Healthy Life: Foods high in starch (also known as complex carbohydrates) include

Foods high in starch include:
* starchy vegetables like peas, corn, lima beans, and potatoes
* dried beans, lentils, and peas such as pinto beans, kidney beans, black eyed peas, and split peas
* grains like oats, barley, and rice. (The majority of grain products in the US are made from wheat flour. These include pasta, bread, and crackers but the variety is expanding to include other grains as well.)

The grain group can be broken down even further into whole grain or refined grain. A grain, let's take wheat for example, contains three parts. The parts are the bran, germ, and the endosperm. The bran is the outer hard shell of the grain. It is the part of the grain that provides the most fiber and most of the B vitamins and minerals. The germ is the next layer and is packed with nutrients including essential fatty acids and vitamin E. The endosperm is the soft part in the center of the grain. It contains the starch. Whole grain means that the entire grain kernel is in the food.

If you eat a whole grain food, it contains the bran, germ, and endosperm so you get all of the nutrients that whole grains have to offer. If you eat a refined grain food, it contains only the endosperm or the starchy part so you miss out on a lot of vitamins and minerals. Because whole grains contain the entire grain, they are much more nutritious than refined grains.