Foods with Carbohydrates
You may be wondering, how can I count carbohydrates when I don't know what they are? Carbohydrates are found in a variety of food groups or categories. The basic thing to remember when it comes to carbohydrate counting is that 1 serving of carbohydrate is equal to 15 gms of carbohydrate.
| 1 Starch = | 15 grams carbohydrate | = 1 carb |
| 1 Fruit = | 15 grams carbohydrate | = 1 carb |
| 1 Vegetable = | 5 grams carbohydrate | = 1/3 carb |
| 1 Milk = | 12 grams carbohydrate | = 1 carb |
| 1 Protein = | 0 grams carbohydrate | |
| 1 Fat = | 0 grams carbohydrate | |
As you can see, vegetables also contain some carbohydrate but a lesser degree. When planning a meal with vegetables, it would take a total of three servings to equal 15 gms carbohydrate. Because of the high fiber content of vegetables, the carbohydrate consumed in 1 or 2 servings does not have to be counted.
Protein and fat do not contain any carbohydrate, however, it is important to include food selections from these categories on a daily basis as well.
Carbohydrates are found in a variety of food groups or categories.
The following is a list of carbohydrate containing foods and the portion size for one serving (15 gms) of carbohydrate. (Note: The portion size for one serving of vegetables is equal to 5 gms of carbohydrate)
| Starches |
1 slice bread
½ c. cooked pasta
1 c. flake type cereal
½ c. corn
½ c. peas
1 small baked potato
6 saltine crackers |
Fruit & Fruit Juices |
1 small orange
1 small banana
1 small apple
17 small grapes
½ c. apple juice
½ c. orange juice |
| Vegetables |
1 medium tomato
½ c. cooked green beans
1 c. lettuce
1 c. raw onions
½ c. cooked beets
1 c. raw carrots |
Milk |
1 c. milk
1 c. nonfat fruit-flavored yogurt sweetened with aspartame or a non-nutritive sweetener. |
| Other Carbohydrates |
2 in. square of unfrosted cake
2 small cookies
½ c. ice cream
1 c. regular pudding |
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What if the serving size on the label for carbohydrate is greater than 15 gms per serving?
Many times the number of carbohydrates listed for a food item on a label will exceed 15 gms/serving. The following information can be used as a reference in helping you determine how many servings of carbohydrate you are getting per serving of a particular food item:
| Range of Carbs on Food Label | Equal To |
| 0-5 gms | Free |
| 6-10 gms | ½ carb |
| 11-20 gms | 1 carb |
| 21-25 gms | 1 ½ carb |
| 26-35 gms | 2 carb |
Meal planning with carbohydrates
If your goal is to eat 60 grams of carbohydrate at lunch, you could use either of the following examples to meet that goal:
| Lunch #1 |
| Food |
Amount |
Grams of Carb |
| Sandwich: Bread |
2 slices |
30 |
| Meat |
3 oz. |
0 |
| Fruit |
1 small banana |
15 |
| 1% Milk |
1c. |
12 |
| |
Total Grams: |
57 |
| Lunch #2 |
| Chicken noodle soup |
1 c. |
15 |
| Dinner roll |
1 small |
15 |
| Tossed salad |
½ c |
free |
| w/ fat free dressing |
2 Tbsp. |
7.5 |
| Low fat fruited yogurt |
½ c |
22.5 |
| |
Total Grams: |
60 |
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