Transcript
Carb counting can be helpful when trying to manage blood sugar. Whether you’re trying to plan a carb steady menu or match carbohydrates to an insulin dose, this video can help guide you.
But first, what is a carbohydrate?
Carbohydrates, or carbs, are a macronutrient that digest into glucose, or sugar, which is absorbed into the blood.
Carbohydrates are an important nutrient and do not need to be avoided. There are many foods that contain carbohydrates including breads, grains, pastas, starchy vegetables, fruits and more.
Packaged foods that have nutrition labels are helpful when carb counting. On the label you will see Total Carbohydrates listed, indicating how many carbohydrates in one serving. When reading labels, please check whether the serving size says “cooked” or “dry”. If the label says “dry,” you will need to calculate how many dry portions you consumed once cooked.
However, what do you do if there is no nutrition label? Fresh produce does not require a food label, so you may not be able to find carbohydrate contents as easily on these products. When a food does not have a nutrition label, you can use a carb counting app or follow a few simple guidelines.
To start, 1 serving of carbohydrates , which is also sometimes referred to as an “exchange” is equal to about 15g of carbs. For example, a baseball-sized piece of fruit, or one handful of fruit, typically equals 1 serving.
- ½ a cup of cooked grains or starchy vegetables has 15g of carbs.
- ⅓ of a cup of cooked rice or pasta is equal to 1 exchange.
A longer list of carbohydrates and their exchange or serving portions can be provided by your health care team.
Typically, it is recommended that meals have between 45-60g of carbohydrates and snacks less than 30g. An example of a healthy meal that fits within this general recommendation is 1 cup of mashed potatoes, salmon, and roasted asparagus.
If your health care team recommends a different carbohydrate amount for you, you can use nutrition labels and the measurement guidelines to create a meal that meets your needs.
If you need to match your insulin dose to the amount of carbs in your meal, it is helpful to have a calculator nearby. For example, if your diabetes team suggests you use 1 unit of insulin for every 15g of carbs you eat, you would divide the total number of carbs in the meal by 15. If your meal has 45g of carbs, you would find that you need to inject 3 units of insulin 15 minutes before you eat.
If you need to inject 1 unit of insulin for every 10g of carbs you would need to use 4 or 5 units.Ask your provider if you should round up or down if you don’t calculate a whole number.
The more you practice, the more comfortable you will get with counting carbohydrates. First, understand which foods have carbs and which don’t. Next, get comfortable with reading labels and using measuring cups. Soon, you will be able to estimate or “eye” the amount of carbs you are eating. You will not have to carry a measuring cup with you to restaurants and family barbecues, but you may need to bring along your calculator! Luckily that’s stored in the phone already in your pocket.