How to Measure Carbs
Measuring carbohydrates can be a necessary component of tracking nutrients for lifestyle or dietary reasons. Tracking carbohydrate consumption can be valuable for individuals attempting to lose weight or maintain their weight loss. Physicians may prescribe a carbohydrate-controlled diet for individuals to manage diabetes, epilepsy or other health disorders. Tracking carbohydrates can seem like a daunting task, especially as a long-term health requirement. Investing in a few relatively inexpensive tools can ease the process significantly.Things You'll Need
- Journal
- Food scale
- Calculator
- Carbohydrate index guide
Instructions
Record all food consumed accurately and faithfully in a food journal. Include the time you ate and an accurate assessment of the portion size. Experiment to develop a method of keeping an honest food journal. Try both a hard-copy journal as well as a food journal on a smartphone, laptop or other personal electronic device.
Weigh and measure food to record honest information regarding portion sizes. Invest in at least one portable food scale. Some dieters may prefer the convenience of purchasing a scale for both home and work. These scales should provide accurate food measurements in grams.
Calculate carbohydrate content following each meal and snack or at the end of the day, depending on dietary needs. Casual dieters working toward a weight loss goal may prefer to perform calculations once daily, while individuals tracking carbohydrate consumption for health reasons may need to perform more-frequent assessments.
Using the portion measurements, look up foods consumed in a carbohydrate index, and calculate the carbohydrate content in grams. Convert the weight of a food consumed into grams if necessary. For example, a food item with a carbohydrate content of 35 percent would be multiplied by a factor of 0.35 in order to obtain the carbohydrate measurement in grams.
Read the labels of processed foods immediately after consumption in order to obtain accurate measurements. Food labels will reveal the carbohydrate content, saving calculation efforts.