When you have diabetes, you will start to feel better if you can learn about your food, and learn to look for things like high fiber, high protein, healthy fats, and healthy carbohydrates. All of the food that you eat plays a part in your overall health, but the grams of carbohydrates in each meal has a direct effect on how your blood sugar will respond, and in turn how you will feel. So it is important to start to learn on average how many grams of carbohydrates there is in certain foods. You do not have to memorize this list, but certainly check out the foods you eat a lot of so you have an idea of how much will keep you feeling good, and how much will make you feel not so good. To make life easier for you or your loved one with diabetes, here is a list of foods and their amounts of carbohydrates in them.
Disclaimer: Every single person is different, and you should certainly meet a nutritionist or diabetes educator to find out your ideal meal planning, but on average 30 grams of carbohydrates per meal and about 15 grams per snack, but this can depend on the time of day and of course, the person. At breakfast however, you may feel better with a higher protein meal that has less than 10 grams of carbohydrates per serving.
Alphabetical List of Carbohydrates in Food for Diabetes
Fruit and Veggies (grams of carbohydrates)
Apple (1 medium) - 25g
Apricots, dried (1/4 cup) - 21g
Banana (1 medium - 27g
Bell Peppers (1 cup raw) - 7g
Blueberries (1/2 cup) - 11g
Broccoli (1 cup raw) - 6g
Brussels sprouts (1/2 cup) - 6g
Cabbage (1 cup raw) - 4g
Cantaloupe (1/2 cup) - 7g
Canned Peaches (1/2 cup drained) - 14g
Carrots (1 cup raw) - 12g
Cauliflower (1 cup raw) - 5g
Corn (1/2 cup cooked) - 17g
Grapes (1/2 cup) - 14g
Green Beans (1/2 cup) - 5g
Kale (1 cup raw) - 7g
Kiwifruit (1 medium) - 11g
Mushrooms (1/2 cup) - 2g
Orange (1 medium) - 15g
Orange juice (1/2 cup) - 13g
Peas (1/2 cup cooked) - 13g
Pear (1 medium)- 26g
Peaches (1 medium) - 14g
Potato, white (1/2 cup cooked) - 13g
Raspberries (1/2 cup) - 7g
Spinach (1 cup raw) - 1g
Squash, winter (1/2 cup cooked) - 11g
Strawberries (1/2 cup) - 6g
Sweet potato (1/2 cup cooked) 21g
Watermelon (1/2 cup) - 6g
Zucchini (1 cup raw) - 4g
Dairy Products & Substitutes
Almond Milk (1 cup) - 8g
Cheese, cheddar (1 slice, 28 oz) - 0.4g
Cottage cheese, 2% fat (1/2 cup) - 4g
Ice Cream, vanilla (1/2 cup) - 15g
Soymilk, original, light (1 cup) - 5g
Skim milk (1 cup) - 12g
Whole milk (1 cup) - 12g
Yogurt, whole, plain (1 cup) - 11g
Breads, Grains & Legumes
Bagel, whole grain (1/2 large) - 35g
Beans, black (1/2 cup cooked) - 19g
Brown rice (1/2 cup cooked) - 22g
English muffin (1 whole) - 27g
Graham crackers (2 crackers) - 22g
Lentils (1/2 cup cooked) - 19g
Popcorn (3 cups) - 11g
Quinoa (1/2 cup cooked), 20g
Tortilla, whole grain (8 inch) - 35g
Tortilla, corn (6 inch) - 11g
Click here to read Grandmother's article: A New Perspective on Diabetes
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