Counting Carbs Eating Out

DL dietitian & diabetes educator Dr Kate Marsh explains how you can become an expert carb counter, wherever you are

- Dr Kate Marsh

Carb counting can be one of the more difficult parts of managing diabetes, but is essential for those taking insulin. Even at home, when you have products with nutrition panels in front of you and various measuring tools, it still isn’t always simple. But eating out is another matter. A combination of unfamiliar foods, large portion sizes and unknown ingredients often makes estimating the carbs in your meal a challenge. Fortunately, there are ways to make this easier.

Master carb counting at home

The more you measure your carbs accurately at home, where you have all the tools you need, the easier it will be to make a good estimate of the amount in your meals when eating out. Try to regularly measure carb foods such as pasta, rice, grains, legumes and starchy vegetables, and see what they look like on your plate. Then, when dining out, you’ll be able to take a look at your meal and make a reasonable guess at how many carbs it might include.

Depending on how good your memory is, you might want to keep a list of commonly eaten foods and their carb-counts in your phone or a small notebook that you can carry with you.

Use your hands

Your hands can come in handy when you are out without your usual measuring tools. While it obviously depends on hand size (if you have large hands they may underestimate your carb intake), these guidelines give a quick and easy way to estimate portion sizes:

Tip of thumb (to first knuckle) is about 1 teaspoon.