Understanding Carbohydrates: A Guide For Keto Dieters

Reading nutrition labels is an essential part of healthy eating and can help you make informed choices about what to consume. This is especially true for those following a keto diet, which requires strict attention to macronutrient distribution, particularly net carbs.

To read nutrition labels for keto, you should:

1. Check the serving size: Understand how much of the food item will provide the number of carbs, fiber, protein, etc. that is shown on the label.

2. Check out the total carbohydrates: This includes sugars, starches, and fiber found in the food item, both naturally occurring and added.

3. Calculate net carbs: Subtract dietary fiber and sugar alcohols (if any) from the total carbohydrates. Net carbs are the ones that will affect your blood sugar level.

4. Check the ingredients list: Avoid foods where sugar or starch is listed as one of the first five ingredients. Sugar has many different names, so get familiar with its most common aliases.

Check the serving size

Checking the Serving Size

The serving size is an important aspect of reading nutrition labels, especially when on a keto diet. This is because it helps you calculate the nutritional value of the food you are consuming.

The serving size is usually a single serving, but often these serving sizes are unrealistic and can lead to overconsumption. For example, some granola/cereals state the serving size is 1 cup, whereas, in reality, most people consume 2 or 3 cups. Therefore, it is important to always check the serving size and the number of servings per container.

If you are counting carbs, you need to know how much of the food item will have the number of carbs, fiber, protein, etc. that is shown on the label. For example, if the serving size is 1 cup of this item, and you eat 2 cups, then all the nutrition information shown is doubled as these values on the label are per serving.

The number of servings you consume determines the number of carbs you are actually consuming. To count your carbs, simply multiply the carbs listed for 1 serving by the number of servings you actually consumed.

If you are trying to stay around 20 grams of carbs per day, knowing the serving size is important. For example, if you eat the serving size of 1 oz of cashews (18 pieces), you'd eat 8 grams of carbs, but if you eat the whole bag, you'd eat 256 grams and exceed your daily limit.

Therefore, it is important to not only look at the carbs but also look for the serving size and how many serving sizes there are in the entire package. That's how you know how much you can eat to stay within your carb budget.

Understand total and net carbs

Understanding Total and Net Carbs

When reading nutrition labels, it's important to understand the difference between total and net carbs. Total carbs are the sum of sugars, starches, and fibre in a food item. Net carbs, on the other hand, are calculated by subtracting the fibre content from the total carbs. The formula is:

> Net Carbs = Total Carbs – Fibre

The significance of this distinction lies in the fact that fibre is not digested by the body. Thus, net carbs are the ones that will impact your blood sugar levels. For individuals on a keto diet, counting net carbs is crucial to ensure they stay within their daily carb limit, which is typically around 20 grams.

When reading food labels, it's important to pay attention to the serving size. The total carbs listed on the label refer to the amount per serving, not the entire package. Therefore, if you consume more than one serving, you need to multiply the total carbs by the number of servings to get an accurate understanding of your carb intake.

Additionally, it's worth noting that different countries have different labelling practices. Typically, food labels in the US display total carbs, while those in the UK show net carbs.

When calculating net carbs, you subtract the fibre content from the total carbs. However, it's important to understand that fibre does not make the other carbs disappear. Adding more fibre to a food product will not lower the carb content.

In conclusion, understanding the difference between total and net carbs is essential for individuals on a keto diet. By paying attention to serving sizes and calculating net carbs accurately, you can ensure you stay within your daily carb limit and maintain ketosis.

Calculate net carbs

To calculate net carbs, you must first understand the difference between total and net carbs.

Total carbs refer to the sum of sugars, starches, and fibre in a food product. Net carbs, on the other hand, are calculated by subtracting the fibre content from the total carbs. The formula for this is:

> Net carbs = Total carbs – fibre

However, the calculation for net carbs can vary depending on who you ask. Some people subtract sugar alcohols from the total carbs as well, resulting in the following formula:

> Net carbs = Total carbs – dietary fibre – sugar alcohols

To calculate net carbs, follow these steps:

• Check the serving size: First, identify the serving size of the food product. This is important because the nutritional values on food labels are usually given per serving.
• Check the total carbs per serving: Look at the total grams of carbohydrates per serving.
• Calculate net carbs per serving: Subtract the grams of dietary fibre per serving from the total carbs. If you are using the alternative formula, also subtract the sugar alcohols per serving.
• Calculate how many net carbs you will eat: If you plan to eat more than one serving, multiply the net carbs per serving by the number of servings you will consume.

