Carbohydrate Counting: It Adds Up to Improved Blood Glucose Control

Most of the glucose in your blood after a meal comes from the carbohydrates in your food. As the carbohydrates (carbs) are broken down into glucose and absorbed, the amount of glucose in your blood goes up. That's why carbohydrate counting is so important.

Carbohydrate counting is a method of calculating the amount of carbohydrates consumed at a given time (as measured in grams). The amount of carbohydrates you eat (whether sugar or starch) will determine how high your blood glucose level will be after a meal or snack. Overdoing the carbohydrates can quickly lead to a spike in blood glucose levels.

The "How To" of Carb Counting

Step one: With the help of your dietitian, you can learn how many total grams of carbohydrates you should have each day and how much you should eat at meals and snacks. You can also read the nutritional information listed on the back of any package of food for the amount of carbohydrates. One serving from the Starch (breads, pastas, potatoes) or Fruit group contains 15 grams of carbohydrates, while one serving from the Milk group contains 12 grams. Vegetables contain about 5 grams of carbohydrates. (See Chart below.)

The How to of Carb Counting

This list shows the average grams of carbs in each food group per serving (a serving is the appropriate amount of food per sitting in a category; all food labels tell you how much of that particular item equals one serving).

Step two: When you know how many grams of carbohydrates you need each meal, you can choose foods from any of the carbohydrate-containing food groups to meet your allowance for a given meal. (See examples below.)

What's your breakfast total?

Whats Your Breakfast Total?

Benefits of carb counting

Wider variety of food choices
Better blood glucose control
A better ability to adjust your insulin based on food intake
A greater feeling of control over diabetes

Find out more from these carb counting reference books:

The Complete Book of Food Counts by Corinne Netzer
The Diabetes Carbohydrate and Fat Gram Guide by Lea Holzmeister
The Carbohydrate Addict's Gram Counter by Richard Heller
The Restaurant Lovers' Fat Gram Counter by Kalia Doner

Speaking with your nutritionist or another member of diabetes care team can provide you with a treasure trove of valuable information.