'carbohydrate-rich' originates from the combination of 'carbohydrate' and 'rich', where 'carbohydrate' refers to organic compounds consisting of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, and 'rich' means having a lot of something.

The term 'carbohydrate' comes from the French 'hydrate de carbone', meaning 'hydrate of carbon', and 'rich' has been used in English since the Middle Ages to denote abundance.

Initially, 'carbohydrate-rich' simply described foods high in carbohydrates, and this meaning has remained consistent over time.