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Checking carbs on food labels

  • Thread starter Thread starter Maybird
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Maybird

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I always check food labels mostly for saturated fat content because of being on a low fat diet but now I am prediabetic I do look at sugar content as well and thought if that was low then ok to buy it.
So what is considered to be to high in the overall content of carbs in food
 
Maybird said:
I always check food labels mostly for saturated fat content because of being on a low fat diet but now I am prediabetic I do look at sugar content as well and thought if that was low then ok to buy it.
So what is considered to be to high in the overall content of carbs in food
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Most obvious in the high carb stakes are things like breads & pastries, pasta, potatoes and, of course, sugar. There are some less obvious things as well, such as fruit in certain forms. Often the sugar content listed on a packet is not exactly a good sign of carb content if you are strictly counting carbs. It does generally follow that high sugar foods will be high carb foods, but high carb foods are not always high sugar foods.

Here is a link to a short list of high-carb items:
http://www.healthaliciousness.com/artic ... drates.php
 
I am not on a low carb diet specifically but what with my type 2 I do not welcome high carb content. I check the per 100g column because that gives me percentages and can be compared to other foods.

If the percentage is in the teens I am not too fussed. If in the twenties I start to think how much of it I am going to eat. If in the thirties I may put it back on the shelf unless I plan to eat very small quantities.

There are some very famous gravy granules which are 59.1% carbs. I sometimes have gravy but don't lash it about. I just show it to the food.
 
Squire Fulwood said:
I am not on a low carb diet specifically but what with my type 2 I do not welcome high carb content. I check the per 100g column because that gives me percentages and can be compared to other foods.

If the percentage is in the teens I am not too fussed. If in the twenties I start to think how much of it I am going to eat. If in the thirties I may put it back on the shelf unless I plan to eat very small quantities.

There are some very famous gravy granules which are 59.1% carbs. I sometimes have gravy but don't lash it about. I just show it to the food.
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Oh my I love gravy, better start checking :(
 
Hi maybird
You need to look at the whole carb content of the food not just the sugar content. All carbs turn to sugar I wouldnt worry too much about fat as mentioned on the other thread ,some low fat meals have added sugar
CAROL
 
Fiona I said:
Squire Fulwood said:
I am not on a low carb diet specifically but what with my type 2 I do not welcome high carb content. I check the per 100g column because that gives me percentages and can be compared to other foods.

If the percentage is in the teens I am not too fussed. If in the twenties I start to think how much of it I am going to eat. If in the thirties I may put it back on the shelf unless I plan to eat very small quantities.

There are some very famous gravy granules which are 59.1% carbs. I sometimes have gravy but don't lash it about. I just show it to the food.
Click to expand...



Oh my I love gravy, better start checking :(
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Knorr gravy pots-less than 3 grams of carbs per serving :thumbup:
 
Squire Fulwood said:
I am not on a low carb diet specifically but what with my type 2 I do not welcome high carb content. I check the per 100g column because that gives me percentages and can be compared to other foods.

If the percentage is in the teens I am not too fussed. If in the twenties I start to think how much of it I am going to eat. If in the thirties I may put it back on the shelf unless I plan to eat very small quantities.

There are some very famous gravy granules which are 59.1% carbs. I sometimes have gravy but don't lash it about. I just show it to the food.
Click to expand...


Oh no just checked my Bisto and it is 69.5 gms per 100gms yet the sugar content is only 3.6gm per 100gms that is all that I would have looked at...probably not on gravy granules though.. fairly low in sugar so it s ok. I would never have taken gravy into consideration as I am a bit of a gravy addict and like lots on my food
 
Hello Maybird
You really need to account for all the carbs stated on the label not just the "sugar" part. If I'm eating something whole I will put back anything greater than 10 carbs/100g.
However with that Bisto (which I assume you will not eat whole but dilute?) you will have a very small amount so I guess a gravy boat for the family will not contain many carbs per person.
Even better make your own gravy from scratch.
Cd
 
Just shows you doesn't it I would never have thought of gravy granules and stock cubes as being so high in carbs what ever is in them. I do however try to get the lower salt varieties of stock cubes but I would never even have checked the sugar in those but then I am pretty ignorant about carbs. What other every day stuff we use when cooking is high and we don't realise I wonder
I am prediabetic and not doing very low carbs as I am worried I will loose more weight which I don't need to do. I am frightened to increase the fats...which some have recommended as I have raised cholesterol hence a low fat diet for the last few years
 
Maybird said:
Just shows you doesn't it I would never have thought of gravy granules and stock cubes as being so high in carbs what ever is in them.
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A couple of years ago they used to list the ingredients by quantity and Bisto said it was starch and caramel. That's flour and sugar again. There was no sign of a cow anywhere near it.

I just looked at the current box where they just give a list and it says, potato starch, sugar, wheat flour and some colouring, flavouring and some chemicals.

Enjoy.
 
Have you tried making your own gravy without the gravy mix if you use meat juices add a little red wine and a knob of butter and boil up you can get a yummy gravy ,it is not quite as thick as Bisto etc but much better tasting and no added baddies I can manage onion gravy but it may be too carby for some but any way worth a try .Fry an onion in butter until well browned but not burnt :oops:
add just enough water or veg stock to cover and blitz add seasoning to taste
CAROL
 
Maybird said:
Oh no just checked my Bisto and it is 69.5 gms per 100gms yet the sugar content is only 3.6gm per 100gms that is all that I would have looked at...probably not on gravy granules though.. fairly low in sugar so it s ok. I would never have taken gravy into consideration as I am a bit of a gravy addict and like lots on my food
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The 69.5g per 100g is the dry weight, we use Tesco own or Aldi own gravy granules except when we have a roast beef dinner and my wife will use Bisto powder, however the Tesco and Aldi brands only come to around 3g of carbs per 100ml serving..... not a great deal of carbs when you come to think of it :)
 
Wednesday is my normal day for going to Tesco so I looked at the Tesco gravy granules and sure enough 3g of carbs per 100ml (not per 100g) just as Noblehead said. So I bought some.

Today I read the label and it said 3g of carbs per 100ml when prepared in they manner they specify. I thought there was a problem here. They say put four heaped teaspoonfuls in a measuring jug and add half a pint of hot water, stirring of course.

I got a very pleasant surprise. I didn't expect it to thicken with half a pint of water in it but it did up to a slightly runny point. This bodes well since if I put less water with it the total carbs (approx 9g) won't increase but I will be able to stand my spoon up in it as I like to do.

I put a dash of salt in the jug I prepared earlier and it has such a pleasant taste that I have been spooning it into the face each time I go into the kitchen.

I wondered what the dry weight of the Tesco one was and four heaped teaspoons came to 20g so I deduce that in terms of dry weight the Tesco one is something under 50% carbs

Four heaped teaspoons of Bisto also came to 20g but since the box says it is only about 60% carbs then that should equate to about 12g actual total and if I put half a pint of water with it that would be approx. 4g per 100ml.

Both of them thickened similarly and both tasted great with a little salt but the Tesco one tasted slightly better in my opinion.

Am I going too fast for everyone?

Tesco approx. 50%

Bisto aprox. 60-70%
 
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