ABSTRACT
The starch and total sugar contents of 20 types of fruit, 28 types of vegetables and six differents herbs, grown in Mexico, were analysed. The selection was based on dietary surgery to identify those foods most widely consumed. Starch was determined by an enzymatic method whilst total sugar was determined gravimetrically. The foods were grouped according to the Southgate classification. Fruits contained little starch (range 0-4g/100g fresh weight (FW) except in the case of the plantain (31g/100g FW starch), ehereas vegetables showed a higher concentration with tubers in the range 10-20g/100g FW starch. Legumes contained 0-5g/100g FW; amongst the capsicum group the chilli poblano had the highest concentration at 1.3g/100g FW starch. The concentration of sugars in fruits ranged from 0,6g/100g FW to 21.1g/100g FW