With carbs, it's important to remain neutral, and take a step back and look at the big picture, rather than focus on each individual food, Rumsey says. For instance, we know that whole grains have more fiber than refined ones. "While fiber is an important nutrient , complex carbs or whole grains aren't the only foods that contain fiber ," she says. If you want to opt for white rice over brown, you're not doomed at all — you can always get fiber from vegetables or nuts, she explains. In other words, "there's no need to pick whole grains at every meal," she says. "If you have a few day stretch where you are having very little fiber , then maybe it makes sense to choose whole grain bread at lunch."