and legumes are great sources of proteins they are a great option for people who don't consume meat. Consuming good carbs can help you gain more energy and make you less irritable. So don't abstain yourself from healthy carbs as they are the right fuel for your body. As the above given food are low on calories and are rich sources of fiber you might feel full just eating them in little parts.