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Written by Jordan R. Wagner BSN, RN, CDCES
Carb Counting:
What are carbohydrates? Simply put, they are fuel for the body. There are 3 types of carbohydrates: starches (complex carbohydrates), sugars (simple carbohydrates), and fibers. Starch and sugar will increase the blood glucose level, whereas fiber will have little to no impact on glucose levels. Therefore, a diet higher in fiber can help to stabilize blood sugars, while simultaneously helping you to feel full. Non-starchy vegetables happen to be a great source of fiber! Starchy foods commonly include, grain products, breads, pastas, rice, tortillas, chips, potatoes, beans, corn, lentils, squash, etc. Sugars commonly include fruits, dairy products, and sweets like candies, cookies, or ice-cream. (see list at the bottom of post from the Instagram page for more foods containing, starches, sugars, and fibers).
The Importance of Carb Counting Important:
Carb counting is an important skill to have because often insulin doses are often based off the amount of carbohydrates eaten and eating the right amount helps to control blood glucose levels. For example, someone may take 1 unit of insulin for every 10 grams of carbohydrates or might know to eat less grams of carbohydrates if their blood glucose level is elevated.
Where to Begin:
To count carbohydrates, we start by looking at a nutrition label. We want to look at the top where it will say “serving size,” next, we look just below and will see “servings per container.” Once we have established our serving size and servings per container, we can look at the “total carbohydrates.” Underneath the total carbohydrates we will see “dietary fiber” and “sugars.” This is a breakdown of the types of carbohydrates in the product, remember there are 3 types of carbohydrates: starch, sugar, and fiber. As you recall, fiber doesn’t increase your blood glucose level in most situations, so we will subtract it from the total carbohydrates to get the net carbohydrates (if your doctor has advised you to do so).
Steps:
1. Look for the serving size
2. Look for the servings per container
3. Look for the total carbohydrates
4. Look for the breakdown of the total carbohydrates with the dietary fiber and sugar. Remember to subtract fiber from total carbs if your doctor has advised you to count “net carbs” instead of “total carbs.”
The next time you go grocery shopping, look at the nutritional labels, you may be surprised at how many carbohydrates are in some of the most consumed foods. When choosing meals, try to select carbohydrates from a variety of sources of starch, sugar, and fiber. Eating the right amount of carbohydrates will help you to control blood glucose levels and control your diabetes. Ask your doctor or health care provider what the right amount of carbohydrates per meal is for you.
The Quick Reference Carb Counting Guide:
This guide was created to be a quick reference for people who count their carbohydrates. It is not uncommon for people to count carbohydrates using carb choices. 1 carb choice is the same as 15 grams of carbohydrate. Many doctors recommend starting with 3 to 4 carb choices per meal (45-60 grams of carbohydrates). This guide lists the amounts of foods as 1 carb choice, which is helpful to know if you don't have access to the nutrition label. I recommend that you make a list of the most common foods that you like to eat with the carbohydrate content and commit it to memory. You can eat multiple carb choices, just be sure to remember to account for all the carbohydrates you are eating and take your medication as prescribed by your doctor.
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