A Carb Counting How-To

For people with diabetes, understanding how certain foods fit into their diet can be challenging. Carbohydrates are nutrients in food that affect blood sugar. By learning the basics of counting carbohydrates, you can develop a meal plan to keep blood sugars within a healthy range. A registered dietitian also can help you customize a diet -- especially if you must count carbohydrates for insulin dosing.

What Foods to Count

Carbohydrates include starches, fruits and fruit juices, dairy products and starchy vegetables. You can count the total grams of carbohydrates per serving or count the number of servings of carbohydrates the food contains. One serving of carbohydrate is equivalent to about 15 g of carbs. Staying consistent with your carbohydrate intake from meal to meal helps keep blood sugar within a healthy range.

Counting Carbs by Grams

To count carbohydrates by grams, scan food labels for the grams of carbohydrates in a serving. A single carbohydrate serving is equivalent to about 15 grams. Add up the grams of carbohydrates eaten in each meal. A person on an 1,800-calorie diabetic diet will need about 45 to 60 g of carbohydrates per meal. For items that do not have food labels, such as fresh fruits, use a carbohydrate-counting food exchange list with proper portion sizes. For example, a small piece of fresh fruit is about 15 g of carbohydrates.

Counting Carbs by Serving

A carbohydrate food exchange list can help you count carbohydrates by servings. According to the American Dietetic Association, a recommended serving size of carbohydrate foods equals about 15 grams. For example, one slice of bread, 1/2 cup of corn or potatoes, 1/3 cup of pasta and 1 cup of low-fat milk each count as one carbohydrate serving. A person on an 1,800-calorie diabetic diet may need about three to four servings of carbohydrates per meal. All carbohydrates are counted equally, even if you obtain all your servings from the same food group.

Tools for Counting Carbs

In addition to food labels and the food exchange list, other handy tools for counting carbohydrates include measuring cups and spoons, a food scale and a calculator. It also helps to record the foods you eat in a journal.