How to Count Carbohydrates

Most of the food we eat normally contains carbohydrates, proteins or fats. Carbohydrates make up for a large portion of our food. They are organic compounds that can be divided into two groups - sugar and starch. They are broken down into sugar (glucose) and then absorbed into the blood. Carbohydrates are an excellent source of energy. Normally, the brain and neuron can burn only carbohydrates to acquire all the energy needed. In fact, there are certain vitamins and minerals that get absorbed only in the presence of carbohydrates. A carbohydrate rich diet is also followed to lose weight and achieve that lean figure. Since carbohydrates are not essential nutrients, the intake has to be through food sources only, to provide your body with the adequate amount of fuel. Hence, you cannot do without carbohydrates, as you see how important they are. But excess or normal amounts of carbohydrates can cause unpleasant effects on some people. Find out more about the same in the next section.

Why Count Carbohydrates?

People with diabetes or those using an insulin pump, cannot produce enough insulin to regulate the sugar or glucose in their body. Therefore, including foods high in sugar content would only increase sugar levels in the body that lead to serious complications. All this makes it important for a diabetic to track his carb intake. There are several ways you can track or count carbohydrates, and listed below are a few of them.

Counting Carbohydrates in Foods Using a Chart

Counting carbohydrates can be done with a help of referring to a chart that gives the measurement of carbohydrates per serving. Below is a chart that gives you information about the carbohydrates present in the most common foods we consume everyday, that will help you track your carb intake.

FOODS	SERVING SIZE	CARBOHYDRATES (approximate)
Cereals	1 cup	30 grams
Bread	1 portion	15 grams
Oatmeal	1 cup	24 grams
Rice (cooked)	1 cup	55 grams
Potato (cooked)	1 cup	60 grams
Raw vegetable	1 cup	8 grams
Fruit juice	1 can	30 grams
Milk	1 cup	20 grams
Yogurt	1 cup	16 grams
Butter	1 Oz	0 grams
Starchy vegetables	1 cup	30 grams
Non starchy vegetables	1 cup	10 grams
Beer (regular)	12 Oz	13 grams
Beer (light)	12 Oz	5 grams
Meats	-	0 grams
Pasta	1 bowl	30 grams
Hamburger	1	26 grams
Ice cream	1 cup	30 grams
Chocolate bar (dark)	4 Oz	56 grams
Chocolate bar (milk)	2 Oz	32 grams
Aerated drink	16 Oz	50 grams
Raw fruit	1	15 grams

Other Ways

• Labels: Packed foods or canned foods have a label that informs us about its nutritional value or facts. It lists the number of carbohydrates, fats, proteins, minerals, and vitamins present in the foodstuff, which makes it easier of a person to track the amount of carbs intake.
• Books: A lot of cookbooks and nutrition books provide you with information on the carb content in each food. These books are specific and accurate in giving you the carb content per serving size.
• Software: There are certain software designed that help in easy counting of carbohydrates, which can be easily downloaded. All you have to do is just put in the serving size and the food type in the calculator they provide, and within no time it gives you the exact carb content in that particular food.

Now you know how to count carbohydrates to lose weight and regulate those high sugar levels. Resort to one of the methods above and keep a track of your carb intake through every food you eat everyday. Stay healthy. Stay fit!