Diabetes: Counting Carbs if You Don't Use Insulin
Reference Carbohydrate Opens New Window
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.
- 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 Reference 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.
-
True
This 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.
-
False
This 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 oatmeal
Both 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 pears
Both 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.
-
Reference Reference Diabetes: Counting Carbs if You Use Insulin.
Test Your Knowledge
-
Counting carbohydrate helps me know how much fat and
protein I am eating.
-
True
This 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.
-
False
This 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, Reference counting either grams or servings of carbohydrate.
- Eating standard portions of
Reference 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
Reference 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 Reference 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:
-
Reference 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 Reference PDF Opens New Window 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. 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 carbohydrate
This 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 carbohydrate
This answer is incorrect.
The breakfast (2 eggs, 1 cup milk, 1 slice of
toast, and 2 teaspoons margarine) 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 carbohydrate
This answer is incorrect.
The breakfast contains more than 22 grams of carbohydrate. The 2 eggs, 1 cup of milk, 1 slice of
toast, and 2 teaspoons of margarine contain a total of 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 carbohydrate
This 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. There are 0 in
the eggs, 15 in the milk, 15 in the toast, and 0 in the margarine for a total of 30 grams of carbohydrate in the breakfast. 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 carbohydrate
This 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. 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 carbohydrate
This answer is incorrect.
This lunch 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 carbohydrate
This answer is correct.
There are 45 grams in 1 cup of macaroni, 0 grams in ½ cup of grated
cheese, 15 in 1 cup of milk, 5 in ½ cup of carrots, and 15 in one apple, for a total of 80 grams of carbohydrate in this lunch. 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 health professional
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 write down any questions you have.
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.
|
|
More information about diabetes can be found in these
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