Carbohydrate counting - need advice

[shabbysquire]

Just a quickie re carbs counting. When looking at food packets, do you only check the value of carbs, or take note of carbs which sugars value?

Just to confirm the recommended daily carb intake for males is 150g, and females is 125g?

Thanks in advance.

[swimmer2]

There's been a long thread on this recently, but in general my advice is that you look at the Total carbs figure primarily. If the 'of which sugars' figure is quite a large proportion of the total than the carbs will hit your bloodstreams quicker and may cause more of a spike.

[shop]

You should look at the total carbs value.

[shabbysquire]

Ok, this might get hairy!

In the example of a tin of baked beans, carbs is 30g (per 1/2 tin), and that of which sugars is 10g. Assuming I consumed half the tin, then would I combine both values?

[shop]

It would be the 30 gms. If you ate the whole tin 60gms. Always go by just the total carbs but may have to calculate depending on what info is given and how much of it you will eat.

If you wanted to eat 1/3 of the tin it would be 60 divided by 3.



You should have a list of the CHO value per 100 gms of most foods. Also on most pre packed food it will have it listed.

If you had boiled potatoes for example: Weigh the total amount uncooked and note how many grams. Then find out the carb content per 100gms

The calculation would go like this: for example: 600 ( total weight of uncooked potatoes ) x 15 ( cho of new pots with skin on, per 100gms ) divided by 100 = 90gms ( I am feeding 3 people so would divide this by 3 ) = 30gms

Hope this helps.

Lucy. xxx

[shabbysquire]

Thanks Lucy for the explanation!