Starchy foods have a new appreciation now that we highlight their resistant starch that functions like dietary fiber! We can eat and enjoy better health with the high resistant starch foods on this list.
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What is Resistant Starch?
Resistant starch is a type of carbohydrate that resists digestion in the small intestine, similar to fiber. It travels to the large intestine (the colon) to ferment and feed the gut's "good" bacteria and help produce short-chain fatty acids.
Benefits of Resistant Starch
As a prebiotic, resistant starch has numerous health benefits such as improving gut and bowel health; protecting against a plethora of diseases like diabetes, colon cancer, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), constipation, metabolic syndrome, and more; and preventing heart disease.
Diabetic health benefits of resistant starch include improved blood glucose management through glycemic and insulin responses; better gut health with increased microbiota; and increased satiety and reduced caloric intake which both aid in weight loss.
Different Types of Resistant Starch
There are 5 types of resistant starch due to different structuring. They all bypass digestion in the small intestine to feed the gut microbiome in the large intestine, but there are nuances to health benefits based on type.
RS1
Found in minimally processed and whole grains, seeds, and legumes. They have the greatest amount of resistant starch in their purest (whole) form. When processed (like when milled into flour) some of the resistant starch is destroyed.
RS2
Found in raw potatoes, green bananas, plantains, legumes, Hi-maize, and more. Processing and cooking these foods reduce the amount of resistant starch.
Diabetes
Studies found that RS1 and RS2 lower after-meal blood sugar levels, and RS2 (when consumed regularly) improves after-meal insulin response and fasting glucose.
RS3
A special type of resistant starch that forms when food is cooked and then cooled. Cooking and cooling is one way to lower the glycemic index of potatoes, rice, pasta, and other starchy foods.
Common dishes with RS3 are potato salad, pasta salad, sushi rice, quinoa or cold bean salad, hummus, corn tortillas, and leftovers.
RS4
The only type not naturally found in foods because it's chemically modified to resist digestion and added to processed foods (snack foods) to increase fiber content.
RS5
Formed when starchy foods are fried, like french fries, tater tots, skillet fried potatoes, etc.
What foods contain resistant starch?
Resistant starch is found in grain products like bread, breakfast cereal, pasta, rice, and tortillas, as well as green bananas, plantains, legumes, potatoes, and processed snack foods. Many foods have a tiny amount, but foods high in resistant starch are:
- grains & grain products like some breads, corn tortillas, oats, barley, etc.
- beans and lentils
- plantains
- potatoes
- rice
- green peas
Note
How much resistant starch a food has varies with ripeness, cooking method, processing, temperature, and more.
Highest Resistant Starch Foods
Foods highest in resistant starch are beans, lentils, whole grains, and plantains. The following lists (compiled from studies 1 & 2) show the grams of resistant starch per serving in each category.
Based on 100 grams serving.
Breads
Wheat sourdough 3.3
Rye 3
Mixed grain 2.6
White bread 1 (not high, but noting because it's so common)
Tortillas
Corn, soft, cooled 4.1
Corn, hard shell 2.7
Corn, soft, freshly baked 2.6
Breakfast Cereal
Oats, rolled, uncooked 7.7
Oats, rolled, milled, uncooked 6.5
Semolina, cooked 4.8
Cornflakes 4
Grains (cooked)
Barley, native 3.4
Corn, hominy grits 1.3
Legumes (cooked)
Butter or Lima beans 6.4
Kidney beans 3.8
Cannellini beans (white kidney beans) 3.6
Black beans 2.7 served cold 4.7
White beans 2.2
Chickpeas 2.1
Lentils 2
Pinto beans 2
Peas 1.9
Pasta
Durum wheat, served cold 3.4
Spaghetti noodles, white 3
Potato
Potato salad 5.2
Potato, fried 3.8
Potato, russet baked 3.1 served cold 3.9
Potato, red, baked 2 served cold 3.2
Rice
White, long grain, stir-fried & served cold 4.5
White, short grain, stir-fried & served cold 3.7
Banana & Plantain
Plantain, unripe, raw 5
Plantain, ripe, raw 5.1
Plantain, cooked & cooled 3.2
Banana, unripe, raw 2.8
Plantain, cooked 2.6
Flour
Corn 11
Wheat 2 (not high, but noting because it's so common)
Rice 2 (not high, but noting because it's so common)
Myth
It's commonly thought that green banana flour, plantain flour, or cassava flour can replace white flour to increase resistant starch; however, resistant starch in flour is destroyed when cooked.
