Why do grains have so many more carbs than other plant foods, like nuts or lettuce?

Question

Googling isn’t helping, because the results are all from health and diet pages. I’m trying to find a science answer.

[Request] Please try and actually explain this to a 5-10yo. I have a kid in that age range who’s the one actually asking the question. I can do my best to bring an “I graduated high school” answer down to his level, but I might struggle to bring an “I’ve completed some college and have a basic background in biochemistry” answer to his level. Thanks!

In: 62

Answer 1

There is no deep reason why grains have more carbs than other seeds. The germ of grains is actually quite high in fat, that is where corn oil comes from. Grain processing often removes the germ to improve shelf life.

Oily compounds and proteins are needed to start up the machinery of growth, grasses just wandered down an evolutionary path that stores more energy as carbs in the endosperm than most other plants.

Answer 2

There is no deep reason why grains have more carbs than other seeds. The germ of grains is actually quite high in fat, that is where corn oil comes from. Grain processing often removes the germ to improve shelf life.

Oily compounds and proteins are needed to start up the machinery of growth, grasses just wandered down an evolutionary path that stores more energy as carbs in the endosperm than most other plants.