Carbohydrates are an important source of energy and one of the three main macronutrients in the diet, along with fat and protein. Carbohydrates not only fuel your brain and cells throughout your body, but also regulate digestive health, appetite, cholesterol levels, and more.

Many people still choose to limit their carbohydrate intake. Low-carb diets are associated with benefits such as increased weight loss and improved blood sugar control. Here are a few foods to avoid on a low-carb diet.

1. Bread and Cereals

Bread is a staple food in many cultures. It comes in many forms, including bread, rolls, bagels, and flatbreads such as tortillas. However, all of these are high in carbohydrates, whether they are made from refined flours or whole grains.

Most grain dishes -- including rice, wheat, and oats -- are also high in carbohydrates and need to be avoided on a low-carb diet.

2. Some fruit

Eating more fruits and vegetables has been linked to a lower risk of cancer and heart disease. However, many fruits are high in carbohydrates, so they are not suitable for low-carb diets.

Therefore, it is best to limit some fruits, especially sweet or dry varieties, such as:

Apple (1 small): 23 grams

Banana (1 medium): 27 grams

Raisins (28 grams): 23 grams

Red dates (2 large): 36 grams

Mango, sliced (1 cup): 25 grams

3. Starchy Vegetables

Most diets allow an unlimited intake of vegetables. Additionally, many vegetables are very high in fiber, which may help with weight loss and blood sugar control, however, some starchy vegetables contain more digestible carbohydrates than fiber and should be limited or avoided on a low-carb diet. These include:

Corn (1 cup/165 g): 24 g

Potato (1 medium): 34 grams

Sweet potato or yam (1 medium): 27 grams

Cooked beets (1 cup/170 g): 17 g

4. Pasta

Although pasta is versatile and inexpensive, it is very high in carbohydrates. 151 grams of cooked pasta contains 46 grams of carbohydrates, while the same amount of whole wheat pasta contains 45 grams.

Pasta is not a good idea on a low-carb diet unless you're only eating a small portion, which may not be realistic for most people.

5. Honey or sugar

As you probably know, if you're on a low-carb diet, you should limit high-sugar foods like cookies, candy, and cakes. However, you may not realize that sugar in its natural form contains as many carbohydrates as white sugar.

In fact, many of them are even higher in carbs when measured in tablespoons.

6. Chips and cookies

Chips and crackers are popular snack foods, but their carbs can quickly add up. A 28-gram serving of tortilla chips (or 10-15 average-sized chips) contains 19 grams of carbohydrates.

The carb content of cookies varies by processing, but even graham crackers contain about 28 grams.