Top 10 Foods Highest in Starch

Photo of Daisy Whitbread Written by Daisy Whitbread
BSc (Hons) MSc DipION Photo of Dr. Patricia Shelton Medically Reviewed by
Dr. Patricia Shelton
Evidence Based. References sourced from PubMed. Powered by USDA Nutrition Data.
Top 10 Foods Highest in Starch

Starch is the most common form of carbohydrate. It consists of a long chain of molecules of the sugar glucose, and serves as a way for a cell to store glucose for later use.

Starch is typically found in grains like rice, wheat, and corn, as well as flours and other products made from these grains. (1) There are also other plant foods that contain high levels of starch, such as potatoes.

Eating starch can cause an increase in blood sugar levels, as starch is broken down to glucose in the digestive tract. (2) However, while some starchy foods cause a large blood sugar spike, others have a much more moderate effect on blood sugar. Many factors, including the specific type of starch contained in the food and how much fiber it contains, can change how a particular food affects blood sugar.

Healthy high starch foods include whole grains, whole grain bread, whole grain pasta, minimally processed vegetables, and beans (legumes). Less healthy forms of starch include processed cereals, snacks, cakes, cookies, pies, pizzas, French fries, doughnuts, and foods that have been breaded and fried.

Below are the top 10 foods highest in starch. For more, see the extended list of starch-rich foods.

List of High Starch Foods

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A printable list of foods high in starch.

More Starch Rich Foods

FoodServingStarch
1. Amaranth per cup 40g
2. Spelt per cup 38g
3. Fast Foods (Subway Tuna Sub) per 6 inch sub 29g
4. Egg and Cheese Biscuit per biscuit 26g
5. Fried Yellow Plantains per cup 22g
6. Pretzels per oz 21g
7. Tortilla Chips per oz 18g
8. Popcorn per oz 17g
9. Mamey Sapote 1 cup chopped 11g
10. Cake Doughnuts per donut 10g

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Data Sources and References

  1. Orzechowski S. Starch: its metabolism, evolution, and biotechnological modification in plants Acta Biochim Pol. 2008;55(3):435-45. Epub 2008 Sep 12. 18787712
  2. Crider K, Williams J, Qi YP, Gutman J, Yeung L, Mai C, Finkelstain J, Mehta S, Pons-Duran C, Menéndez C, Moraleda C, Rogers L, Daniels K, Green P. The impact of starchy food structure on postprandial glycemic response and appetite: a systematic review with meta-analysis of randomized crossover trials Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2022 Feb 1;2(2022):CD014217. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD014217. 36321557
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