Importance of Carbohydrates in a Balanced Diet

This article discusses the importance of carbohydrates in a balanced diet through a conversation between three individuals in a busy suburban hotel. It emphasizes the need for sugars, fibers, and starch in one's diet and provides references to support the claims.

Running head: CARBOHYDRATES 1
Carbohydrates
Student’s Name
Institution of Affiliation
Date

CARBOHYDRATES 2
Carbohydrates
Characters:
Job – a teenager
John – an older 30-something
Josphat – an older 30-something, John’s friend
Jacob - a hotel waiter
Setting:
A busy suburban hotel.
JOSPHAT
Oh wow, the hotel looks great! Great meals.
(JOHN and JOSPHAT take their seats next to the teenager- JOB who had already placed his
order).
JACOB
Good afternoon and welcome. Have you placed your order?
(JOHN looks through the order and calls for the waiter).
JACOB
What can I do for you?
(As JOHN is thinking through, JOB’s order is delivered).
JOSPHAT
Alas! This teenager cannot be serious. How can he feed on plain chips? Hey, teenagers love
feeding on junk.
JOHN
Maybe he is not in the mood to eat.

CARBOHYDRATES 3
(JOSPHAT draws his attention to this teenager-JOB).
JOSPHAT
Good afternoon. What is your name?
JOB
Uh, it's Job.
JOSPHAT
Job, oh what a beautiful name. Job, you also need sugars and fibre in your diet?
(JOB who did not have enough money for diet-sensitive lunch gets startled).
JOB
I think what I am having is good for me.
JOSPHAT
Sugars are critical in your diet as they add to the food’s functional attributes (Ma et al., 2015).
Fibres would do you good because it promotes the regularity of the intestines as well as prevents
constipation (Grundy et al., 2016). You need starch which are energy giving foods because of
your work.
(JOHN looks at his watch to see the time, looking a little annoyed)
JOHN
We have to place our orders very fast. Other staff are just about to report back to the construction
site. Josphat, what are you having for your lunch?
JOSPHAT
Ugali made of sifted maize and beans.
JOHN
You are disgusting. You made Job believe that you are a nutritionist, but you are not any better.
JOSPHAT

CARBOHYDRATES 4
With the sifted maize giving me starch and sugars while the beans provide fibre, what else do I
need?
JOHN
Don’t you know that sifted maize increases your chances of suffering from cardiovascular
disease?
JACOB
What can I serve you?
JOHN
Fruit salad.
JACOB
What- why- did I hear you right?
THE END

CARBOHYDRATES 5
References
Ma, J., Fox, C. S., Jacques, P. F., Speliotes, E. K., Hoffmann, U., Smith, C. E., ... & McKeown,
N. M. (2015). Sugar-sweetened beverage, diet soda, and fatty liver disease in the
Framingham Heart Study cohorts. Journal of hepatology, 63(2), 462-469.
Grundy, M. M. L., Edwards, C. H., Mackie, A. R., Gidley, M. J., Butterworth, P. J., & Ellis, P.
R. (2016). Re-evaluation of the mechanisms of dietary fibre and implications for
macronutrient bioaccessibility, digestion and postprandial metabolism. British Journal of
Nutrition, 116(5), 816-833.