Carb Counts, Ratios and Rules of Thumb
I’ve developed this set of carb counts as rules of thumb based on our experience at home with foods that are and aren’t listed in the American Dietetic Association’s “Choose Your Foods” carb count book which my diabetic daughter brought home from the hospital. Get the ADA book and learn to use it for general eating purposes.
The lists below are what I’ve worked out for both for eating and cooking estimates.
I’ve tried to simplify this for home cooking portions and some of the basic categories of foods (ie, just “Beans,” not “Kidney beans…pinto beans…black beans) to answer the cook’s question: how much of this potato is one 15 gram carb serving?
These lists include most of the basic carb-containing whole foods and ingredients I use, not brand-name processed frozen pizzas or restaurant chain foods (the ADA book does the generic version for a lot of these, and you should be able to find specific food counts online at the company web sites).
There’s one exception to the no-brand, no-processed-stuff rule: candy (or see the bottom of this page for my rule of thumb and brand-name candy list links). Why candy? Because diabetic kids want to go trick-or-treating too.
Spike Foods
A couple of basic foods like summer fruits (peaches, nectarines, blueberries) and sometimes whole wheat bagels have given us more trouble with delayed “spikes” or unexpected blood sugar highs than their carb count according to the ADA book would have indicated. We treat them as though they had more carb–in the case of nectarines and peaches, about double what the book says, and our diabetes educator at the hospital mentioned this as well–but every diabetic reacts differently, so your experience may vary.
2013 note: Three years down the line, some of the fruits that used to spike my daughter don’t anymore, but the spike food strategy of counting them a bit higher in carbs for the weight worked while she needed it, so it’s worth keeping in mind if you need it. As always, pay attention to your blood sugar before and 2 hours after a meal and see how your body is reacting to a given food.
Processed snacks: One food group I don’t have good estimates for but which has given a LOT more trouble than it’s worth is processed cracker-snacks. Pepperidge Farm goldfish crackers, Keebler and Ritz crackers, Wheat Thins, taco chips, pretzels, Cheet0s, potato chips, etc. all list a small or modest carb count per serving and all of them seem to be seriously spike-prone. Be very careful with these or skip them altogether in favor of unprocessed snacks (bread, pasta, nuts, cheese, fruit, vegetables). It may be the added cornstarch, maltodextrin, modified starches, and so on that make these act as though they were more carby than listed on the label. Or it may be that the labels underestimate the carb–recent studies have shown that commercial food labels frequently understate the calories per serving by 20 percent or more, and carb counts might also be off.
Tools
If you need to count carbs precisely (to calculate how much insulin to give), you need a good carb count reference book like the ADA one and these three tools in your kitchen:
- a food scale that can weigh in ounces or grams, from 1 gram up to 2-3 kilos (1 gram up to about 6 pounds)
- a set of standard cup and spoon measures (1 c, 1/2 c, 1/3 c, 1/4 c, 1T, 1t, 1/2t, 1/4t)
- a basic calculator (cheap elementary-school grade is fine) for scaling up or down from whatever portion the package label lists to whatever carb level you want
How to Use the Carb Ratio Charts
Weigh the food you’ve got in grams. Multiply by the ratio or the percent number to get the approximate number of carb grams in that amount of food.
