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Counting carbohydrates (bread units)
bread units · carb counting · counting carbohydrates · how to count bread units
This is a way to count how many carbohydrates are in food. Carbohydrates affect blood sugar the most.
With diabetes, especially if you take insulin before meals.
⏱ Duration: learning usually takes a few days of practice
Be sure to tell your doctor
How to prepare
- Chart. Get a bread unit chart from your doctor or a diabetes school.
- Scale. A kitchen scale helps at first.
- Labels. On the package, look at the line for carbohydrates per 100 grams.
What to bring
- A bread unit chart
- A food and sugar diary
- A kitchen scale
How it goes
- One bread unit is usually 10 to 12 grams of carbohydrates, so check how your doctor counts
- Find the food in the chart or on the package
- Weigh the portion or estimate it using the chart
- Count the bread units on the whole plate
- Add up all the foods in that meal
- Choose your insulin dose only by the plan your doctor gave you
- Check your sugar 2 hours after the meal and write it down
What you'll feel
- At first it seems hard, then you count by eye
- Sometimes you make mistakes, which is normal, and the diary will help
Afterwards
- Show your diary to your doctor
- Meat, fish, and eggs have almost no carbohydrates
- Sweet drinks and juices give a lot of carbohydrates quickly
Common questions
Do I need to count if I take pills?
It is still useful, so that your meals stay steady. Ask your doctor how exactly you need to count.
Do I count vegetables too?
Most vegetables are barely counted. Potatoes, corn, and beans must be counted.