Well, what’s the difference? Complex carbohydrates are high in fiber and therefore improve your digestion. They help stabilize the blood sugar, which keeps your energy nice and even. This also aids satiety, helping you feel full after you’ve eaten longer than many other foods can.

Simple carbohydrates, on the other side of things, cause your blood sugar level to spike and then dramatically dip. Because they’re digested differently than complex carbs, the swings in blood sugar levels can also also result in swings in your mood, as well as cravings and eating compulsively. This, of course, easily leads to weight gain.

So of course it’s important to know kind of carb you’re eating, which is probably why you’re here. And to answer your question directly, strawberries are a complex carbohydrate. They come in super handy in weight loss as the cells in your body use carbs as energy and energy is what burns your calories. Combine this with the previously mentioned fact that they make you feel fuller for longer and these little guys can be one of your best friends.

If you’re faced with this question in the future, it might help you to know that pretty much all fruits and vegetables are complex carbs, while fruit juice, table sugar, soda, cake, candy and – well, you see the pattern – are known as simple carbs. But that doesn’t make them bad – they sure taste good in moderation. Reading articles like this can help keep you aware of the choices you make so that the next time you’re faced with a carb you’ll know in which category to place it…and how much to have.