How to Master Carb Counting

So, it isn’t news that carbohydrates raise your glucose levels. Most people with diabetes count carbs. However, I see a lot of clients “guestimate” their carbs. While this may work for some people, for people who take insulin with meals or who have type 1 diabetes this isn’t good enough. Here are some steps to take for precise carb counting.

1.  Read the nutrition facts panel

Some people may still count carbs using exchanges. An example of exchanges is counting one slice of bread or 6 ounces of light yogurt as 15 grams of carb. This isn’t wrong but it isn’t exact either. There are so many different brands of bread and yogurt. Read the food label and use the numbers on the nutrition facts panel to find the exact grams of carb. Don’t forget to read the serving size too.  

2. Know about fiber and sugar alcohol subtraction

Foods that have more fiber are going to be higher in carbs because the fiber is included in the total carbohydrate count on the food label. Don’t shy away from the higher fiber foods though. Fiber is digested differently and slows down the rise in blood glucose. The American Diabetes Association recommends subtracting one-half of the fiber and sugar alcohols from the total carb count, but only when the total of either is greater than 5 grams per serving. For example, if one serving of cereal contains 32 grams of carb and 8 grams of fiber, the carbs after subtraction would be 24 grams. 

3.  Use measuring cups and a food scale

The only way to count exact carbs is to use measuring cups or a food scale to portion out foods. Measuring cups will suffice for most foods, but for foods like fresh fruit that don’t have a food label and are measured in ounces you really need a food scale.   

4.  Make use of technology

Thanks to smart phones and laptops, you can use apps or websites to help you with carb counting. But, don’t always rely on the app to tell you everything. Still use the food label when you have it. Take it even one step further and use technology to keep a daily food log where you can learn more about your diet than just the carbs.    

5.  Think simple

If you are struggling with carb counting, go back a step. Eat at home instead of eating out and focus on “plain” foods (meat, starch, vegetable) instead of combination foods (soup or casserole) so you can measure them. Try this for a while until you are more comfortable with counting carbs. 

The best thing you can do is to continue to educate yourself on how to eat with diabetes. To get some help with this, see a registered dietitian. Try counting exact carbs and see if you learn something new!