Just like most refined carbohydrates, digestive biscuits are made from fast-release, refined ingredients. Instead, dip for a rye crackers instead, which is packed with energising B-vitamins and fibre.

Tasty? Yes. But good for your blood sugar levels, it isn’t. Multiseed bread on the other hand provide your body with slow-release energy, which not only helps you feel satisfied for longer but also helps to keep your blood sugar levels on an even keel.

Swap the double whammy of refined white flour and white sugar in sponge cake for a deliciously moist, fibre-rich slice of fruit cake instead. It’s filling and nutritious as it contains spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, which can boost your metabolism too.

(Read more: 10 Hearty And Delicious Recipes That Won’t Put You In A Food Coma)

Cereal is usually fortified with vitamins and minerals, but they are unlikely to keep you full up before your next meal. Swap it out for oats, a great source of skin-nourishing vitamin E, filling fibre and energising B-vitamins.

As tasty as they are smothered in butter and brie, your average cream cracker counts as a white, refined carb. Instead, opt for some rice cakes, which are lower in calories, but contain more fibre and vitamins.

Don’t think that fizzy drinks don’t count as carbohydrates. These drinks contain a phenomenal amount of fast-release refined sugar that will send blood sugar levels soaring initially, only to cause a crash later on.

(Read more: 5 Ways To Get A Flatter Tummy Fast)

Even nuts like peanuts count as a carb. They contain a fair amount of ‘good’ vegetable fats, too, which make them quite high in calories. Swap it out for almonds, a good source of vitamin E, which is essential for your immune system and skin health.

Just like white bread, white pasta will provide you with fast-release energy. Far healthier would be to substitute it for wholemeal brown pasta or spelt pasta that fill you up and provide you with slow-release energy.

We love potatoes – mashed, fried, gratinated – it’s tasty every way but there is a better way to eat them if you are on a diet. Try sweet potatoes instead, which provide slow-release energy and can help to regulate fluctuating blood sugar levels.

(Read more: Here’s Why A Low Carb Diet Might Be Bad For You)

Just like refined wheat and cereals, white rice is a fast-release form of carbohydrate. Much better would be to substitute it for brown rice, which contains more fibre and is a source of slow-release energy.

Sugar is most definitely a carb. And it’s the refined, white stuff you should be avoiding. Try using honey as an alternative. Made by bees from the naturally occurring nectar of flowers, it is broken down into energy more slowly and is easier to digest.

Substitute white rice or wheat-based egg noodles for the far more nutritious soba noodles, which provide slow-release energy with all the protein and B-vitamin goodness of brown rice. Yum!

(Read more: 5 Low-Carb Food Alternatives For Low Calorie Meals)