Learning To Read Labels
If you eat packaged foods, a convenient way to figure out how much carbohydrate is in your food is to use the “Nutrition Facts label.” The “Nutrition Facts Label” is found on the outside of the container.
To count carbohydrates, look at three things:
- Serving size
- Number of servings per container
- Grams of total carbohydrate per serving
The total carbohydrate tells how many grams of carbohydrate are in one serving. Be careful when reading the label. There can be more than one serving size in the package, so if you eat more than one serving, you will need to multiply the grams of carbohydrate accordingly.
Now let’s practice using a sample food label:
- The serving size listed is 1 cup (or 4 ounces).
- The number of servings per container is 3.
- The grams of total carbohydrate per serving is 10 grams.
- If you eat the entire box, you would be eating 30 grams of total carbohydrate (3 servings x 10 grams total carbohydrate equals 30 grams).
- Or if you eat half the box, you would eat 15 grams of total carbohydrate (30 grams of total carbohydrate divided by 2 equals 15 grams of total carbohydrate).
Remember, when you are learning to count carbohydrates, measure the exact serving size to help train your eye to see what portion sizes look like. If the serving size is half a cup, measure out half a cup. Keep doing this until you get a good idea of the weights and volumes of different foods. Measuring foods at home can also make you feel more comfortable with estimating portion sizes in restaurants.
Nutrition Facts labels list a breakdown of the total carbohydrate from dietary fiber and sugars. This can be confusing.
On Nutrition Facts food labels, the grams of dietary fiber are already included in the total carbohydrate count, but because fiber is a type of carbohydrate that your body can’t digest, it does not affect your blood sugar levels. You may subtract the grams of fiber from the total carbohydrate. View this example Nutrition Facts label showing fiber. (PDF)
When you read food labels, the grams of sugar are already included in the total carbohydrate amount, so you do not need to count this sugar amount separately. The grams of sugar listed include both natural sugars, from fruit or milk, and added sugars.
Some Nutrition Facts labels may also list sugar alcohols under total carbohydrate. Sugar alcohols may be found in products that are labeled “sugar-free” or “no sugar added.” But don’t be fooled – sugar alcohols are still a form of carbohydrate, and they still affect your blood sugar levels, if not as dramatically.
View an example of a Nutrition Facts label showing how to count sugar alcohols. (PDF)