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The Basics of Carb Counting
Jan. 27th, 2017 04:42 pmCounting carbohydrates is a crutial part of my Diabetes management. I’ve talked frequently in previous posts about carb counting and its effect on insulin and blood sugars. But how exactly do I count carbs?
Reading a Nutrition Label
Almost all packaged foods come with a nutritional facts label printed on the packaging. In order to find out how many carbs are in a slice of bread, for example, look at the nutrition label. At the top, right under “Nutrition Facts” are listed the serving size and number of servings per container. Look at the serving size. For a piece of bread, the serving size is usually one slice. Sometimes there is a gram listing after the serving size, but when counting carbs for Diabetes, you can ignore that number.
Move down the label until you see “Total Carbohydrate” in bold. This is usually listed between Sodium and Protein. The number of grams listed after “Total Carbohydrate” is the number of carbs in one serving of whatever you’re eating. For a slice of bread, the number is usually about 15 grams. The percentage listed after the grams is the percent daily value and can be ignored.
Sometimes, the serving size will be listed as something weird and completely unhelpful, like 6 ounces of dry pasta. In such cases, just make your best estimate.
Can I still Eat Something if it Doesn’t Have a Label?
Yes. This is where guessing carb content comes in. Sometimes you can estimate by comparing a homemade item, like a cookie, with a similarly-sized store-bought packaged item. Sometimes you can guess based on what you already know. I know, for example, a small apple is 15 grams of carb. If I have a larger apple, I’ll count 20 or 25, depending on the size. An average-sized banana has 30 grams of carb, but if I have a larger one, I’ll count 40. A cup of potatoes or pasta is usually about 30 grams. I’ve gotten good when I have to guess, but if I guess wrong, I just give more insulin or eat more carbs later to normalize my blood sugar. Making wild guesses all the time is not recommended, as it might lead to constantly abnormal blood sugars, but it is sometimes necessary.
A Note on Restaurants
Restaurant menus don’t have a section at the back of the menu with nutrition facts for every dish. They do, however, often have nutrition facts listed online. There are also apps that give carb count for many items at popular restaurants.
Reading a Nutrition Label
Almost all packaged foods come with a nutritional facts label printed on the packaging. In order to find out how many carbs are in a slice of bread, for example, look at the nutrition label. At the top, right under “Nutrition Facts” are listed the serving size and number of servings per container. Look at the serving size. For a piece of bread, the serving size is usually one slice. Sometimes there is a gram listing after the serving size, but when counting carbs for Diabetes, you can ignore that number.
Move down the label until you see “Total Carbohydrate” in bold. This is usually listed between Sodium and Protein. The number of grams listed after “Total Carbohydrate” is the number of carbs in one serving of whatever you’re eating. For a slice of bread, the number is usually about 15 grams. The percentage listed after the grams is the percent daily value and can be ignored.
Sometimes, the serving size will be listed as something weird and completely unhelpful, like 6 ounces of dry pasta. In such cases, just make your best estimate.
Can I still Eat Something if it Doesn’t Have a Label?
Yes. This is where guessing carb content comes in. Sometimes you can estimate by comparing a homemade item, like a cookie, with a similarly-sized store-bought packaged item. Sometimes you can guess based on what you already know. I know, for example, a small apple is 15 grams of carb. If I have a larger apple, I’ll count 20 or 25, depending on the size. An average-sized banana has 30 grams of carb, but if I have a larger one, I’ll count 40. A cup of potatoes or pasta is usually about 30 grams. I’ve gotten good when I have to guess, but if I guess wrong, I just give more insulin or eat more carbs later to normalize my blood sugar. Making wild guesses all the time is not recommended, as it might lead to constantly abnormal blood sugars, but it is sometimes necessary.
A Note on Restaurants
Restaurant menus don’t have a section at the back of the menu with nutrition facts for every dish. They do, however, often have nutrition facts listed online. There are also apps that give carb count for many items at popular restaurants.
