How Do I Figure Carbohydrates on Food Labels?

Although the nutritional value represented on a food label may seem fairly easy to decode, there are some subtle nuances that many people miss. Knowing how to manage your carbohydrate intake effectively is important when you are trying to improve your diet, and is imperative for individuals that are on carefully monitored diets, such as people with diabetes.

Instructions

• 1

  Locate the nutritional information on the back or side of the food's packaging label. Read the nutritional chart until you locate the carbohydrates section.

• 2

  Record the numbers underneath the carbohydrates heading on a separate sheet of paper. "Total Carbohydrates" indicates the number of carbohydrates in the entire product, including fiber, sugars and complex carbohydrates.

• 3

  Subtract the "Total Sugar" amount from the total carbohydrates amount to determine how much of the carbohydrates are derived from artificial sweeteners and other unhealthy sources. Divide the result by the total carbohydrates. The higher this ratio the better, as a result lower than .6 would indicate 'junk food'. Take, for example, a candy bar with 50g total carbohydrates and 40g of sugar; 50 minus 40 equals 10. 10 divided by 50 is .2--the ratio of possible complex carbohydrates to total carbohydrates present. This low ratio indicates that the candy bar is an unhealthy, high-sugar food source.

• 4

  Subtract the "Total Fiber" from the total number of carbohydrates to determine the net number of carbohydrates in the food. This result yields a more accurate number of how much of the carbohydrate content your body can actually digest. Fiber aids digestion but is indigestible; it does not provide any energy for your bodily processes.