How to Measure Food for Diabetics

Living with diabetes is not easy, but it is manageable if you follow a healthy diet. Diabetes is when the body does not produce or properly use insulin, the hormone that converts sugar and starches into energy. The cause of diabetes is unknown, although genetics, obesity, diet and lack of exercise are known factors. Counting carbohydrates is important if you are diabetic, since carbohydrates convert to glucose. Eating too many carbohydrates causes too much sugar to go into the bloodstream, and the body's insulin cannot control it. There are several techniques to counting carbohydrates and calories for diabetics.

Things You'll Need

• Carbohydrate and food calorie guide
• Measuring cup
• Food scale

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Instructions

• 1

  Learn what foods contain carbohydrates and how much they contain. Carbohydrates are commonly found in crackers, cereal, bread, pasta, rice, most vegetables and fruits. Most of the carbohydrates we eat come from fruit, starch or milk.

• 2

  Familiarize yourself with what one carbohydrate serving is. For example, one serving of starch, fruit or milk contains one carbohydrate. One-half cup of fruit juice or one-half cup of low-fat granola is equal to one carbohydrate. One-half cup banana is one carbohydrate. A carbohydrate and food calorie guide will help you count carbohydrates and calories. You can buy the guide at a health-food store or many retail stores.

• 3

  Know how to convert carbohydrates to grams. One carbohydrate serving is equal to 15 grams carbohydrates. The amount of calories and carbohydrates you eat per day depends on many factors, such as age, gender and weight. Consult a dietitian to determine the number of calories you should eat in a day. Once you know that number, use the food guide to help you keep the amount under control. An average person should eat 45 to 60 grams of carbohydrates for every meal and about 2,000 calories a day for a moderately active individual.

• 4

  Pay attention to nutrition information on food labels. You should be checking the labels to see how many calories, carbohydrates and fat are in one serving size. If there is more than 5 grams of fiber, you should cut the fiber number in half and subtract it from the grams of carbohydrates. This is the actual number of carbohydrates in the food. For example, if the product has 8 grams of fiber and 15 grams of carbohydrates, 11 grams is the true number of carbohydrates.

• 5

  Pay attention to portion sizes on food labels, and try to stick to the guidelines. A good rule of thumb when you are dining out is to eat half of your meal portion, since you won't have a measuring cup at the restaurant. Some food guides have the nutritional information for food at national restaurant chains. This will help you count carbohydrates and calories even when you are not home.