How to Count Carbs

Calculations of an acceptable number of carbohydrates depend on factors like total caloric intake, weight and height, amount of exercise and whether a person is trying to maintain weight or lose it. By counting carbohydrates in food, you can control the portion you have in every meal and the total you have for the day. This is a good way to get all the great nutrients in carbohydrate-laden food, while keeping blood sugar under control.

"Counting carbohydrates takes some instructions but is not difficult once you understand how many grams of carbohydrates are best for you each day," says Samantha Heller, RD, nutrition coordinator for the Fairfield, Conn. YMCA.

Find the amount of carbohydrate in a serving of food:

1. Weigh the food to find its total weight in grams. Note that the total weight of the food is not how many grams of carb in the food.
2. Find the food’s carb percentage in one of the food groups listed in Appendix A.
3. Multiply the food’s total weight in grams by its carb percentage.
4. The result of this multiplication gives the number of grams of carbohydrate that the food contains.

Additionally, if you have an iPhone or an iPod touch, consider recommend the applications called "foodpoints" and "restaurant nutrition "(http://www.HealthyandfitCommunities.com - currently in version 1.32). These two applications have most of the carb information for almost any fast food or chain restaurant in the United States.

 

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