All About Carbs: Which Ones, How Much, and Is Low-Carb Best for Preventing Diabetes?

Carbohydrates Are Macronutrients - Sources of Calories in Food

The main macronutrients are fat, protein, and carbohydrates. 

Fat has 9 calories per gram. Sources include butter, cheese, cream, oil, avocado, nuts, peanuts, seeds, and fat from fatty meats.

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Protein has 4 calories per gram. Sources include fish, eggs, beans, nuts, peanuts, chicken, beef, pork, turkey, soybeans, and tofu

Carbohydrates have 4 calories per gram. Sources include dairy products, fruit, grains and grain products, starchy vegetables, beans, and sugar-sweetened foods and beverages. 

Food Sources of Carbohydrates Are Varied

Some are more nutritious than others. Some come with nutrients like fiber, water, protein, or healthy fats. Others carry excess saturated fats and added sugars. 

Fruit: Fresh fruit, fruit juice, dried fruit, frozen fruit, canned fruit

Starchy vegetables: Roasted, boiled, and baked parsnips, peas, corn, sweet potatoes, acorn squash, as well as sweet potato pie, French fries, mashed potatoes, and creamed corn. 

Grains/grain products: Whole-grain and refined bread, pasta, rice, cereal, crackers, oatmeal, quinoa, barley

Sugar-sweetened foods and beverages: Soda, flavored coffee, sweet tea, cookies, cakes, pies, desserts, candy, sweetened and flavored oatmeal and yogurt, teriyaki sauce

Types of Carbohydrates in Food

Sugars - 4 calories per gram

• Small units: the body breaks them down quickly
• Types include: glucose, fructose
• Sucrose (table sugar) = glucose + fructose

Starches - 4 calories per gram

• “Complex carbs:” Long chains or groups of glucose units that your body breaks down
• Some are faster to digest than others

Dietary Fiber - 0-2 calories per gram

• Your body does not fully digest fiber
• Bacteria in your gut digest fiber
• Benefits for weight, digestive health, blood sugar, cholesterol, blood pressure

How Do Carbohydrates Affect Weight and Blood Sugar?

Weight and blood sugar are important for chronic health. 

Weight and Carbohydrates

High-carb foods are often high in calories. Processed high-carb foods can be high in calories and not very filling. Consider a cookie with carbohydrates from sugar and flour, and fat from butter. It’s calorie-dense and low in filling nutrients like fiber, water, and protein. 

Blood Sugar and Carbohydrates

Sugars and starches raise blood sugar. They raise blood sugar even faster if you don’t eat them with a source of fiber, protein, and/or healthy fat. Frequent sudden and high blood sugar spikes raise diabetes risk Drops in blood sugar can cause hunger and cravings for starch. 

In addition, high-carb foods with a high glycemic index can lead to hunger soon after eating.

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What’s A Serving of Carbohydrates?

A “serving size” of carbohydrates is the amount of food that contains 15 grams of carbohydrates. Here are some examples. 

Grains: 

• 1 slice bread, ½ English muffin, 1 corn tortilla
• ½ cup cooked oatmeal, rice, pasta, or barley\
• Cup puffed cereal
• ½ ounce pretzels

Fruit

• Small apple, pear, orange, peach
• 1 cup cut melon or strawberries 
• 2 apricots, plums, or tangerines
• ¾ cup grapes or blueberries 

Starchy vegetables

• ½ cup corn or peas
• 3/4 cup acorn or butternut squash
• 1/2 cup sweet potatoes or potatoes

How Many Carbohydrates Per Day? Here’s a Look!

The average American gets 46% of calories from carbohydrates, or about 250 grams per day. Here are some other numbers.

• Daily Value (DV): at least 130 grams per day
• Dietary Guidelines and acceptable macronutrient distribution range (AMDR) (the amount that has been shown to help provide an adequate diet and manage weight long-term): 45-65% of total calories
• Elite endurance athletes: 70% or more
• Moderately low-carb: about 40% or less
• Keto or very low-carb: about 5 to 10% of total calories, or 20 to 50 grams of carbs per day. Be sure to ask your doctor before going on any diet, especially an extreme one!

