PEDIATRIC ENDOCRINE AND DIABETES CENTER
Understanding Carbohydrates in Food
Carbohydrates, or carbs, provide energy for your body. Foods that contain carbohydrates will raise
your blood sugar. This handout will help you understand which foods have carbohydrates that will
raise your blood sugar.
FOODS WITH CARBOHYDRATES
The foods listed in the boxes below contain carbohydrates that will raise your blood sugar levels. Each
serving listed has about 15 grams of carbohydrates per serving.
FRUIT
Apples (small) (1 whole apple or 4 ounces)
Applesauce, unsweetened (½ cup)
Apricots (fresh) (4 whole or 5 ounces)
Bananas (medium or 7 inches) (½)
Blackberries (1 cup)
Blueberries (¾ cup)
Cantaloupe, small (1/3 whole or 1 cup cubed)
Cherries (12)
Fruit cocktail (½ cup)
Grapefruit, large (1 whole)
Grapefruit, canned (¾ cup)
Grapes (17 whole)
Honeydew melon (1 slice or 10 ounces) (1 cup
cubed)
Kiwi (1 ½ whole or 5 ounces)
Mandarin oranges, canned (¾ cup)
Mango (½ cup)
Nectarine, small (1 whole or 5 ounces)
Orange, medium (1 whole or 6.5 ounces)
Papaya (1 cup cubed)
Peach, medium (1 whole or 5.5 ounces)
Peaches, canned (½ cup)
Pear, large (½ of 1 whole pear or 4 ounces)
Pears, canned (½ cup)
Pineapple, canned (½ cup)
Plums, small (2 whole or 5 ounces)
Raisins (2 tablespoons)
Raspberries (1 cup)
Strawberries (1 ¼ cup of whole berries)
Tangerine, small (2 whole or 7 ounces)
Watermelon (1 slice or 10 ounces) (1 ¼ cup
cubed)
Rev. 1/2015
FRUIT JUICE
½ cup = 4 ounces
Apple juice (½ cup)
Cranberry juice (1/3 cup)
Grape juice (1/3 cup)
Orange juice (½ cup)
Juice blend, reduced calorie (1 cup)
DAIRY
1 cup = 8 ounces
Chocolate milk (½ cup)
Evaporated milk (½ cup)
Squeezable yogurt (2 ounces)
Milk (skim, whole, 1%, 2% or soy) (1 cup)
Nonfat or low-fat fruit-flavored yogurt with
artificial sweetener (¾ cup or 6 ounces)
Plain, nonfat or low-fat yogurt (1 cup or 8
ounces)
STARCH
SNACKS AND SWEETS
BREADS
SNACKS
Bagel (¼ of 1 whole or 1 ounce)
Bread (1 slice)
English muffin (½)
Hot dog or hamburger bun (½)
Pancake (4 inches)
Pita bread (6 inches)
Roll, small (1 whole or 1 ounce)
Sub roll (1/3)
Tortilla, corn or flour (6 inches)
Waffle (4 inches)
Animal crackers (8)
Baked cheddar snack crackers (40)
Chips (tortilla or potato) (15-20 chips or 1
ounce)
Crackers, round (6)
Graham crackers (2.5 inch square) (3)
Oyster crackers (20)
Popcorn (3 cups)
Pretzel twist, mini (10-15 or ¾ ounce)
Sandwich crackers (4)
CEREALS AND GRAINS
Bran cereal (½ cup)
Hot cereal, cooked (½ cup)
Cereal, sweetened (½ cup)
Cereal, unsweetened (¾ cup)
Couscous, cooked (1/3 cup)
Flour (3 tablespoons)
Granola (¼ cup)
Pasta, cooked (1/3 cup)
Quinoa, cooked (1/3 cup)
Rice, white or brown, cooked (1/3 cup)
STARCHY VEGETABLES
Corn (½ cup)
Corn on the cob (medium or 3 inches) (1 whole
or 2.5 ounces)
Peas, green (½ cup)
Plantains, baked (½ cup)
Potato, small (1 whole)
Potato, mashed (½ cup)
Squash, winter (acorn or butternut) (1 cup)
Yam, sweet potato or yucca (½ cup)
SWEETS
Brownie (2 inches) (1 whole)
Cupcake (½ of 1 whole)
Donut hole (1-2)
Frozen fruit bar (1)
Frozen fruit bar, sugar-free (3)
Fudgsicle® (1)
Gummy bears (7)
Ice cream (½ cup)
Jelly (1 tablespoon)
Pudding (¼ cup)
Pudding, sugar-free (½ cup)
Sandwich cookie, small, round (1)
Sherbet (¼ cup)
LEGUMES
Beans, baked (1/3 cup)
Beans, cooked (garbanzo, pinto, kidney, split,
black eyed) (½ cup)
Lentils, cooked (½ cup)
Pediatric Endocrine and Diabetes Center
For more information please call
Mass General Hospital for Children
55 Fruit Street, Suite 6C
Boston, MA 02114
617-726-2909
www.massgeneralforchildren/org/endocrine