Carbohydrates are the largest single contributor of energy to your diet. The healthy carbohydrates found in vegetables, fruits, whole grains and low-fat dairy products contain a host of vitamins, minerals and protein that contribute to a well-balanced diet. Although the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that adults eat 45 to 65 percent of their diet from carbohydrates, the specific percentage depends on your unique dietary needs.
Step 1
Read the Nutrition Facts label to determine the grams of carbohydrate. For foods not packaged and without a Nutrition Facts label, you can use nutrient data reference books or online databases like the USDA Nutrient Data Laboratory.
Step 2
Add the total grams of carbohydrates from all your day's food intake, if you are evaluating the whole day.
Step 3
Multiply the grams of carbohydrates by four to determine the number of calories from carbohydrates. Do this based on a single food, a whole meal or all your meals in a day. Each gram of carbohydrate contains four calories. For example, a serving of food with 35 g of carbohydrates contains 140 calories from carbohydrates because 35 times four equals 140.
Step 4
Read the Nutrition Facts label to determine the number of total calories. Add the total calories from your meal or day if you are evaluating more than just one food.
Step 5
Divide the number of calories from carbohydrates by the number of total calories to calculate the percentage of calories from carbohydrates. For example, a food with 250 total calories and 140 calories from carbohydrates is 56 percent carbohydrate because 140 divided by 250 equals 0.56 or 56 percent.
Tips and Warnings
- Make at least half your grain choices whole grains like brown rice, whole-wheat pasta and 100 percent whole-grain bread.
Things You'll Need
- Calculator
- Nutrition Facts labels or nutrient database
References
- "Understanding Nutrition, Eighth Edition"; Eleanor Noss Whitney, et al.; 1999
- "USDA and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services"; Dietary Guidelines for Americans: 2010; December 2010
Member Comments