Eating carbs is essential if you want to build muscle, according to a chef who works with Chris Hemsworth

• People should stop being afraid of carbs, according to a chef who works with Chris Hemsworth.
• Carb-rich foods can be a good source of fiber, vitamins, and protein to help you hit fitness goals.

Actor Chris Hemsworth ate plenty of carbs while bulking up as the hero of Marvel's "Thor" movies. To build muscle, you shouldn't shy away from carbs either, according to Dan Churchill, a celebrity chef and nutrition and fitness expert for Hemsworth's health app Centr.

"Carbs are amazing for us. People need to not be afraid of them. Eat your pastas, eat your grains," he told Insider.

Churchill said adding more nutritious, carb-rich foods like beans and grains into meals can help build lean muscle and boost performance.

Cutting carbs too much can deprive you of important nutrients

While people often stereotype carbs as fluffy, processed foods like bread, pasta, and sugars, carbohydrates also include fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and legumes.

By reducing these food groups on a very low carb diet such as keto, you might be missing out on vitamins and minerals, Churchill said.

In particular, low-carbers might be missing out on fiber, an important nutrient for healthy digestion that can help you feel more full after eating, making it useful for weight management.

"By not eating carbs, you're removing a lot of the dietary fiber we need to look after ourselves," he said.

While low carb diets like keto can be effective for weight loss in the short term, it's not clear from the available evidence how healthy or sustainable they are over time, according to experts.

Carbs can help you build muscle

Churchill said one of the best things you can do for your health as well as your fitness goals is to eat more plant-based foods, especially veggies, many of which are full of carbs.

Churchill said he relies heavily on foods like lentils and beans, which are carb-rich but also packed with fiber and protein.

A combination of protein and carbs can help boost muscle-building as well as exercise performance, according to evidence.

Dietitians recommend eating carbs before a workout for energy, and having both carbs and protein after working out, in a ratio of 2 grams of carbs for every gram of protein.

Churchill said people looking to build muscle should eat as much as 50-55% of their daily calories in the form of carbs, or about 250 grams a day on a 2,000 calorie eating plan.

Hemsworth's "Thor" diet included more than 300 grams of carbs per day

Churchill's recipes and meal planning on the Centr app are based on what Hemsworth eats to build muscle and stay lean. While the app can be adjusted for personal preferences, including lower carb diets, carbs are a crucial part of Hemsworth's lifestyle.

To build muscle for Thor, the actor ate a high-protein diet that included at least a third of his daily calories from carbohydrates, about 330 grams worth per day, Luke Zocchi, Hemsworth's longtime friend and personal trainer previously told Insider.

Foods like rice, bananas, and sweet potato, as well as fiber-rich veggies like broccoli, are a regular part of Hemsworth's diet, he said.