For example, let's say you want to calculate the net carbs for a chocolate bar. The serving size is 40 grams (12 small squares), and the total carbohydrates per serving are 14 grams. Let's assume the dietary fibre per serving is 5 grams, and there are no sugar alcohols.

Using the formula for net carbs, we get:

> Net carbs per serving = 14g carbs – 5g fibre = 9g net carbs

If you plan to eat half the chocolate bar (2.5 servings), you would consume 22.5 grams of net carbs (2.5 servings * 9g net carbs).

Calculating net carbs is a crucial skill for anyone following a keto or low-carb diet. It allows you to make informed choices about the food you consume and helps you stay within your daily carb limit, which is typically around 20 grams for keto diets.

Check for hidden sugars

Checking for hidden sugars is an important part of reading nutrition labels when on a keto diet. This is because sugar is a source of energy for the body, and on a keto diet, the body is meant to be in a state where it uses fat as a source of energy instead of sugar.

• Check the grams of sugar on the nutrition facts label. This is usually found under the total carbohydrate grams, right after the fibre. This number includes both naturally occurring sugars (like the fructose found in lemon juice) and added sugars (like the sugar or corn syrup added to some salad dressings).
• The newly updated nutrition facts label distinguishes between naturally occurring and added sugars, but many smaller companies haven't started using it yet.
• The grams of sugar listed are per serving. If you plan to eat more than one serving, you will need to multiply the grams of sugar per serving by the number of servings you consume.
• Sugar has many different names, and you will need to familiarise yourself with its most common aliases. For example, dextrose, enriched flour, and corn flour are all forms of added sugar.
• Be cautious of products that list sugar or starch as one of their first five ingredients. This is likely to be too many carbs for fat loss.
• If a product has "no added sugar", read the ingredient list to verify.
• If you are buying bacon, either look for a brand that indicates "No Sugar Added" or go to the butcher and ask for strips of pork belly, bacon style.
• If you have no other choice but to buy a brand of bacon that lists sugar, get one that has 0 grams of Total Carbohydrate per serving.

Understand the ingredients list

Reading the ingredients list is an important step in understanding nutrition labels when on a keto diet. Here's what you need to know:

Ingredients List

The ingredients list is usually found below or next to the nutrient breakdown. This is an important part of the food label, as it provides information not contained in the basic nutrition facts, such as the source and quality of protein, carbs, and fats. It also allows you to identify unhealthy artificial ingredients, such as artificial colours, preservatives, and sweeteners like sucralose.

On a keto diet, the ingredients list is crucial for identifying hidden sources of sugar, such as maltodextrin, and other non-keto ingredients. For example, ingredients like corn, flour, oats, potato, quinoa, rice, soy, and wheat are often found in foods that are not keto-friendly.

Additionally, sugar has many different names, and it is important to familiarise yourself with its most common aliases. For instance, bacon often has sugar listed as one of its first five ingredients. Therefore, it is recommended to look for bacon with the "No Sugar Added" label or opt for strips of pork belly from the butcher.

The ingredients on food labels are listed in descending order by weight, with the ingredient that weighs the most listed first and the least weighed ingredient listed last. This means that if sugar or starch is listed as one of the first five ingredients, it is best to stay away from that food product as it likely contains too many carbs for fat loss.

Common Misconceptions

The labelling on the front of food products can often be misleading, with health claims that do not hold true or are deceptive. For example, a product may be labelled as "high in fibre" or "cholesterol-lowering", but when looking at the nutrition label, it may have a high amount of carbs and sugars.

Therefore, it is important to ignore the claims on the front of food products and focus on the ingredients list and nutrition facts label to make informed choices about the food you are consuming.

Tips for Reading Ingredients Lists

• Be cautious of food products with a long list of ingredients that you cannot pronounce. This often indicates a highly processed product packed with preservatives.
• Avoid products with refined grains, a type of sugar, or hydrogenated oils listed as one of the first three ingredients.
• Recognise the different names of sugar. Manufacturers may use multiple forms of sugar, which will appear lower in the list of ingredients.
• Be aware of artificial sweeteners, such as maltitol, which is commonly found in low-carb and keto products but can easily knock you out of nutritional ketosis.
• Opt for low-carb whole foods instead of highly processed low-carb products.

Frequently asked questions