Gram Counter Diet

Counting grams of carbohydrates, protein and fat in your diet can help you manage your weight. You need a certain percentage of each of these macronutrients to support your bodily functions. Having an imbalanced diet by consuming too much or too little of any single macronutrient can lead to weight gain and related health issues. Schedule an appointment with a registered dietitian. She can help you learn to count grams of carbs, protein and fat, setting you up for optimal weight management.

Macronutrients in the Diet

Your diet should consist of 40 to 65 percent carbohydrates, 10 to 35 percent protein and 20 to 35 percent fat, according to the Mayo Clinic. Both carbohydrates and protein provide four calories per gram, while fat is concentrated and has nine calories per gram. If you normally follow a 2,000-calorie diet, these percentages account for 225 to 325 g of carbohydrates, 50 to 175 g of protein and 44 to 78 g of fat per day. Knowing the approximate amount of carbohydrate, protein and fat grams in the foods you eat can help make your gram counter diet successful.

Carbohydrates

Almost all foods contain some type of carbohydrates; animal meats, cheese and eggs are the exception. A serving of grains or starch provides 15 g of carbohydrates. Examples of single servings include 1/2 cup of oatmeal; 4 oz. of a starchy vegetable, such as a potato; 1/3 cup of rice or pasta or a slice of bread. Fruits also provide 15 g of carbs per serving, such as 1/2 cup of 100 percent juice, a small 4-oz. whole fruit, 1/2 cup of canned fruit or 2 tbsp. of dried fruit. Nonstarchy vegetables, like salad greens, broccoli, tomatoes, peppers and eggplant, offer 5 g of carbs per 1/2 cup cooked or 1 cup raw serving. Additionally, milk and yogurt contain 12 g of carbohydrates per 8-oz. or 1-cup serving.

Protein

Animal meat and dairy foods are well-known for their high-protein content. All meats, such as poultry, beef, pork and veal have 7 g of protein per ounce, according to the American Dietetic Association. Fat and caloric values vary based on lean versus fatty varieties of meat. Three egg-whites provide approximately 10 g of protein and cheese also has 7 g of protein per ounce. Milk and yogurt each contain 8 g of protein per 8-oz. or 1-cup serving.

Fat

While following a gram counter diet counting your fat grams is especially important since fat is so high in calories. High-fat meat, such as bacon or sausage, has 8 g of fat or more per ounce, while the same size serving of lean meat, including skinless chicken and tuna, provides 3 g of fat or less. Switching to skim milk over whole milk can cut your fat grams down to 0 g per 8-oz. glass versus 8 g for whole milk. Whole-grain foods, including a slice of wheat bread or 1/3 cup of brown rice, have trace amounts of fat, usually less than 1 g. Fruits and vegetables are naturally fat-free, with the exception of avocados and olives. Avocados have 5 g of fat per 1-oz. or 2-tbsp. serving and eight black olives contain the same amount of fat.