Carbohydrates are an essential part of a healthy diet, as they are converted into sugar during your digestion process, making your blood sugar levels rise, along with your insulin levels. Insulin then takes your blood sugar into your cells, to be used as energy, providing your body with fuel for proper organ function and physical activity, according to Harvard University School of Public Health. A low-carbohydrate diet, such as the Zone or the Atkins diet, emphasizes your protein intake and limits your carbohydrate intake. To count your carbohydrate intake, you must become familiar with reading food labels as well as using a scale and food reference book.
Food Labels and Reference Books
Step 1
Look at the food label of the product you are going to eat or use a food reference book and find the nutritional information box. On the top, it will state the serving size for the information provided and in the chart below, you will see a line that provides the grams of carbohydrates for that serving size.
Step 2
Use your measuring cups or spoons to measure out the amount that matches the serving size stated on the nutritional information to know exactly how many carbohydrates you are consuming.
Step 3
Add the grams of carbohydrates for the amount of serving sizes you will eat if you are having more than one.
Using a Scale
Step 1
Use your gram scale to weigh your food. This method is very convenient for measuring the carbohydrate grams in unlabeled food products such as fruits, soups and un-sliced bread, suggests the website Diabetes Net.
Step 2
Look up the carbohydrate percentage of your food in a chart you can find in your food reference book or online.
Step 3
Multiply this number by the food's total weight to get the total grams of carbohydrates present in your food.
Tips and Warnings
- A low-carb diet will commonly have a low calorie count, which can help you lose weight. It also may take you longer to feel hungry after eating because your food will consist of mostly protein and fat, which take longer to digest than carbohydrates. The carbohydrates you consume should come from nutrient-dense foods such as fruits, vegetables, leafy greens, whole grains and low-fat dairy products to obtain enough fiber and prevent gastrointestinal problems, suggests the Mayo Clinic.
- The Mayo Clinic warns against choosing food high in saturated fat, such as fatty cuts of meat and egg yolks, as this may increase your chances for heart disease.
Things You'll Need
- Food reference book
- Gram scale
- Measuring cups and spoons
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