3 Methods to Count Carbohydrates - Method1 Measuring Packaged Foods with Nutrition Labels

Carbohydrates are nutrients that provide an important source of energy for your body. They can come in many forms, the three most common of which are sugars, starches, and dietary fibers. Some people, such as those who are diabetic or otherwise insulin intolerant, must keep track of their carbohydrate intake to remain healthy. There are several methods you can use to count the number of units of carbohydrate that you consume; most of these ways can be done with a few simple household items and a calculator.

Method1 Measuring Packaged Foods with Nutrition Labels

1 Find the total amount of a serving size at the top of the nutrition label. Product labels give nutritional information based on serving size, not the entire contents of a package. Serving size is generally listed in both volume amounts and weight measurements. The weight is usually listed in parentheses next to the volume amount. For example, 1 cup of this product weighs 250 grams.

2 Measure out the amount of food you are going to consume. If you have a food scale, use the weight amounts rather than the volume amount to get a more accurate measurement. If you do not have a food scale, use measuring cups and spoons to get as accurate a measure as possible.

·         If you are using a food scale, you may need to use a bowl to contain the food you are weighing. Weigh the bowl empty first. Write down the weight of the empty bowl and subtract that amount from the total once you have added the food.

3 Divide the amount of your portion by the volume or weight per serving listed on the label. Doing this will give you the number of servings you will consume. For example, if your food weighs 500g, divide by 500 by 250 (the weight of each serving) to calculate that you will be consuming 2 servings. Similarly, if you have measured out 2 cups of food, divide by 1 to calculate that you will be consuming 2 servings.

·         Many labels will list the volume of serving sizes in fractions, such as ½ cup. To convert fractions to decimals for easy entry on your calculator, divide the first number of the fraction by the second number. For ½ cup, take 1 divided by 2 to equal 0.5. If you have measured out 2 cups of food with a serving size of ½ cup, divide 2 by 0.5 to equal 4 servings.

4 Read the carbohydrate content from the label on the food you are going to eat.For example, if the product label lists 20g of carbohydrates, that means there are 20 grams of carbohydrates per serving size.

5 Subtract the dietary fiber from the total carbohydrate amount to calculate the net carbohydrate amount. Fiber takes a long time for your digestive system to process and, as a result, much of the fiber you eat is not digested before it passes out of your body. Because it is not digested, fiber has little impact on your blood glucose levels and should not be counted towards your carbohydrate total.

·         Dietary fiber is often listed separately on a nutrition label, just below the total carbohydrates line.

6 Multiply the total number of servings you are going to eat by the net carbohydrates per serving amount. For example, there are 20g of carbohydrates per serving. Multiply 20 by 2, the number of servings you are going to eat, to equal 40. You will be consuming a total of 40g of carbohydrates with the serving size you measured out.