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Diabetes: Counting Carbs if You Don't Use Insulin
Introduction
Carbohydrate counting is a skill that can help you plan your diet to manage type 2 diabetes and control your blood sugar. This technique helps you determine the amount of sugar and starch (carbohydrate) in the foods you eat so you can spread carbohydrate throughout the day, preventing high blood sugar after meals. Carbohydrate counting gives you the flexibility to eat what you want and increases your sense of control and confidence in managing your diabetes.
Key points
- Carbohydrate is the nutrient that most affects your blood sugar.
- Carbohydrate counting helps you keep your blood sugar at your target level.
- You should consult a registered dietitian or certified diabetes educator to help you master carbohydrate counting and plan meals.
Carbohydrate counting is one method of meal planning for people who have diabetes. Carbohydrate counting means adding up the amount of carbohydrate in your food. Limiting carbohydrates when you eat helps prevent high blood sugar, because carbohydrate affects your blood sugar more than other nutrients. All forms of carbohydrate increase your blood sugar. Foods that contain carbohydrate include:
- Fruits and vegetables.
- Milk and yogurt.
- Starchy foods (such as breads, cereals, dry beans, and vegetables such as potatoes and corn).
- Sugary foods (such as candy and cakes).
Foods that have sugar usually have more total carbohydrate per serving than foods that have starch. You can eat foods that have sugar when you have diabetes, but if you eat a lot of them, you are probably not eating enough of other more nutritious foods.
You can use low-calorie artificial sweeteners that don't have sugar (such as Splenda or NutraSweet). You can eat foods that have sugar alcohols (mannitol, sorbitol, xylitol), a sweetener sometimes used in "sugar-free" processed foods like candies, cookies, and soft drinks. Treat sugar alcohols as carbohydrates, but for many people they don't affect blood sugar that much. They do contain some calories but less than sugar. Be careful using sugar alcohols, especially with children, because sugar alcohols sometimes cause diarrhea.
Test Your Knowledge
Carbohydrate counting helps you know how much carbohydrate you are eating during a meal.
- TrueThis answer is correct.
Carbohydrate counting helps you know how much carbohydrate you are eating during a meal. Carbohydrate is the nutrient that most affects your blood sugar. Carbohydrate counting allows you to spread the amount you eat throughout the day to prevent high blood sugar after meals.
- FalseThis answer is incorrect.
Carbohydrate counting does help you know how much carbohydrate you are eating during a meal. Carbohydrate is the nutrient that most affects your blood sugar. Carbohydrate counting allows you to spread the amount you eat throughout the day to prevent high blood sugar after meals.
Which of these foods contain carbohydrate?
- Wheat bread, rice, peas, and oatmealBoth answers are correct.
Wheat bread, rice, peas, and oatmeal all contain starch, a form of carbohydrate. Carbohydrate is an essential nutrient that comes in two forms: starch and sugar. Starch is found in foods such as bread, cereal, grains, and vegetables. Sugar is found in fruit, milk, desserts, and candy. Both answers are correct.
- Cheesecake, skim milk, and pearsBoth answers are correct.
Cheesecake, skim milk, and pears all contain sugar, a form of carbohydrate. Carbohydrate is an essential nutrient that comes in two forms: starch and sugar. Starch is found in foods such as bread, cereal, grains, and vegetables. Sugar is found in fruit, milk, desserts, and candy. Both answers are correct.
Carbohydrate counting helps you know how much carbohydrate you are eating. The more carbohydrate you eat at one time, the higher your blood sugar level will rise. Eating less carbohydrate at one time can help keep your blood sugar levels within your target range, preventing low or high blood sugar.
Both low and high blood sugar levels can cause emergencies. Over time, high blood sugar levels can damage many body tissues and organs. If you have gestational diabetes, high blood sugar levels can increase your risk for complications that can affect your health as well as your baby's health.
You also can count carbohydrate grams if you take insulin. For more information on carbohydrate counting when you use insulin, see:
Test Your Knowledge
Counting carbohydrate helps me know how much fat and protein I am eating.
- TrueThis answer is incorrect.
Counting carbohydrate grams does not help you know how much fat and protein you are eating. Carbohydrate counting helps you know how much starch and sugar you are eating. The more carbohydrate you eat at one meal, the higher your blood sugar level will rise after the meal.
- FalseThis answer is correct.
Carbohydrate counting grams does not help you know how much fat and protein you are eating. Carbohydrate counting helps you know how much starch and sugar you are eating. The more carbohydrate you eat at one meal, the higher your blood sugar level will rise.
Count carbohydrate and eat a balanced diet by:
- Working with a registered dietitian or certified diabetes educator. They can help you plan the amount of carbohydrate to include in each meal and snack, counting either grams or servings of carbohydrate.
- Eating standard portions of carbohydrate foods. Each serving size or standard portion contains about 15 grams of carbohydrate. It might be helpful to weigh your food when you are first learning what makes up a standard portion.
- Eating standard portions of foods that contain protein. Foods that contain protein (meat and cheese) are an important part of a balanced diet.
- Eating less saturated fat and trans fat. A balanced diet includes healthy fat. Talk with a registered dietitian about how much fat you need in your diet.
Other helpful suggestions
Here are some other suggestions that will help you count carbohydrate:
- Read food labels for carbohydrate content. Notice the serving size shown on the package.
- Check your blood sugar level. If you do this before and 1 hour after eating, you will be able to see how food affects your blood sugar level.
- Use a food record(What is a PDF document?) to keep track of what you eat and your blood sugar results. At each regular visit with your dietitian or certified diabetes educator, or whenever you think your meal plan needs adjusting, you can review your food record.
