We hosted Judy on October 12th, for her Stay Healthy with Carb Control class. Here is the information and advice she presented on how to make carb control part of your daily diet.
 Musée d'Orsay, Paris |
Why Control Carbs?
Eating an excess of carbohydrates can contribute to:
- Weight gain
- Metabolic syndrome
- Diabetes
- Heart disease
- Non-alcoholic fatty liver diseases
- Inflammation
How Many Carbs Should I Eat?
According to Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the daily intake of carbohydrates should be 45-65%
Below are 4 types of carbohydrate diets (information from Today's Dietitian November 2018)
- Very low-carbohydrate diet – 21-70 g per day
- Ketogenic diet – < 50 g carb per day (sometimes 20-30 g carb per day). The body burns stored fat for energy, and ketone bodies are produced as a byproduct.
- Atkins Diet – 20-40 g net carbs per day (net carbs = total carbs minus fiber)
- Moderately low-carbohydrate diet – 30% - < 40% of calories as carbohydrate
- Moderate-carbohydrate diet – 40% - 65% of calories as carbohydrate
- High-carbohydrate diet - > 65% of calories as carbohydrate
Judy's Tips for Controlling Carbs
- Measure out breakfast cereal
- Bagel – eat half, or scoop it out
- To serve with spreads – cucumber rounds, carrots, celery, high fiber crackers
- Spiralized veggies instead of regular pasta
- Cook your own pasta sauce, or buy a low sugar variety
- Choose a small potato, or a half of one
- Ice cream – serving = ½ cup
- Choose high-quality carb sources – whole grain foods, legumes, fruits, vegetables
Judy's Book Suggestion
The Hungry Girl Diet: Big Portions. Big Results., by Lisa Lillien offers ideas for low carb snacks, such as Baked Kale Chips, Easy Cheesy Noodles, Veggie Egg Mug, Deli Rolls, Feta-Stuffed Strawberries, and Upside-Down Cream Pie on pages 200 and 201.
How Many Carbs are in the Foods I Eat Everyday?
Frame of reference: Table sugar – 1 teaspoon has 4 grams of carbohydrate
Fruits and Vegetables
- Apple – medium - 25
- Orange – 17 g
- Banana – medium - 27
- Blueberries – ½ cup - 11
- Raisins – 2 Tbsp - 16
- Carrot – raw, 1 medium - 6
- Celery – 1 medium stalk – 1.2
- Broccoli, raw, chopped, 1 cup – 6
- Butternut squash, baked – ½ cup cubes – 10.8
- Potato, white, with skin, baked - 1 medium – 36.5
- Sweet potato, baked - 1 medium – 23.6
- Corn, yellow, boiled – ½ cup – 15.6
Protein
- Chicken – 3 oz - 0
- Egg, 1 large - 0.4
- Peanut butter, smooth – 2 Tbsp – 7.1
Grains
- Bread, whole wheat – 1 slice – 13.7
- Post Shredded Wheat – 1 ¼ cup – 47
- Brown rice – cooked, ½ cup - 23
- Spaghetti, ½ cup packed - 23
- Bagel – small (3”) - 36
- Bagel – med (3.5-4”) – 55
- Bagel – large (4.5”) – 68.6
- Muffin – Dunkin Donuts, Blueberry - 76
- Crackers – Ritz x5 – 10
- Saltines (5 crackers) – 12
Dairy
- Milk, 8 fl oz – 13
- Yogurt – plain, nonfat, 6 oz – 13.1
- Yogurt – fruit, nonfat, 6 oz – 32.3
Dessert
- Cupcake, w/ buttercream frosting - 30
- Ice cream, chocolate - ½ cup – 18.6
- Frozen yogurt, chocolate – 18.8
- Gummy bears, x15 – 46
Sugary Drinks
- Coke – 8 fl oz - 27
- Punch – 8 fl oz- 30
- Orange juice – 8 fl oz - 29
Sweeteners
- Table sugar – 1 Tbsp - 12
- Maple syrup – 1 Tbsp – 13.4
- Honey – 1 Tbsp – 17.3
Shortcuts for estimating carbs
- Bread – 15 g carb
- Fruit - 15 g carb
- Non-starchy vegetable - 5 g carb
Nutrient Analysis from:
Information provided by Judy Palken, MNS, RD, LDN
Crystal Clear Nutrition jcpalken@gmail.com
Crystal Clear Nutrition Facebook page; request to join!
