How Many Carbs Should a 40 Year Old Woman Eat?

If you just do a simple Google search on carbs, you will quickly find that everyone has an opinion. There are lots of trendy diets that reduce or cut out carbs entirely and even doctors sometimes recommend cutting out carbs. As a registered dietitian and nutrition expert, I don’t ever recommend cutting carbs out of your diet altogether- they are way too important!

A 40-year old woman needs 45-65% of her total daily calories from carbohydrates. A woman in her 40’s who needs 1,800 calories per day needs 203 to 293 grams of carbohydrates per day to feel her best and support a healthy body.

Carbs are your body’s preferred energy source. They fuel your brain and all of your muscles and help them stay energized all day long, so you actually need a lot of them! The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that 45-65% of your daily calories come from carbohydrates, which is about 225-325 grams for someone that needs approximately 2,000 calories in a day.

Read on for more information about carbohydrate recommendations for women, what foods contain carbohydrates, how often you should eat carbs, and the best types of carbohydrates.

What Are Carbohydrate Recommendations For Women in Their 40’s?

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that 45-65% of your calories come from carbohydrate foods. For an average 2,000 calorie diet, this would be 225-325 grams of carbohydrates!

Here are some other examples of Carbohydrate Recommendations for Women:

Daily Calorie Level:	Carbohydrate Recommendations:
1800 Calories	203-293 grams
2000 Calories	225-325 grams
2200 Calories	248-358 grams
2400 Calories	270-390 grams
2600 Calories	293-423 grams
2800 Calories	315-455 grams
3000 Calories	338-488 grams
3200 Calories	360-520 grams

To first find your daily calorie needs, check out my post here: How Many Calories Should a 40-Year-Old Woman Eat? or try an online calculator for a good estimate.

To put that in perspective, one slice of bread is 15-20 grams of carbohydrates. A small piece of fruit is around 15-25 grams of carbs and a glass of milk is about 12 grams of carbs. Many people underestimate how many carbohydrates their body actually needs during the day, but most of your calorie intake really should be coming from carbohydrate sources!

The 45-65% range might seem like a wide range, and that is to account for various circumstances and individual needs. Some people with some medical conditions such as PCOS or diabetes might need closer to the lower end of that recommendation while high level athletes might require the high end of that range. Working with a dietitian, along with listening to your body, can help you determine what amount of carbs is right for your body (and it might change day-to-day!).

What Are Carbohydrates?

When you eat carbohydrates, they get broken down into simple sugars which then enter your bloodstream. They travel throughout your body to provide energy to your brain and your muscles. Your muscles can store a little bit of those carbs for later, but not a whole lot, which is why you have to eat them consistently.

An simple way to think about carbs is like this:

Carbohydrates = Energy

Energy = Feeling good and accomplishing necessary tasks

People often try to make things more complicated than they need to be with carbs, but it really is that simple at its core! Hopefully understanding that concept can also take away some of the fear associated with eating carbohydrates too.

Examples of Carbohydrates in Foods:

● 1 slice bread= 15 grams carbohydrates
● 1 cup brown rice= 45 grams
● 1 cup whole wheat cereal= 30 grams
● ¼ cup granola= 15 grams
● 1 cup cooked oatmeal= 30 grams
● 1 cup cooked pasta= 45 grams
● 1 medium tortilla= 15 grams
● 6 crackers= 15 grams
● 1 cup milk= 12 grams
● 1 cup plain yogurt= 12 grams
● 1 medium fruit= 15 grams
● 1 cup of fruit= about 15-30 grams (depending on the type)
● 1 cup 100% fruit juice= 30 grams
● 2 Tbsp dried fruit= 15 grams
● 1 cup corn= 30 grams
● 1 medium baked potato= 35 grams

Carbohydrates come from grains, fruit, starchy vegetables, dairy products, and sugary foods. Choose mostly whole-grains instead of white breads/pastas/crackers. Limit desserts, candy, treats, and other sugary foods and beverages.

Should I Cut Out Carbohydrates in My 40’s?

Now that you know what carbs are and why they are important, it becomes a lot easier to understand why you should NOT cut out carbohydrates. I mean, if you want to feel tired and crappy all the time, go for it I guess…

Popular diets like Keto and Atkins are known for their low-intake of carbohydrates. Many people are drawn to those diets because they can give quick results. Carbs are stored with extra water in your body so cutting out carbs often makes you lose water weight at first. Plus, if you are cutting out a major part of your diet you are likely going to be in a calorie deficit which often leads to weight loss. However, these kinds of diets don’t have good results in the long-run for a variety of reasons.

Consequences of Low-Carbohydrate Diets in Your 40’s:

There is actually something called the “Keto Flu” which is basically when your body gets flu-like symptoms because it has to make so many adjustments to not having carbohydrates available. Yikes!

Maybe this seems like a silly reason, but carbs are delicious! Who really wants to give them up for the rest of their life?? Especially if you like carbohydrates!

