Counting your carbs can be a useful way to lose weight or better control your blood sugar levels and diabetes. Even if you have little experience in cooking, dieting or don't know much about nutrition, you can easily track your carb intake by implementing a few strategies that will make it easier, whether you are a busy man often eating out or whether you eat home cooked food.
Online Tracking Tools and Apps
To help you keep track of your carb intake and ensure you stay within your recommended carb range, use an online tracking tool or download an app on your cell phone. All you need to do is enter the food and serving size of the food you eat and the online tracking tool or app will do all the counting for you. Ideally, do it ahead of time. For example, enter your food and portions to be eaten before eating your meal so you can make adjustments, if necessary, to keep your carb intake within your desired range.
Don't Bother With Carb-Free Foods
Whether you decide to use an online tracking tool, an app on your cell phone or do it manually, you do not have to bother at all with carb-free foods. One of the advantages of carb counting is that you do not have to worry about calories or fat. Therefore, you do not have to include foods that you know do not contain carbohydrates, such as protein-rich foods like poultry, fish, seafood, pork, beef, game meat, cheese, eggs or tofu. You also don't need to tally fat-rich foods like oils, butter, cream, full-fat mayonnaise and salad dressings. Only consider grains, vegetables, sugar, breaded foods, sweet sauces, fruits, milk, yogurt and nuts.
Estimating Serving Sizes
Men who haven't done a lot of cooking often find estimating portion size difficult, but this skill is important to help you count your carbohydrates accurately. To get used to portion sizes, it is a good idea to use your measuring cups and measuring spoons, at least for a few meals, to help you see, for instance, what 1 cup of pasta, rice or potatoes looks like on your plate.
Use Your Hands
Another quick way to estimate your serving size is to use your hands, although the size of your hands may influence these measurements. The size of your closed fist is the equivalent of about 1 cup or 8 oz., while what fits in the palm of a hand would be closer to 1/2 cup or 4 oz. The size of two of your fingers corresponds to 1.5 oz. of cheese, your thumb is about 1 tbsp. and the tip of your thumb corresponds to about 1 tsp. This tool is especially useful for estimating your carb intake when you eat out.
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