Carbohydrate Counting

Linda St. Clair, MS, RD, LD, CDEOffice of Child Nutrition

WV Department of Education

I have diabetes. What should I eat?

• Balance your plate

• Exchange Plan

• Carbohydrate counting

Choose MyPlate

PROS• Simple to use• Visual• Balanced

CONS• Uses estimates• Combination foods are

difficult

Exchange Lists• Controls all aspects of diet• Requires a list of foods and their portion size• Combination/packaged foods are difficult

Carbohydrate Counting

• Focuses on the main nutrient that raises blood sugar

• No “good/bad” foods• Uses readily available

information from food labels or lists

• Most accurate of all methods

No Matter Which Plan is Chosen…

• Keep food intake consistent from day to day• Choose whole grains half the time• Choose whole fruits and vegetables most of

the time• Choose lean proteins• Choose low-fat dairy products• Limit fats, salt and sugars• Limit sugary beverages; choose water

Know which foods contain carbohydrate

• Grains (breads, crackers, rice, hot and cold cereals, pasta, tortillas

• Starchy vegetables (potatoes, peas, corn, winter squash, legumes/beans

• Fruits and juices• Milk and yogurt• Sweets and desserts

Keys to accurately estimating carbs

• Recordkeeping

• Portion size

• Using food labels correctly

• Allowing for added carbohydrates

How to keep a food diary

• Write down everything• Recording foods before they are eaten is best• If not, as soon as possible (not at the end of

the day)• Be honest• Use the information to help make better

choices the next time

Barriers to keeping a food diary

• Takes too much time• Too difficult• Forget• Not convenient• Don’t know the carb content

•Ignorance is bliss

Estimating Portion Sizes

• Make it easy to visualize

• Use measuring cups/spoons correctly

• Use common items as references

Using food labels

Serving Size

Total Carbohydrates

Added Carbohydrates

• Chicken breast, batter dipped = 13 gm carb

• Chicken breast, roasted with no breading = 0 gm carb

Resources for Accurate Carbohydrate Counting

• Food labels

• Computerized nutrient analysis

• Recipes

• Websites/booklets

Nutrient Analysis

Free Resources

Great websites

• Calorie King – www.calorieking.com• The USDA National Nutrient Database -

http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search• MyFoodAdvisor –

http://tracker.diabetes.org/explore/• USDA Supertracker – https://

www.supertracker.usda.gov/default.as• MyFitnessPal – http://myfitnesspal.com/mobile

Special Dietary Needs

“Accommodating Children with Special Dietary Needs

in the School Nutrition Programs”

USDA Guidance for School Food Service Staff

Diabetes Teams at School

• Student with diabetes• Parents of student with diabetes• School Nurse• Cafeteria Manager• Foodservice Director• Teacher• Principal• Others?

Who Does What?

• Every situation is different

• Team approach is always best

• Use every resource at your disposal

REMEMBER – it’s about the student’s needs!

QUESTIONS!

Linda St. Clair, MS, RD, LD, CDElsstclai@access.k12.wv.us

304-558-3396