Diabetes in children: Counting carbs
How do you count carbohydrates?
Here are some ways to help you and your child count the carbohydrate content of his or her food and spread the amount throughout the day. Your child will have the best chance of success if you and other members of the family also eat a balanced diet. If your child has type 2 diabetes, an added benefit of a balanced diet is that the whole family's risk for developing the disease will decrease.
Establish a meal plan
- Talk with a registered dietitian or certified diabetes educator to help you plan the amount of carbohydrate to include in your child's meals and snacks. You can show the number of servings of each food group for each meal by using the meal plan form
(What is a PDF document?).
- Learn what makes a standard portion of carbohydrate foods. Each serving size or standard portion contains about 15 grams of carbohydrate.
- Learn how to count either grams or servings of carbohydrate.
- Learn the standard portions of foods that contain protein. Protein foods, such as meat and cheese, are an important part of a balanced diet.
- Limit saturated fat. Talk with a registered dietitian about how much fat to include in your child's meals.
Start counting
- Use the meal plan to select food for your child's meals and snacks. Remember, high-sugar foods or sweets should be eaten only occasionally and in smaller servings than starches, fruits, and milk.
- Serve standard portions. You don't have to weigh and measure your child's food, but that may be helpful to help keep carbohydrate amounts consistent when you are first learning what makes up a standard portion.
- Check your child's blood sugar level often. If you check it before and 1 to 2 hours after a meal, you will be able to see how the food your child eats affects his or her blood sugar.
- Record what your child eats and his or her blood sugar results in a food record. At each regular visit with a certified diabetes educator or a registered dietitian, or whenever you think the meal plan needs adjusting, you can review the food record
Other helpful suggestions
- Read food labels for carbohydrate and calorie content. Be careful to consider the serving size on the package. See a picture of a food label
.
- Get more help. The American Diabetes Association offers booklets that can help you learn how to count carbohydrates, measure and weigh food, and read food labels. See the Where to Go From Here section below for the address and phone number of the American Diabetes Association. You will still need to talk with a registered dietitian or a certified diabetes educator to establish a plan that fits your child's needs.
Test Your Knowledge
Calculate the carbohydrate content in the following child's breakfast. Use the information in the carbohydrate foods and foods that contain protein links to calculate the carbohydrate. The breakfast includes 1 egg, 1 cup milk, 1 slice of toast, and 2 teaspoons margarine.
Calculate the carbohydrate content in the following child's lunch. Use the information in the carbohydrate foods and foods that contain protein links to calculate the carbohydrate. The lunch includes 1 cup macaroni, 1/2 cup grated cheese, 1 cup milk, 1/2 cup carrots, and one apple.
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| Author: | Caroline Rea, RN, BS, MS | Last Updated: February 10, 2008 |
| Medical Review: | Ruth Schneider, MPH, RD - Diet and Nutrition Rhonda O'Brien, MS, RD, CDE - Diabetes Educator | |
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