Carb content of certain foods

[SophiaW]

I wanted to ask what you calculate as the carb content of the following foods, reading the packaging, looking at the internet and referring to a set of carb counting scales all give me conflicting values.

Long grain white rice, boiled - the package says 76.8g carbs per 100g cooked rice. Googling the carbohydrate content of white rice I'm finding values mostly of 28g carbs per 100g cooked rice. So which value is correct? 76.8g or 28g per 100g, that's a big discrepency! If I inject according to the package Jess will go hypo less than 2 hours after eating.

Avocado - I calculate it at 1.9g per 100g because that's what the food label says, but the scales I have say it's 8.5g per 100g. Again a big discrepency. So which one is correct?

Broccoli boiled - I have values from different sources varying from 1.8g per 100g to 7g per 100g.

Cabbage boiled - I have values from 4.1g per 100g to 10g per 100g.

Green beans (French beans) - I have values from 3.2g per 100g to 7g per 100g.

Kiwi fruit - I have values between 11g per 100g and 14.6g per 100g

Peas boiled - I have values between 8.7g per 100g and 15.5g per 100g

 

[cocacola]

Sorry I have no idea about carb content. But I believe Basmati rice is a better type of white rice.

 

[SophiaW]

Thanks Chris, we do use brown rice too and that's 74g per 100g, well that's what the packet says for the cooked rice. If I look on the internet some sites are saying 23g per 100g for cooked brown rice. I'm really confused and don't know which value to use.

 

[kegstore]

Sophia

I have exactly the same problem and it's really frustrating. I tend to go with whatever is indicated on the packet, as my scales are 5 years old and there's no way to update the codes. I will only use the code on the scales for fresh fruit and veg, since there's no label provided on these! The Collins Gem is a fairly reliable source too for unlabelled items. For anything else I rely on the label, which works well for me.

 

[Synonym]

The first time I am cooking or putting together a particular meal then I will count the carbs quite carefully and often check even the packets to the book and to the scales and generally they aren’t too far out although I mainly buy fresh or loose foods. I have taken to noting on my recipes and food diary what the relevant numbers are which saves doing it again.

I am not counting carbs to the extent that it matters too much whether there is only a slight discrepancy as I use my meter and BG levels overall. Once I have an idea of the total for a particular meal I am taking it as read that, if my meter readings indicate it is ok for me, then I don’t worry about it anymore.

I am not testing as much now that I know what the food does to me except when I am feeling a bit off colour or really tired when I feel I ought to know but I am being careful on the portion size.

 

[phoenix]

You'll find different figures on the net because those from US sources are calculated differently than in Europe and also include fibre.

rice: I'm sure that the 76.8 figure is for uncooked rice. if you look at the gi data base( it should be accurate and being Aussie works it out as we do) it does depend a bit upon variety.
For cooked rice non specified variety brown it works out at 22g /100 per hundred,
for white Basmati 28g/100
other rice variety varies 26-20.
It gives 10/hundred for kiwi

It doesn't have the other items
For the veg I normally use a little book which gives rough measures and just estimate my veg as a whole.
Cauli: 2.5/100
brocolli : 2.5/100
cabbage: 2.5 /100
Haricots vert: 5 / 100
peas: 10/100g (another book gives also a lower figure for petit pois which makes sense as they have more starch)

Avocado (1/2 a fruit) 2g carb (a second book I have it works out at 1.8 per 100g)

 

[SophiaW]

Ignore this post.

 

[SophiaW]

Thanks Phoenix, those figures are helpful.

OMG I'm so thick! I've re-checked the label and this is what it says:

"Cooked in boiling water a 75g serving provides:... 55.3g Carbohydrate". So I calculated that into per 100g and it works out at 73.7g per 100g. But what I didn't notice elsewhere on the label it says:

"A 75g serving of rice weighs approx. 195g when cooked."

I though the label meant a 75g cooked serving, but they really mean a 195g cooked serving (or 75g uncooked).

They don't exactly make it clear do they!

Working on that figure it is 28g per 100g

 

[kegstore]

That's a lot of rice Sophia, you'd have to be really hungry! :lol:

 

[SophiaW]

I never even noticed the string of text saying it's 195g when cooked, I'd never serve her that much rice! This is why I try to get a value per 100g as the portion sizes they give on packaging is always way too high and working from 100g I can easily calculate the value of a smaller portion. She'd have a 40g cooked portion on average.

 

[kegstore]

Exactly, and further evidence of the uselessness of the word "portion"

 

[Synonym]

I was struggling for what a portion size should be and read a post by Hana where she suggested your cupped hand is a good measure for your own portion.

Her granddaughter’s hand is much smaller than her own so they both get a portion relevant to their own hand size. I have used this when feeding my grandsons and it works perfectly - as it does with their dad! 8)

 

[lovinglife]

was struggling for what a portion size should be and read a post by Hana where she suggested your cupped hand is a good measure for your own portion.

Her granddaughter’s hand is much smaller than her own so they both get a portion relevant to their own hand size. I have used this when feeding my grandsons and it works perfectly - as it does with their dad!

This is whatt I was taught many many moons ago in my past life as a foodie - although I will hold my hand up and say I never applied it much in the past

a portion of stuff like rice spaghetti etc (carbs) is a cupped hand

a portion of lean meat or protein - curl your fingers onto your palm and the fleshy bit and your thumb (looks like a chicken drumstick :lol: ) thats what size your protien should be

any hard dairy such as cheese should be the size of your thumb

spreadable dairy the size of your thumb nail.

Veg being the only free food and fruit being the size of your clenched fist

The Dietitan who I saw in hospital used this way in conjuction with the healthy plate (well she has too doesn't she :? ) - but also said that she didn't agree with all the portion per day reccomendations esp the carbs which in her opinion should read no more than 6

 

[kegstore]

:roll: I rest my case.

 

[Synonym]

Kegstore I am sure that is really simple compared to what you have got your head round already as I see you are Type1 on insulin. :lol:

 

[raydavies]

Regarding the variable carb levels stated for vegetables. I suspect the degree of maturity and the amount of stalk included may have a bearing on things.

Runner beans with fat beans would, I would have thought, have a higher level of carbs than young ones with smaller immature beans. I'm guessing that a broccolli floret with a long stalk would have a different carb level to one with a short stalk.

I stress just guesswork!

Ray

 

[catherinecherub]

I would also think that there would be more fibre in the type of things that raydavies describes. Fibre acts as a physical barrier and slows down the absorption of carbs into the blood.

 

[raydavies]

Yes, I think fibre is the key. A stalk of broccolli or cabbage would contain more fibre than the green part and therefore lower the percentage of carbs.

I eat tons of green veg and try to include as much edible stalk as I can. I split thicker parts to even out cooking time.

Ray

 

[catherinecherub]

We seem to have digressed here What I would say before we get back on track is that fibre rich foods are OK for older children and adults but very young children have smaller stomachs and as fibre rich foods are more filling but low in energy they may not satisfy the children's energy needs.

 

[raydavies]

Digressed? The original poster asked, amongst other things:

Broccoli boiled - I have values from different sources varying from 1.8g per 100g to 7g per 100g.

Cabbage boiled - I have values from 4.1g per 100g to 10g per 100g.

Green beans (French beans) - I have values from 3.2g per 100g to 7g per 100g.

I was offering a logical explanation for these apparent discrepancies. It's obvious a 100g of cabbage with a lot of stalk would have a different carb content from 100g of cabbage with the stalk removed. Fibre would, possibly, account for the difference.

Childrens dietary requirements didn't figure in this.

Ray