Carbohydrate Counter Information

Whether you are a low-carb dieter or have a medical condition that requires a reduction in carbohydrates, a good carbohydrate counter is essential. Fortunately, several options exist, ranging from books to websites to cell phone apps, making it easy for you to choose one that best fits your needs.

Books

Most low-carb-diet books will include a basic chart with carbohydrate counts for common foods. For a more comprehensive guide, Corrine T. Netzer's "The Complete Book of Food Counts" is a trusted resource.

Online Nutrition Counters

There are several free, and paid, nutrition calculators online. Some will even let you keep a permanent food diary on their site.

Handheld Counters

There are several handheld nutrition counters on the market: Just enter in the name of a food, and a carb count will be provided for you. You can also use a handheld counter to store and track the number of carbohydrates you eat in a day.

Scale Counters

Some food scales have different foods and their nutrition counts programmed into the scale: Just weigh your food, and not only will you know its weight, the scale can also provide you with an exact carb count.

Phone Apps

There are numerous cell phone apps that can provide you with carbohydrate counts (and other nutritional information) such as the Track 3 for iPhone.

Portion Size and Net Carbs

The best carb counter in the world won't help you if you don't ensure that your food portions match up with your carb counts. When you can, weigh and measure your food for precise carb counts. If you can't weigh and measure, learn to eyeball portions. For example, a portion of vegetables is about the size of a baseball, while a portion of nuts is about the size of a golf ball.

Many people find that fiber does not affect their blood sugar levels, so they will subtract fiber grams from a food's total carbohydrate count to arrive at a number known as "net carbs" or "effective carbs." Not all carbohydrate counters do this automatically, so be aware that you might have to tweak your carb counts a bit.