Cutting out carbohydrates means you are eating a lot more protein and fat. Too much of these foods can lead to an increase in cholesterol levels, nutrient deficiencies, and poor heart health. Doing a diet like this for a long time can have really poor health outcomes.

Dieting and cutting out certain foods can result in strong cravings, obsessive thoughts about food, disordered eating behaviors, and poor mental health.

Dieting is associated with weight gain. Your body really doesn’t like being in a restricted state and eventually, your body wins, often resulting in gaining back weight (sometimes plus extra).

There are a lot of situations where carb intake gets a little excessive, but focusing on an overall healthy and balanced diet is a much better answer than cutting out carbs altogether!

Should I Eat Carbs at Every Meal?

I recommend consuming some carbohydrates at all meals and snacks. It is much better for your body to get that energy regularly and steadily throughout the day instead of having a huge amount dumped into your system all at once.

There are other important nutrients that your body needs too, like protein and fat. Try and include those nutrients with your carbohydrates each time you eat to keep your meals and snacks well-balanced. Having those other nutrients there helps to slow down your digestion a little bit and sustain your energy levels from carbohydrates for longer.

You should eat between 30-90 grams of carbohydrates per meal and about 30-60 grams of carbohydrates for snacks, depending on your goals, meal schedule, and personal preferences and tolerances. Choose whole grains and eat carbohydrates with protein to better help your blood sugar.

Should I Eat Less Carbohydrates as I Get Older?

Your carbohydrate needs don’t necessarily decrease as you get older- it really depends on your individual lifestyle and situation. Remember that carbs act mostly as an energy source for your body, so if your overall energy needs decrease with age, then your carb intake will likely decrease as well. Many adults become less active as they get older, in which case, you might not need as many carbohydrates as you did a few years ago.

However, if you were to pick up more active hobbies as you got older, your carbohydrate needs might actually increase!

Are Carbs Bad To Eat In Your 40’s?

People always ask me if carbs are bad. No way! Carbs are not bad, some of the healthiest foods contain carbs such as sweet potatoes, bananas, whole grains, oats, beans, lentils, seeds, etc.

Eating carbs is not bad for you, but eating the wrong kind of carbs is bad for you. Eating too many of the sugary, processed, and packaged carbs is bad for you.

Also, if you cut out carbs what are you going to eat instead? Some really healthy foods contain carbs and they are totally okay to eat.

Is Sugar Bad for Me?

Sugar is a form of carbohydrate! The truth is, all carbohydrates ultimately break down into sugars. So I really don’t like saying sugar is “bad” for you.

Let’s talk about natural sugars vs. added sugars for a second. Natural sugars are ones found in foods like milk and fruit that give them a naturally sweet flavor. These foods are usually packed with other nutrients in addition to the sugars (carbohydrates) that are naturally present.

Added sugars are simple carbohydrates that are added to foods to make them sweeter without really adding any other nutritional value. Does this make them bad? Not necessarily, but it is definitely better to focus on including more complex carbohydrates and foods with natural sugars and other nutrients.

Sometimes you will just want sugar, and that is okay! One of the biggest mistakes I see people make is that they try to cut out all sugar and never allow anything with added sugar in their house. This kind of mindset with food often eventually leads to binging and eating past comfortable fullness.

Instead of focusing so much on what you “can’t eat” or “shouldn’t eat,” instead focus on what nutrient dense foods you can add to your diet. Things tend to fall into place when you don’t put heavy restrictions on your eating and instead focus on including more small, healthy habits that are sustainable.

What are the Healthiest Carbohydrates?

I don’t love referring to foods as “healthy” vs “unhealthy” because all food has value and can be a positive thing when used correctly in your diet. However, there are certain carbohydrates that I try and focus on including more of in my diet:

Whole fruit. The entire fruit has more fiber and is often more filling and satisfying than fruit juices.

Whole grains. It is recommended to make half of your grains whole grains each day. I pick and choose which whole grain foods actually taste good to me rather than just forcing myself to eat whole grain everything.

Low-fat dairy. Dairy products are a great source of vitamins and minerals like calcium, potassium, and vitamin D.

A variety of vegetables. Vegetables like potatoes, corn, and peas contain a higher carbohydrate content, so I treat them more like a starch or grain. Other vegetables are not as carbohydrate dense but still contain a lot of important nutrients so including a few servings of non-starchy vegetables every day is really important!

I like to remind people that all foods have their purpose. For example, a sugary sports drink might be the perfect choice during a long run because it is simple, quick-digesting carbs to provide your muscles with energy replenishment. Eating a glass of milk or some whole wheat bread is not really going to cut it in that scenario. Even eating a banana might be hard to do while running!

Summary

The amount of carbs a 40 year old woman should be eating depends on a number of factors including body composition, physical activity level, overall energy needs, genetics, medical conditions, and even personal preference!

Instead of trying to stick to a bunch of arbitrary rules about how many carbs you should eat during the day, focus on nourishing your body and meeting your own individual needs with nutrition!