The healthy carbohydrates found in fruits and vegetables are essential to optimal nutrition. Although these naturally occurring carbohydrates are much healthier than added sugars, it is still important to estimate how much you are consuming on a daily basis. The American Dietetic Association's exchange lists for meal planning are the perfect tool for tracking carbohydrate intake. The exchange lists provide serving sizes for a fixed number of carbohydrates. Rather than memorizing the carbohydrate counts of various foods, simply memorize the given serving size and you will always know how many carbohydrates are present.
Fruits
All servings of fruit on the exchange list are worth roughly 15 g of carbohydrates and 60 calories. For example, according to the list, one small apple, orange or banana equals one serving. Other examples include 1 cup of diced honeydew melon, 1 cup of papaya cubes, two small plums or 12 cherries.
Non-Starchy Vegetables
Non-starchy vegetables are worth 5 g of carbohydrate and contain 25 calories. For example, 1 cup of salad greens, 1/2 cup of cooked carrots, broccoli or zucchini, or one canned artichoke heart. Non-starchy vegetables contain the least amount of carbohydrates by volume of all the fruits and vegetables and are typically easy to count as most serving sizes are listed as either 1/2 or 1 cup.
Starchy Vegetables
The starchy vegetable group includes potatoes, corn, peas and beans. Like fruits, they also contain 15 g of carbohydrate but are generally slightly higher in calories, totaling an average of 80 calories per serving. A 3-oz. baked potato, one small ear of corn, 1/2 cup of peas or a 1/2 cup garbanzo beans count as one serving of starchy vegetables.
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