Carbohydrates have been intensively studied to develop edible coatings and films. In the last decades, starch, chitosan, cellulose derivatives, pectin, and galactomannans has been evaluated in their coating and film forming ability for applications in the food packaging area. This chapter reviews the coating and film matrices, the formation methods, physicochemical properties, and applications in food preservation of the chitosan, cellulose derivatives, pectin, and galactomannans coatings and films. Tests on fruits, vegetables, and fish fillets have shown that the shelf life of these food products has been extended. Also, researchers are spending considerable time and effort to improve the water vapor barrier properties, which is the major limitation to these coatings and films, through the use of polysaccharides and lipids, nanotechnology, and mechanical modification, etc.