- Get more help. The American Diabetes Association offers booklets to help people learn how to count carbohydrate, measure and weigh food, and read food labels. See the Where to Go From Here section below for the address and phone number of the American Diabetes Association. Also, you will need to talk with a registered dietitian or a certified diabetes educator to build a plan that fits your needs.
Test Your Knowledge
Calculate the carbohydrate content in the following breakfast: 2 eggs, 1 cup milk, 1 slice toast, and 2 teaspoons margarine.
- 30 grams of carbohydrateThis answer is correct.
There are 30 grams of carbohydrate in this breakfast. There are 0 in the eggs, 15 in the milk, 15 in the toast, and 0 in the margarine. If you had problems with this exercise, take the question with you to your next visit with your diabetes educator. Have him or her help you learn how to calculate the carbohydrate content in food.
- 36 grams of carbohydrateThis answer is incorrect.
The breakfast (2 eggs, 1 cup milk, 1 slice of toast, and 2 teaspoons margarine) contains less than 36 grams of carbohydrate. The correct answer is a. It contains 30 grams of carbohydrate. There are 0 in the eggs, 15 in the milk, 15 in the toast, and 0 in the margarine. If you had problems with this exercise, take the question with you to your next visit with your diabetes educator. Have him or her help you learn how to calculate the carbohydrate content in food.
- 22 grams of carbohydrateThis answer is incorrect.
The breakfast (2 eggs, 1 cup milk, 1 slice of toast, and 2 teaspoons margarine) contains more than 22 grams of carbohydrate. The correct answer is a. It contains 30 grams of carbohydrate. There are 0 in the eggs, 15 in the milk, 15 in the toast, and 0 in the margarine. If you had problems with this exercise, take the question with you to your next visit with your diabetes educator. Have him or her help you learn how to calculate the carbohydrate content in food.
- 15 grams of carbohydrateThis answer is incorrect.
The breakfast (2 eggs, 1 cup milk, 1 slice of toast, and 2 teaspoons margarine) contains more than 15 grams of carbohydrate. The correct answer is a. It contains 30 grams of carbohydrate. There are 0 in the eggs, 15 in the milk, 15 in the toast, and 0 in the margarine. If you had problems with this exercise, take the question with you to your next visit with your diabetes educator. Have him or her help you learn how to calculate the carbohydrate content in food.
Calculate the carbohydrate content in the following lunch: 1 cup macaroni, ½ cup grated cheese, 1 cup milk, ½ cup carrots, and one apple.
- 50 grams of carbohydrateThis answer is incorrect.
This lunch (1 cup macaroni, ½ cup grated cheese, 1 cup milk, ½ cup carrots, one apple) has more than 50 grams of carbohydrate. The correct answer is c. It contains 80 grams of carbohydrate. There are 45 grams in 1 cup macaroni, 0 grams in ½ cup grated cheese, 15 in 1 cup of milk, 5 in ½ cup carrots, and 15 in one apple. If you had problems with this exercise, take the question with you to your next visit with your diabetes educator. Have him or her help you learn how to calculate the carbohydrate content in food.
- 40 grams of carbohydrateThis answer is incorrect.
This lunch (1 cup macaroni, ½ cup grated cheese, 1 cup milk, ½ cup carrots, one apple) has more than 40 grams of carbohydrate. The correct answer is c. It contains 80 grams of carbohydrate. There are 45 grams in 1 cup macaroni, 0 grams in ½ cup grated cheese, 15 in 1 cup of milk, 5 in ½ cup carrots, and 15 in one apple. If you had problems with this exercise, take the question with you to your next visit with your diabetes educator. Have him or her help you learn how to calculate the carbohydrate content in food.
- 80 grams of carbohydrateThis answer is correct.
This lunch (1 cup macaroni, ½ cup grated cheese, 1 cup milk, ½ cup carrots, one apple) contains 80 grams of carbohydrate. There are 45 grams in 1 cup macaroni, 0 grams in ½ cup grated cheese, 15 in 1 cup of milk, 5 in ½ cup carrots, and 15 in one apple. If you had problems with this exercise, take the question with you to your next visit with your diabetes educator. Have him or her help you learn how to calculate the carbohydrate content in food.
Now that you have read this information, you are ready to plan regular meals and snacks and calculate the amount of carbohydrate in your diet.
Talk with your doctor, registered dietitian, or certified diabetes educator.
If you have questions about this information, take it with you when you visit your registered dietitian or certified diabetes educator. You may want to mark areas or make notes in the margins of the pages where you have questions.
If you need help with carbohydrate counting or meal planning, ask to speak with a registered dietitian. If you have been writing in a food record, take it with you.
If you would like more information on meal planning for people who have diabetes, the following resources are available:
Organization
| American Diabetes Association (ADA) | |
| 1701 North Beauregard Street | |
| Alexandria, VA 22311 | |
| Phone: | 1-800-DIABETES (1-800-342-2383) |
| Email: | AskADA@diabetes.org |
| Web Address: | www.diabetes.org |
|
The American Diabetes Association (ADA) is a national organization for health professionals and consumers. Almost every state has a local office. ADA sets the standards for the care of people with diabetes. Its focus is on research for the prevention and treatment of all types of diabetes. ADA provides patient and professional education mainly through its publications, which include the monthly magazine Diabetes Forecast, books, brochures, cookbooks and meal planning guides, and pamphlets. ADA also provides information for parents about caring for a child with diabetes. |
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More information about diabetes can be found in these topics:
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Last Revised: July 1, 2011
Author: Healthwise Staff
Medical Review: E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine & John Pope, MD - Pediatrics
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