Carbohydrate counting (or carb counting) is a method of calculating grams of carbohydrate consumed at meals and snacks. People count carbohydrates because they affect blood glucose levels, and it's essential for those with diabetes who are on insulin to understand carb counting. If you know the amount of carbohydrate in the foods you eat, you will be able to determine how much insulin you need to keep your blood sugar under tight control.
Food Groups and Carbohydrate
The first step in carb counting is knowing what foods contain carbohydrate. Carbohydrate is found in all foods except meats and fats. Foods that contain mostly carbohydrates are breads, grain, cereals, pasta, starchy vegetables and fruits. Dairy products like milk and yogurt (not cheese and cream) also contain carbohydrate in addition to protein. Foods high in carbohydrate are sweets and combination foods like pizza and casseroles.
Basics of Counting
For packaged foods, the nutrition facts labels list the amount of carbohydrate in grams per serving. You can use these labels to determine how many carbs you usually consume. For example, if you have 1 cup of cereal for breakfast and the nutrition label says 1/2 cup cereal contains 17 carb grams, your bowl of cereal has 34 grams of carbohydrate. In the carbohydrate "exchange" or "choice" system, one carb choice is equivalent to 15 grams of carbohydrate. Many carb counters use books like The Complete Book of Food Counts to plan their diet.
Insulin and Carbohydrate
If you are counting carbohydrate to figure out the amount of insulin you need for a given meal, you will need to use your own insulin-to-carbohydrate ratio, which your health care professional will help you determine. For example, if your insulin-to-carb ratio is 1 unit insulin to 10 grams of carb, you will need 6 units of insulin to cover 60 carb grams. The insulin-to-carb ratio is different for different individuals and may change over time.
Nonstarchy Vegetables
Each cup of raw or half cup of cooked nonstarchy vegetables is counted as 5 grams of carbohydrate. Examples of nonstarchy vegetables are asparagus, broccoli, cabbage and green leafy vegetables. Unless you are eating more than two portions, the carbs in these vegetables don't need to be counted.
Benefits of Carb Counting
Counting carbs allows flexibility in your meal planning. As long as you keep your total carbohydrate within the target range, you can occasionally consume sweets and sugars. And since counting carbs gives you precise information about your carbohydrate intake, along with the insulin-to-carbohydrate ratio it can help you achieve tighter control over your blood glucose.
Caution
Carbohydrate counting does not take calories into consideration, only carbohydrate content. It is important to limit intake of carbohydrates with little nutritional value, as well as to reduce intake of total fat (especially saturated and trans fat), to decrease risk of weight gain and heart disease.
References
- Joslin Diabetes Center: Carbohydrate Counting 101
- American Diabetes Association and American Dietetic Association; "Carbohydrate Counting;" 1995
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