Carbohydrate is the main nutrient contributing to the elevation of your blood sugar after eating. When reading a food label, you can observe that the total carbohydrates actually correspond to the sum of the starch, sugar and dietary fiber found in a food. To evaluate how a food, such as popcorn, can influence your blood sugar levels with diabetes, look at the amount of total carbohydrates per serving. Adjust the carbohydrate content according to the serving you eat. Popcorn can be a good snack for diabetics because it doesn't contain too many carbohydrates per serving and is a good source of satiating fiber.
Carbohydrate Foods
Carbohydrates dominate the typical American diet. Grains are one of the primary sources of carbohydrates, providing 15 g of carbohydrates per slice of bread, 1/2 cup of oatmeal, 1/3 cup of cooked pasta, 1/3 cup of cooked rice, two small cookies, 1/2 small muffin, 1/2 English muffin, 1/2 hamburger bun or a 6-inch wide tortilla. Starchy vegetables and fruits also contain significant amounts of carbohydrates, with about 15 g of carbs per 1/4 of a large potato or small piece of fruit. You will also find the same amount of carbohydrates in 2/3 cup of sugar-free yogurt, 1/2 cup of legumes, 1/2 cup of ice cream or 1 tbsp. of syrup, jam or honey.
Popcorn
Each cup of air-popped popcorn contains 6.2 g of total carbohydrates, of which 1.2 g are dietary fiber. The nutrition value of microwaved popcorn is similar, with about 5.8 g of total carbs, including 1.1 g of fiber, per cup of low-fat microwaved popcorn. Caramel popcorn provides a lot more carbohydrates because of the added sugar it contains, with about 25.5 g of total carbs and 0.7 g of fiber per ounce.
Carbohydrate Metabolism
After eating carbohydrate-containing foods, your body secretes enzymes. Only the sugar and the starch are digested. Fiber travels through your gastrointestinal tract practically intact. Starches and sugars are broken down into smaller molecules, converting most of the carbohydrates into glucose, or a form of sugar. The glucose obtained from the digestion of carbohydrates is then absorbed into your bloodstream where it circulates and is available for your body to use. Insulin helps this circulating glucose enter your cells where it is burned for energy or stored as glycogen or fat for later use. Diabetics either do not produce enough insulin or they have become resistant to its action. Consequently, most of the glucose circulating in the blood stays there, which results in high blood sugar levels after the consumption of an excessive amount of carbohydrates.
Adequate Carbohydrate Intake
You can include popcorn in your diabetes eating plan if you make it fit within your carbohydrate budget. To keep your blood sugar levels under control, most diabetics need to keep their carb intake between 45 and 60 g at each meal. At snacks, you can have up to 30 g of carbs. For example, if you want to have popcorn, you could save some of your dinner carbs to eat later in the evening while watching a movie. Alternatively, you can use the carbs you would normally use for a snack. You can have between 3 cups and 6 cups of popcorn for a total of 15 g to 30 g of carbohydrates.
References
- American Diabetes Association: Carbohydrate Counting
- USDA National Nutrient Database: Nutrient Data Laboratory
- "Understanding Normal and Clinical Nutrition"; Sharon Rady Rolfes, Kathryn Pinna and Ellie Whitney; 2009
- Health Castle: Snacks And Diabetes: A Healthy Match