How Many Carbohydrates Should You Have to Prevent Diabetes? 

Goals are to lose weight and reduce the severity and frequency of insulin spikes. Research says…

• Moderately low-carb can be good for weight and blood sugar
• Keto has unknown long-term effects on health and weight
• Consumption of whole grains is linked to lower risk for diabetes.

The right amount of carbohydrates for YOU is the amount that can be sustainable and healthy for YOU! Consider…

• Life fits in: You can enjoy special occasions and you can find foods on your plan wherever you go
• Foods you enjoy: So you don’t feel deprived!
• Foods are healthy: A low-carb diet could be high in nutrients with foods like olive oil, egg whites, and fish, or low in nutrients with foods like bacon, steak, and butter. And, a high-carb diet could be high in nutrients with foods like oatmeal, yams, and fruit, or low in nutrients with foods like French fries, white bread, and soda.

What You Swap to Reduce Carbohydrates Matters!

Be sure to choose nutritious foods like lean proteins and healthy fats if you’re reducing carbohydrates!

Healthier Carbs, Smarter Portions

Tip: Shift portions and macronutrients

Swap protein for carbs

- Egg and vegetable scramble instead waffles

- Cottage cheese, PB, or yogurt instead of syrup on pancakes

- String cheese, edamame, or nuts instead of crackers or chips

Have lower-carb or healthier snacks

- Popcorn, whole-grain crackers, or fruit instead of chips or pretzels

- Vegetables or whole-grain crackers with guacamole, salsa, or bean dip instead of chips and creamy dip

Shift portions to reduce calories and carbs

- Fill your bowl with less granola and more fruit and almond milk

- Have less pasta and more vegetable noodles, marinara sauce, and/or chicken and shrimp

Tip: Reduce added sugars

Hydrate with unsweetened beverages

- Water or sparkling water instead of soda, fruit drinks, sports drinks

- Black coffee or with a splash of milk, unsweetened tea

Look for plain or unsweetened versions of foods

- Plain yogurt, regular oatmeal

- Unsweetened frozen fruit, unsweetened applesauce

Use low-sugar alternatives or sweeten naturally

- Add cinnamon or fruit to yogurt, cottage cheese, and oatmeal

- Use banana or ripe pear on peanut butter sandwiches instead of jam

- Try small servings of cheese, peanut butter, and nuts for treats

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Tip: Add non-starchy vegetables and other nutritious foods

Add vegetables

- Side dishes: side green salad, side of vegetables

- Swap for high-carb sides: riced cauliflower for rice, vegetable noodles for pasta, mashed cauliflower for mashed potatoes

Choose higher-fiber carbs

- Whole grains instead of refined bread, cereal, pasta, rice

- Check nutrition labels for fiber content

Find lower-calorie alternatives

- Reduced-fat dairy products

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Tip: Prepare foods carefully

Serving foods with less bread

- Open-faced sandwich or scoop out the inside of roll/bagel

- Lettuce leaf or taco shell instead of bread, roll, or tortilla

Breading or preparation

- Parmesan cheese or crushed walnuts on casseroles

- Almond and herb-crusted tilapia instead of breaded fish sticks

- Baked chicken instead of fried

Bake, grill, or roast instead of fry

-Baked potato with olive oil instead of French fries

-rotisserie or grilled chicken or seafood instead of fried

Less processing or more natural preparation

-Fresh or frozen corn instead of corn on the cob with butter

Low-Carb Diets Can Be More or Less Healthy

Here’s an example of reducing carbs in a low-nutrient high-carb diet. It reduces refined carbohydrates and added sugars, and adds lean proteins and healthy fats. 

Here’s an example of reducing carbs in a high-nutrient, high-carb diet. It reduces nutritious carbohydrates, and adds fatty proteins and saturated fats.