A quick guide to
carbohydrate counting
www.bayerdiabetes.ca
Client: Bayer Inc. – Remus Negut
Date: Dec 22, 2009
File: 4491 BAYER Carb Counting Guide
Size: 148.5w mm x 210h mm (6 pages)
Colours: CMYK
Line Screen: 150
Proof # 4
Approved:
What are carbohydrates?
l In all people, blood sugar levels rise after
eating due to the carbohydrate content of
the meal.
l Carbohydrates provide the body’s main
source of energy. The body breaks
carbohydrate down into sugar, to give your
body energy.
l Most carbohydrates come from starchy and
sugary foods. Examples of foods that contain
carbohydrate include cereals, bread, rice,
pasta, milk, fruit, soft drinks, cookies and
cakes. Foods that are mostly protein or fat
contain very little carbohydrate.
What is carbohydrate counting?
l Carbohydrate counting is
one type of meal planning
approach and involves
calculating the total
amount of carbohydrate
in the food and drink you
consume. Carbohydrate
counting can help you
control your blood sugar
levels.1
l Carbohydrates are measured in grams, and
may be referred to in grams or servings.
One carbohydrate serving contains about
15 grams of carbohydrate but varies in the
amount of protein and fat it contains.
l Meal planning includes carbohydrate
counting, but it is important to have a
balanced diet, so also think about portion
size and the fat content of your meals.
Carbohydrate counting can help you maintain better control
of your blood sugar levels, which may help reduce the effect
of diabetes on your daily life and long-term health
Benefits of carbohydrate counting
l Carbohydrate counting can help you
increase your understanding of the impact
of food on your blood sugar. Keeping your
blood sugar under control can help you feel
better day-to-day as well as preventing
long-term complications of diabetes.
l If you are using insulin for diabetes
management, you can use the carbohydrate
content of your meals to calculate your
insulin dose.
l Carbohydrate counting can also be useful if
you take oral medicines for your diabetes,
especially if you are taking a medicine that
specifically targets your post-meal blood
sugar level.
l Research has shown that good control of blood
sugar can lower the risk of complications of
diabetes including heart attacks, eye disease,
kidney disease and nerve damage.2
2
Meal plans and carbohydrate counting
l The following table provides a guide to
calculating the number of carbohydrate
servings in a meal:
Grams of
carbohydrate
Number
of servings
0–5g
Do not count
6–10g
½ serving
11–20g
1 serving
21–25g
1½ servings
26–35g
2 servings
36–40g
2½ servings
41–50g
3 servings
51–55g
3½ servings
56–65g
4 servings
l The amount of carbohydrate you eat
at meals would be consistent because
carbohydrates have an effect on your blood
sugar.3 The table below includes a sample
meal plan for people who are learning the
carbohydrate counting system. A registered
dietitian can help create an individualized
meal plan that’s right for you.
Meal
Carbohydrate servings
Breakfast
3 (45g)
Lunch
3 (45g)
Snack
1 (15g)
Dinner
4 (60g)
Snack
1 (15g)
Total for the day
12 servings (180g)
Carbohydrate counting helps you
to take an active role in your
diabetes management and is an
effective approach to help you
achieve better control of your
blood sugar levels
l The total amount of carbohydrate you need
each day depends on your body weight
and the amount of exercise you do. Your
dietitian can help you to work out your daily
food intake needs and devise a meal plan
specific for you.
Carbohydrate counting provides
a method of matching your diabetes
medication to the food you eat,
so that you can keep control
of your blood sugar levels. It also
allows greater flexibility in your
food choices
3
My meal plan
Meal
Grams of
carbohydrate
Carbohydrate servings
Notes (effect on blood glucose and action
for next time I eat this meal)
Breakfast
Morning snack
Lunch
Afternoon snack
Dinner
Evening snack
Drinks
Total
l Some examples of common foods and
their carbohydrate content are shown in
the adjacent table.4
l You can use an insulin-to-carbohydrate
ratio to calculate your mealtime insulin
dose. This ratio gives the number of
units of insulin you will need per
15-g carbohydrate serving. This may be
one unit of insulin for every 15 grams of
carbohydrate; however, your healthcare
team can help you work out your
personal insulin to carbohydrate ratio.
