Figuring out the Carbs for Type One Diabetes

So you’re trying to figure out the carbohydrate count of the food you or your child with juvenile diabetes is about to consume.  So, the very first question you need to know the answer to is:

What are carbohydrates and their relationship with type one diabetes?

Carbohydrates can be loosely defined as the sugars and starches found in food.  Just to make things more complicated, however, not all carbohydrates are the same.  There are simple carbohydrates, like potatoes, juice or white flour or sugar and there are complex carbohydrates, like whole grains, vegetables and raw fruit.  The simple carbohydrates become converted into blood glucose at a faster rate than the complex carbohydrates.

The amount of insulin that is needed at mealtimes depends on the amount of carbohydrates that are taken into the body.   Having said that, the elimination of carbohydrates is definitely not a smart idea because you and your child need fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains.  In fact, as a general rule to keep in mind, carbohydrates should make up about half of all the food that you eat.

What you need to know

So—just what do you need to know to figure out how many carbohydrates are being eaten by your child with type one diabetes?

Food labeling

Food labeling makes it simple in some respects.   There are three things that you need to know:

1)   Look for the carbohydrates per serving entry

2)   Find out the serving size

3)   Determine how many servings you or your child are going to eat

In this example there are 31 grams of carbohydrates per serving.  There are 2 servings in this container.  It is a good idea to avoid foods where the first five ingredients include white flour, sugar or high fructose syrup.

What about other foods?

But how do you handle restaurant foods, or home cooked foods and fruits and vegetables?  What constitutes a serving?  How many servings are being consumed and how many carbohydrates do those servings translate into?

Here are a few carbohydrate counts:  An 8 oz glass of milk contains about 12 g of carbohydrates, a whole wheat bread slice is about 20 g, a slice of American cheese is 1 to 2 g.  Still, you will need some sort of reference to give you carbs per serving.

There are books and online tables available. Additionally, your Darios glucose monitoring system also provides carb counts.

How much is a serving when you are out at a restaurant?

Guestimate by Using Your Hand

Your thumb from the first knuckle to the fingertip is about the size of one ounce of food.   The palm of an average size woman is about the size of three ounces of food; for a man it is about four ounces.   Your closed fist represents about one cup of food.

So it may seem like a lot

But it is a matter of habit.  And remember:  imitating a healthy pancreas perfectly is not possible.  Doing your best is!