Example: 120 g potato x 1/6 = 20 g carb (or just divide 120 by 6) OR 120 g potato x 0.17=20.4 g (close enough)
Carb Count Ratios (carb grams per total grams, includes both sugars and starches)
- 1 oz = 28 g
- Can subtract half of the fiber grams in purchased breads and cereals etc. from the total carb grams on the label
Weighable Whole-Food Starches and Fruits
| Food | Ratio (carb g/total g) | % Carb | Example Servings |
| Apples (whole, raw) | 1/7.5 (~1/8) | 13% | 112g(4oz)=15g carb,168g(6oz)=22g |
| Banana (whole, w/peel) | 1/7.5 (~1/8) | 13% | 112g(4oz)=15g (one small 4″ banana or half of a regular large banana) |
| Orange (whole, w/peel) | 1/7.5 (~1/8) | 13% | 112g (4oz)=15g |
| Apricots (whole, fresh) | 1/5-1/6 | 15-20% | 1 sm/med = 10-15g |
| Peaches, nectarines, plums | 1/4-1/5 | 20-25% | 112g(4 oz)=25-30g (acts like this or more in our experience even though the book says a 5-oz nectarine has ~15g carb) |
| Corncob (whole, w/husk) | 1/9 | 11% | 1/2 cob ~140g(5oz)=15g carb |
| Potato (whole, raw) | 1/6 | 17% | 120g=20g carb |
| Sweet Potato (whole, raw) | 1/5 | 20% | 120g=24g carb |
| Bread (nonsweet) | 1/2 | 50% | 40g sandwich bread slice=20-25g carb |
| NEW! Raw Bread or Pizza Dough (for homemade) | 2/5 | 40% | 100 g raw pizza dough (for 1 calzone, pita or personal pizza)=40 g carb |
| NEW! Matzah (plain) | 3/4 | 75% | 1 square standard matzah (33 g) =28 g carb |
| Baked goods (scone, cake) | 2/3 | 67% | 30g (small 2x3x1/2″ slice)=20-25g 75g (2″ slice of layer cake from a 8-9″ diameter cake with frosting)=45-50g carb |
| Frosting or icing alone is ~90% carb | |||
| Fruit pie (2 crusts) | 2/3 | 67% | 1/6 standard 8″ pie=45-50g; 1/8=35-40g |
| Pumpkin pie | 2/3 | 67% | 1/6 std 8″ pie=35-40g; 1/8=25-30g |
Measurable Starches–Carb Counts by volume
- 1 standard carb serving=15g carb
| Oatmeal | 1/2 c dry (makes 1c cooked thick or 1 decent bowlful)=27-30g carb (2 carb servings) |
| Pasta and rice, most other cooked grains | 1/3c=15g carb (The book says for tabbouleh 1/2 cup=15g, but it acts like more so for my daughter so we use 1/3 c for a serving. It’s easier to remember too.) |
| Beans, chickpeas and lentils (cooked, not mashed), and lentil soup | 1/2c=15g carb |
| Hummus and refried beans (the thick mashed bean spread) | 1/3c=15g carb |
| Peas (black-eyed or fresh/frozen green) and corn kernels (fresh or frozen) | 1/2c=15g carb |
| Winter squash (butternut, acorn) | 1c=15g carb |
Measurable fruits
| Apple or Orange Juice (most fruit juices EXCEPT prune) | 1/2c (4oz)=13-15g |
| Applesauce | 1/2c=15g |
| Strawberries | 1/2c(4-5 strawbs or 3-5g ea)=15g |
| blackberries, raspberries | 3/4c=15g |
| blueberries | 3/4c=15g BUT acts much higher so check |
| cherries | 12-15=15g (~100% carb) |
| grapes | 1 grape=1 g carb (~100% carb) PER GRAPE |
| raisins | 1 raisin=1g carb PER RAISIN–so watch out if you get a huge clump in your raisin bran, it could really skew the average carb count |
| prunes | 5 prunes=27g carb or ~5g EACH |
| dried apricots | 4 apricots=20g or ~5g carb EACH |
| other dried fruit | CHECK PACKAGE LABEL |
Measurable Non-starchy Vegetables (green beans, broccoli, cabbage, tomatoes, zucchini, etc. etc.)
