Carbohydrate Counting

o you know what foods have the greatest impact on your blood sugars? If you an‐ swered CARBOHYDRATE FOODS...you’re Dright! Carbohydrates are broken down into glucose, so if you eat too much of them, your blood sugar level may rise. For this reason, people with diabe‐ tes find it helpful to keep track of the “carbs” they eat in order to manage their blood sugars. This is referred to as “Carb Counting.” Food that contain carbohydrate include starch, fruit, milk, and yogurt.

Carb counting is easy, it just takes some practice at first.

Rule 1: If a food has a label, use it. The Nutrition Facts Rule 4: If a food does not have a label, use Label (see reverse for sample label) on a food package is measuring tools. Measuring food with the most reliable way to understand what you are eat‐ cups, spoons, or food scales helps to deter‐ ing. mine the amount of carbohydrate. The fol‐  First look at the Serving Size. The numbers listed on lowing will provide approx 12—15 g carbo‐ the label are based on this amount of the food. hydrate:  Then look at The Total Carbohydrate. This is the  1 oz in weight of bread, cereal, rice*, or most important information to you. Included in this pasta* amount are: dietary fiber and sugars.  1/3 cup rice*, pasta*  3/4 cup dry cereal Rule 2: If a food has more than 5 g of fiber, you may con‐  4‐6 saltine crackers sider subtracting the fiber from the total amount of car‐  1 slice bread bohydrate. Dietary Fiber is a carbohydrate that is not  1/2 cup beans*, lentils* digested and therefore does not raise blood glucose like  1 small fruit sugar does.  3/4 cup berries  1 cup low fat milk Rule 3: Sugar Alcohols are not completely absorbed in  6 oz light yogurt the blood. Therefore we normally subtract half the * Should be measured after cooking amount of sugar alcohols from the total carbohydrate amount. Due to the reduced effect on blood sugar and because it has less calories than sugar, it is often used as a sweetener in diet foods. South Eastern Florida Regional Diabetes Program Diabetes Education Service 1450 Northwest 10th Avenue, Miami FL, 33136 Phone: 305‐243‐3696 Fax:305‐243‐5791 © 2009

Food Labels are Important

Reading food labels is easy and it provides you with good information. Here’s how to make sense of it…

The first thing to look at is Serv‐ ing Size. The information printed on this label is based on 1 cup of that food. If you were to have double the serving size, then you would have to double the num‐ bers. Next, be aware of the Calories. Calories matter when con‐

sidering weight manage‐ ment. If you are trying to lose weight be conscious of the calorie content in foods. In the label above, 1 cup of this product will give is 250 calories, and 2 cups will give us 500 calories. It is also important to look at fat and sodium content when trying to make healthier food choices. It is best to limit foods high in choles‐ terol, saturated fat, and so‐ dium. Try to consume less

than 300 mg of cholesterol, less than 20 g of saturated fat, and less than 2400 mg of sodium per day to maintain good heart health. Vitamins and minerals are healthy compounds that play an important role in many body processes, and so getting adequate amounts is important. Fiber is good in that it makes you feel satisfied for a longer time after a meal and it has less of an effect on blood sugars. Aim for 20‐30 grams of fiber each day.

Remember, the Nutrition Facts label is the best way to understand what you are eating, so use it! South Eastern Florida Regional Diabetes Program Diabetes Education Service 1450 Northwest 10th Avenue, Miami FL, 33136 Phone: 305‐243‐3696 Fax:305‐243‐5791 © 2009