In recent years, headlines have proclaimed carbohydrates as everything from the healthy diet must-have to dieting enemy No. 1. What's the truth?
Carbohydrates can fall into both categories, depending on how much we eat, how they were cooked and processed, and the person's overall dietary picture. They likely get a bad reputation because people are eating too many highly-processed, nutrient-poor forms of carbs — like chips and sugary cereals — which may replace more nutritious foods.