1 svg=5 g carb
- raw 1c=5g
- cooked 1/2c=5g
Dairy (everything except hard cheeses, cream cheese and butter)
- Hard or aged cheeses, anything with the whey pressed out completely–1oz=1-2g carb, considered NONCARB
- Cream cheese (plain unsweetened)–2 T=1-2g carb (~NONCARB)
- Butter–mostly fat, no carb
| Milk | 1c=12g carb |
| Yogurt, plain unsweetened | 1c=17g carb |
| Sweetened commercial yogurt | CHECK LABEL, typically 1/2-2/3c (4-6oz)=25-27g carb |
| Ricotta cheese, plain | 1/4c=3-4g carb |
| Nonfat powdered dry milk | 23g (enough to make 1c reconstituted milk)=12g carb; a 92g packet (enough for a quart)=48g carb |
| Ice cream without too much candy/cookie/syrup/fudge stuff included | CHECK LABEL, typically 1/2c serving=15-20g carb |
Milk Alternatives–CHECK LABEL; VERY VARIABLE
- Soymilk–unsweetened, no starches added, can be as low as 4g/cup, but more often up to 8-12g/cup
- Almond Milk–as with soymilk, can be as low as 2-4g/cup, but more often up to 8-12g/cup
- Rice Milk–automatically contains starches, check label
- Coconut Milk–check label
NONCARB/LOW CARB FOODS — GOOD FOR SNACKS
- “Proteins” — fish, chicken, meat, eggs, tofu, nuts, hard cheeses
- Nonstarchy vegetables raw — up to 1c (EXCEPT TOMATOES AND CARROTS IF THEY SPIKE YOU PERSONALLY)
- Nonstarchy vegetables cooked — up to 1/2c
- “Free” vegetables — watery, not very bulky vegetables such as celery, lettuces, spinach, cabbage
Baking Ingredients (See also main Cheat Sheet)
| Ingredient | Total Grams/Cup | Calories | Carb Grams |
| Granulated sugar | 200 | 774 | 200 |
| (per teaspoon) | (4) | (16) | (4) |
| Brown sugar, packed | 220 | 836 | 220 |
| all-purpose flour | 125 | 455 | 88 |
| whole-wheat flour | 120 | 407 | 92 |
| almond meal | 120 | 720 (mostly unsat fat) | 20 |
Sweets
| Maple syrup (real) | 0.25c(aka 2oz, 4T or 60mL)=53g carb (88% by weight) |
| Honey | 1T (21g)=17g carb (81% by weight) |
| Blackstrap Molasses | 1T=11g carb (52% by weight); CHECK LABEL to make sure it’s only molasses and not a mixture with corn syrup. |
| Most other syrups (agave etc) | CHECK LABEL; usually 16-17 g carb per tablespoon |
| Diet or sugar-free syrup, e.g. with Splenda | CHECK LABEL, still contains starches as thickener |
| Standard Jam or Jelly | CHECK LABEL, usually 1T=12-13g |
| “All-fruit” or “naturally sweetened” preserves | CHECK LABEL, usually 1T=7-9g, but still sweetened with apple or grape juice concentrate which is loaded with (“natural”) sugar |
| “Diet” or “low-sugar” jam | CHECK LABEL, usually 1T=7-9g, so no great advantage over all-fruit |
CARB SNACK/JUNK FOODS–CHECK LABEL
Plain taco chips (corn, oil, salt) ~10 chips=15g
(I don’t contemplate any other edible junk foods except maybe pretzels…which I haven’t bought in years)
Candy–CHECK LABEL–often very concentrated carb content for the weight
RULE OF THUMB : If all else fails, weigh the candy in grams and figure ~80-90% is carb.
Kids with diabetes or braces (we’ve had both kinds of woes):
If you work it out ahead of time with your kid, you can save a lot of heartbreak at Halloween or Valentine’s Day or birthdays (or any day when other kids are scarfing candy thoughtlessly in front of them) by showing them they don’t have to be left out altogether. They can’t just eat any amount of candy on the spot, and they probably can’t have it every day, but if there’s a special occasion with candy, they can take their share home and save it for the next meal. It helps if they bring a ziplock sandwich bag or the like ready to take it home in. They can choose which (limited amount of) candy they’re going to have, as long as they know how much carb is in it and they have their insulin to cover it. Helping them plan this ahead of time helps them look forward to events and take control. It can really make the difference between panic and contentment.
How to have it safely: one or two pieces at a time, at the end of a larger, nutritionally balanced meal as a special treat. And then their stash can last longer. It’s really what everyone should be doing–if you do it yourself, your kid will feel better–maybe even superior. Especially if they’re more of an expert than you are!
| Plain dark bittersweet chocolate | 1 small (1/2″) square=2-3g; a strip of 3 squares (out of 24) on a standard 3.5 oz bar is ~6g (more for Hershey’s, which is sweeter, more for milk chocolate, also sweeter, more if raisins or other fruit included) |
| Chocolate chips | CHECK LABEL, typically 15 chips=5-10g carb |
| Jellybeans | ~1g carb EACH |
| 3Musketeers, Snickers, Mars Bar, etc. “minis” (3/4″ x 1/2″ squares) | ~5-6g carb EACH |
| Hershey’s Kisses | ~4-5g carb EACH |
| Chewing gum | CHECK LABEL, 3-6g/strip; BETTER YET–go for the sugar-free and your kid can enjoy it without worry |
***Here’s a more comprehensive candy carbs list for parents of diabetic (or any) trick-or-treaters…and the new American Diabetes Association PDF sweets list
