All About Carbohydrate Counting

What is carbohydrate counting? Carbohydrate counting is a way to plan your meals. It can help you manage your blood glucose (sugar). Carbohydrates, or carbs, are one of the three main energy sources in food. The other two are protein and fat. It’s the balance between insulin in your body and the carbohydrate you eat that determines how much your blood glucose levels rise after you eat. With the right balance of carbohydrate and insulin, your blood glucose level is more likely to stay in your target range. Counting carbohydrate can help you reach your blood glucose goals and prevent diabetes complications. You can learn to count carbs to choose what and how much to eat. If you take insulin, you can count carbs to decide how much insulin to take. Which foods have carbohydrate? Starchy foods, sugars, fruits, milk, and yogurt are mostly carbs. See examples in the chart below. These foods affect your blood glucose much more than other foods, such as meat and meat substitutes, vegetables, or fats. Carbohydrate foods (Carbs) • bread, bagels, biscuits, chapatti, muffins, crackers, matzoh, and tortillas • beans (such as black, garbanzo, kidney, lima, navy, or pinto beans), lentils, and peas (such as black-eyed or split peas) • ready-to-eat cereal or cooked cereal • barley, bulgur, couscous, grits, kasha, pasta, and rice • fruit (canned, dried, fresh, and frozen) and fruit juice • starchy vegetables such as cassava, corn, peas, plantains, potatoes, and winter squash, and sweet potatoes • buttermilk, milk, soy milk, and yogurt • sweets, such as candy, cookies, cake, brownies, doughnuts, ice cream, frozen yogurt, honey, jam, jelly, pie, pudding, sugar, and syrup • pancakes and waffles • popcorn, potato chips, pretzels, and rice cakes How many grams of carbohydrateHow many grams of carbohydrate are best for me? The recommended number of servings is based on your weight, activity level, diabetes medicines, and goals for your blood glucose levels. Your dietitian or diabetes educator, can work with you to make a personalized plan. A general guideline is to have • 45-60 grams of carbohydrate at each meal • 15-20 grams of carbohydrate servings at each snack What about other foods such as meats, vegetables, and fats? To have a balanced meal plan, you’ll want to include protein foods (such as meat, chicken, and fish), nonstarchy vegetables (such as salad and broccoli), and a small amount of healthy fats (such as olive oil and nuts). Talk with your health care team about what to eat for your meals and snacks. Why should I pay attention to serving sizes for carbohydrate foods? The amount of carbohydrate you eat can make a big difference in your blood glucose. If you eat more carbs than you normally do at a meal, your blood glucose level is likely to be higher than usual several hour