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What is a carb and how it is worked out?

MrsA2

MrsA2

Expert
Messages
6,931
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
I know calories are worked out because the food is burned and it is the energy given off, but how is a carb calculated?

I ask because I was just looking at the carb values for some 85% dark chocolate and was amazed to find that 3 varieties showed carbs per 100g as 16%, 43% and 64% respectively. Yet each only shows cocoa and sugar as ingredients, and the sugar cannot be more than 15%

These are huge variations and would really impact on a very low carb diet and it got me thinking

So how is the carb value of any food worked out?
 
MrsA2 said:
I know calories are worked out because the food is burned and it is the energy given off, but how is a carb calculated?

I ask because I was just looking at the carb values for some 85% dark chocolate and was amazed to find that 3 varieties showed carbs per 100g as 16%, 43% and 64% respectively. Yet each only shows cocoa and sugar as ingredients, and the sugar cannot be more than 15%

These are huge variations and would really impact on a very low carb diet and it got me thinking

So how is the carb value of any food worked out?
Click to expand...

Any idea of brands.. and are you sure it was per 100g in each case?

Those figures look way off (apart from the 16%)
 
Calories are a property that needs to be measured or calculated but carbohydrate is one of the constituents of food so it needs to be separated out to be measured. If you remove water, fat, protein and fibre, what remains is carbohydrate and can be weighed. The carbohydrate value of processed food is the sum of the carbohydrate in the ingredients.
 
Chocolate is basically a combination of cocoa powder, cocoa butter, sugar and vanilla, with a few other twiddles. Some brands add milk (e.g. Dairy Milk)

The main differences between brands are the proportions of each ingredient.
So a sweet milk choc or (cheap) white choc can be 65% carbs with a lot of sugar and very little chocolate,
https://www.sainsburys.co.uk/gol-ui/product/milkybar-white-chocolate-sharing-bar-100g-7731185-p
while a bitter dark choc may have much less (or zero) sugar and instead be mainly cocoa powder.
https://www.montezumas.co.uk/absolute-black-100-cocoa-mini-chocolate-bars.html

we just get to choose a carb content that suits our carb preferences (and our tastebuds ;) )
 
Wow. Thanks so much . Very interesting. You guys are so knowledgeable.
I was doing the online grocery order and was checking carbs as listed on each product. I was amazed at the 64% on a lindt 90 % bar.
I now think it was duff info.
The bars I have in the cupboard give 32g per 100 for a 74% bar and 26g (Co-op) and 21.4 g (Lidl) for 2 different 85% bars.
I did order the 90% lindt bar so will see what the actual packaging says
 
MrsA2 said:
Wow. Thanks so much . Very interesting. You guys are so knowledgeable.
I was doing the online grocery order and was checking carbs as listed on each product. I was amazed at the 64% on a lindt 90 % bar.
I now think it was duff info.
The bars I have in the cupboard give 32g per 100 for a 74% bar and 26g (Co-op) and 21.4 g (Lidl) for 2 different 85% bars.
I did order the 90% lindt bar so will see what the actual packaging says
Click to expand...
Lindt 85% is 19g per 100 so I think 90% is about 14g.
 
According to Tesco dot com Lindt 90% is 14g carbs per 100g. It’s one of my favourites :hungry:
 
It doesn't help that some are sneaky and the bars or only 90grms.
My pet hate is ice cream, the information can be per 100grms or 100mls, when the pot is usually measured in grams.
 
The 90% lindt has arrived and yes it is only 14g per 100g.
Sadly I will have to leave it a few days before eating as I have been getting mild migraines and dark chocolate is trigger for me. Sods law my one allowed treat carb wise is a no no migraine wise. I'm rapidly running out of things I can eat as cheese can be a trigger too.
Cabbage yesterday gave me such bloating i looked pregnant, and cutting out fruit is causing constipation problems.
It's not fun anymore this diabetes lark ☹
 
MrsA2 said:
........and cutting out fruit is causing constipation
Click to expand...

I had that problem when I first went low carb I increased my intake of seeds which did the trick. I eat chia seed pudding most days with low carb granola sprinkled over Greek yoghurt.
 
MrsA2 said:
The 90% lindt has arrived and yes it is only 14g per 100g.
Sadly I will have to leave it a few days before eating as I have been getting mild migraines and dark chocolate is trigger for me. Sods law my one allowed treat carb wise is a no no migraine wise. I'm rapidly running out of things I can eat as cheese can be a trigger too.
....
It's not fun anymore this diabetes lark ☹
Click to expand...

I used to suffer from chronic migraines and both dark chocolate and blue cheese were two of my few food triggers, Since going low carb (over 6 years ago now) I no longer get them, but I'm still very wary of any really high % dark chocolate but 85% Lindt is OK for me.
 
Rachox said:
I had that problem when I first went low carb I increased my intake of seeds which did the trick. I eat chia seed pudding most days with low carb granola sprinkled over Greek yoghurt.
Click to expand...
Thanks. I do try linseed every day but will now try chia as well.
 
Robbity said:
I used to suffer from chronic migraines and both dark chocolate and blue cheese were two of my few food triggers, Since going low carb (over 6 years ago now) I no longer get them, but I'm still very wary of any really high % dark chocolate but 85% Lindt is OK for me.
Click to expand...
I think once every so often is fine for me, but it had crept up to be a square daily as it does seem to stop cravings for anything else
 
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