Food
Portion size
Carbohydrate
content
Carbohydrate
servings
Banana
1 medium
27g
2
1 slice (35g)
18g
1
Chocolate
chip cookie
2 (20g)
13g
1
Cornflakes
(dry)
250mL (26g)
23g
1½
Orange juice
125mL
13g
1
Rice (white,
cooked)
125mL (83g)
24g
1½
Bread (white)
Practical aspects of carbohydrate counting
l Tools that may help you with carbohydrate
counting include weighing scales, measuring
cups, keeping food records and checking
nutrition fact panels on packaged food labels.
l Carbohydrate counting – a pocket guide is a
companion guide to this leaflet that provides
the carbohydrate content of a range of foods
and drinks that make up regular daily meals.
It fits in your pocket so you can take it with
you wherever you go.
l When eating out, ask the restaurant for more
information on the carbohydrate content of
your meal as it is sometimes hard to know all
the ingredients that might have been included.
4
Use blood glucose testing to help you with
your plan
insulin dose or medication is sufficient for the
carbohydrate content of the meal and that
you are not going above your post-meal blood
sugar target.
l Testing your blood sugar level helps you
learn about your overall treatment plan,
including the impact of certain foods and
the effect of your diabetes medication on
your blood sugar levels.
l Research shows that high post-meal blood
sugar levels are more strongly associated with
a risk of long-term diabetes complications than
fasting blood sugar levels.5
l You can use the information you collect from
regular blood sugar testing to:
– Increase your awareness of blood glucose
patterns
– Better understand the effect of each meal
on your blood sugar levels
– Prevent hypoglycaemia
– Make medication adjustments.
Measuring blood sugar levels both
before and after meals will help you
understand how food affects your
blood sugar and correctly determine
your insulin dose to help you achieve
your blood sugar targets
l Most people regularly test their pre-meal
blood sugar levels but it is also important to
test post-meal to check that the mealtime
What blood sugar levels should you aim for?
l Your healthcare team will recommend blood
sugar targets that are right for your needs.
Targets recommended by the Canadian
Diabetes Association are included in the
table below.
l You can use the table below to record your
personal blood sugar targets.
My blood sugar targets
Blood sugar targets set by the Canadian Diabetes Association5
Pre-meal (fasting)
blood sugar
4.0 – 7.0 mmol/L
2 hour post-meal
blood sugar
5.0 – 10.0 mmol/L
(5.0 – 8.0 if A1C targets
not being met)
A1C
≤ 7.0%
Pre-meal blood sugar
mmol/L
Post-meal blood sugar
mmol/L
A1C
*Targets are different for young children and pregnant women
and all targets should be tailored to the individual with the help
of your healthcare team.
5
%
Bayer’s CONTOUR® blood glucose monitoring system
helps you manage your blood glucose levels
l Bayer’s CONTOUR® meter has been designed
to help you with your diabetes management:
– The meal marker feature can be used to
identify blood sugar levels taken both before
and after meals to help you organize your
results
– An audible reminder feature can be set for
1.0, 1.5, 2.0 (default) or 2.5 hours after your
pre-meal test to help you remember to test
after meals.
l Bayer’s CONTOUR® meter has No Coding™
technology and does not require manual
calibration.
• 30-day pre-meal
and post-meal
blood sugar averages can be used to
quickly identify patterns and see how
your day-to-day blood sugar levels
translate into longer-term control.
Bayer’s CONTOUR® blood glucose monitoring system can help you better
understand your blood glucose levels and take control of your diabetes
www.bayerdiabetes.ca
1-800-268-7200
References
1. Arcudi, K, Sherman, S. Carbohydrate Counting
Desmystified: A Guide for General Practitioners.
Canadian Diabetes 2005; 18(3):3-4.
2. Ibid.
4. Health Canada. Nutrient Value of some Common
Foods. Available at http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/
alt_formats/hpfb-dgpsa/pdf/nutrition/nvscf-vnqaueng.pdf. Accessed November 2009.
3. Kulkarni K. Carbohydrate counting: a practical
meal-planning option for people with diabetes.
Clin Diabetes 2005;23:120–2.
5. Canadian Diabetes Association. Targets for
Glycemic Control. 2008. Available at http://www.
diabetes.ca/files/cpg2008/cpg-2008.pdf
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