Ways to Eat More Resistant Starch
- Incorporate any of the foods listed above: Add beans, lentils, or quinoa to salads.
- Choose healthy tortillas like corn or blue corn.
- Swap out white products like pasta, bread, rice, etc. for whole grain or brown alternatives like whole wheat bread, chickpea or lentil pasta, brown rice, etc.
- Meal prep beans, rice, pasta, and potatoes in advance so the foods can cool and create RS3.
- Leftovers eaten cold or reheated, but cold will have more resistant starch content.
- Instead of cooking oatmeal, soak raw oats in yogurt or milk overnight like overnight oats.
- Pick a low glycemic index bread, particularly rye bread and wheat sourdough
Meal Ideas
- Spinach Chickpea Curry
- Lentil soup
- Pasta salad
- Potato salad
- Fried rice made with frozen rice
- Beans and rice
- Whole grain cereal
- Sushi
How does resistant starch help weight loss?
Resistant starch helps with weight loss by giving a greater feeling of satisfaction when you eat (satiety) and by lowering calorie intake.
Resistant starch is only one type of starch. Other starches are digested as a normal carbohydrate which means they contain 4 calories per gram and they are absorbed in the small intestine. Resistant starch has only 2 calories per gram and is not absorbed in the small intestine.
So, in theory, increasing your resistant starch intake by eating high resistant starch foods instead of low resistant starch foods will aid in weight loss because you're consuming less calories.
FAQ
Per each 100 gram serving, wheat sourdough is the bread highest in resistant starch with 3.3 grams, and rye bread is a close second with 3 grams.
Beans are the best foods for weight loss that are high in resistant starch because they're balanced in macronutrients, lean, high fiber, heart healthy, anti-diabetic, anti-obesity, and contain numerous micronutrients.
Bananas aren't high in resistant starch, but they do have a few grams depending on how ripe they are. An unripe banana has as much resistant starch as cooked plantains.
Reheating cold potatoes reverts some, but not all, of the resistant starch back to starch.
Beans, lentils, uncooked oats, and plantains have the most resistant starch.
Summary
Resistant starch is considered a fiber and prebiotic because it skips digestion in the small intestine and ferments in the colon to feed the microbiota in the gut. It promotes a healthier colon and digestion, improved blood sugar management, heart health, and weight loss, as well as helps prevent multiple metabolic and bowel diseases. Eating more resistant starch means incorporating whole grains, potatoes, beans and lentils, and cold starches into your diet. This resistant starch foods list PDF breaks it all down simply and links to expanded lists of foods with their resistant starch amounts.
Rhonda Witwer
Resistant starch's benefits in blood sugar management go beyond its low glycemic benefits. Its fermentation in the large intestine changes the expression of the genes that control peripheral insulin sensitivity - it increases insulin sensitivity overnight without weight loss or exercise. A few years ago, the FDA approved a qualified health claim that resistant corn starch reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes (https://www.regulations.gov/docket/FDA-2015-Q-2352) but green banana resistant starch and raw potato starch have also shown improved insulin sensitivity as well. The research is exploding that the metabolites produced by resistant starch's fermentation in the large intestine are very biologically active and may be responsible for numerous metabolic benefits.
Traci Houston
Absolutely! Thanks for expanding on this, Rhonda! I didn't know about the approved health claim. As a side note, I always struggle with how much information to share, and balance that with Google's wants so people can actually find my articles. Your contribution is greatly appreciated! ~ Traci