By Alysa Ferguson, MS, RD, CDE
What is carbohydrate counting?
By now you’ve probably heard about calorie counting and maybe you remember the days of counting fat grams, but why would a person be counting carbohydrates? Most likely, unless you have diabetes, this isn’t something that would provide much benefit for you. Carbohydrate counting (aka carb counting) is a skill that is quite valuable when you are trying to manage blood sugars. When you have diabetes, the amount of carbohydrate you eat at a meal or snack has the biggest impact on blood sugars, especially in the few hours afterwards. The other nutrients in food, mostly fat and protein, do have some effect on blood sugars, but usually it is minimal. So an important skill for people with diabetes is to try to control the amount of carbohydrates they eat at each meal and snack.
How do I count carbohydrates?
One of the best and easiest ways is to use the food label, by focusing on Serving Size and Total Carbohydrates. If the food doesn’t have a food label, there are many ways to estimate the carbohydrates, including using food lists, books, websites, and apps. Calorie King is a very popular source of nutrition information that includes many restaurants as well. It is available as a book (Calorie King Calorie, Fat, Carbohydrate Counter $8.99), a free website (www.calorieking.com) or app for your smart phone (basic is free, advanced is $4.99).
How much carbohydrate should I eat?
Well, that really depends. Most women need around 45-60 grams of carbohydrates at meals, but 30-45 grams is better for weight loss. Most men need around 60-75 grams per meal, or 45-60 grams for weight loss. Snacks are usually around 15 grams. Remember that all of this can vary based on your size, activity level, and even your diabetes treatments. This is usually a good place to start, but consider meeting with a certified diabetes educator for more individualized recommendations.
Resource: Ready, Set, Start Counting!
Alysa Ferguson is a former Registered Dietitian, Certified Diabetes Educator and Family Health Educator with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County’s Family Health and Wellness Program.