What Are Net Carbs And How to Calculate Them

Following a low carb diet is not all about counting carbs in your diet, but checking the fiber content of your food items too. A very common side effect of low carb diet is constipation 🙁 as there is very less fiber in low carb foods especially the non-vegetarian ones and if you are a vegetarian or vegan doing a low carb diet then as it is it’s very difficult to maintain the balance between appropriate calories intake and carb content. So the savior here proves to be the fiber in the foods. Those who do low carb check Net Carbs in a food item. Now, what is this Net Carb?

What Are Net Carbs And How to Calculate Them

Net Carbs represent the total carbohydrate content of the food minus the fiber content. These are the carbs that don’t directly impact the blood sugar level. Foods with low Net Carbs are less likely to interfere with weight loss. To check the approximate number of Net Carb grams we need to look at the information provided on a food label (grams of total carbohydrates minus grams of fiber).

But why only fiber?

Although Fiber is a carbohydrate, since it isn’t digested, it doesn’t matter in the total carbohydrate we eat. It affects blood glucose in a positive way by slowing the impact of the other ingested carbs and as fiber isn’t digested in the small intestine and so isn’t broken down into glucose and absorbed into the blood thus doesn’t trouble the already troubled dieters. 😉 So the concept of net carbs is that not all carbohydrates affect the body in the same manner.

How to Calculate Net Carbs?

To make things easy let me explain. A 1-cup serving of cooked broccoli provides 11.2 grams of total carbohydrate and 5.1 grams of fiber so the net carb of it will be 6.1 grams.

List of commonly used vegetables with Less than 5 Net Carbs

These serving sizes of vegetables have up to 5 grams of net carbs (carb minus the fiber).

1 cup raw shredded cabbage (2 net carbs)

1 cup boiled cabbage (4 net carbs)

confusing!! Now that is why I always weigh check carb counts of raw foods. 🙂 Oh!! How smart I am.

1 medium raw carrot (4 net carbs)

1/2 medium cucumber (3 net carbs)

1 clove raw garlic (1 net carb) (Use less of it dear)

1 cup lettuce (< 1 net carb)

1 cup raw mushrooms (2 net carbs)

1/4 cup raw onions (3 net carbs)

1 cup raw green bell peppers (4 net carbs)

1 cup raw red bell peppers (5 net carbs)

1/2 cup raw radishes (< 1 net carb)

1 cup raw spinach (1 net carb)

1 medium red tomato (4 net carbs)

1 cup turnip greens, cooked (3 net carbs)

½ cup papaya cubes (6 grams net carbs)

½ cup sliced strawberries (5 grams net carbs)

1-ounce raw shallots (3 net carbs)

1 cup cooked spinach (3 net carbs)

5 cherry tomatoes (2 net carbs)

1 medium orange (4.5 oz) (12 grams net carbs)

½ cup fresh raspberries (3.5 grams net carbs)

1 cup cauliflower (2 carbs)

1/2 cup cooked eggplant (3 net carbs)

1 cup of mixed greens (< 1 net carb)

1 cup mustard greens (3 net carbs)

Some spices and Net Carbs

Herb/Spice	Serving Size	Net Carbs(gm)
Basil	1tsp	0.0
Coriander	1tsp	0.0
Garlic	1tsp	0.9
Ginger	1 clove	0.8
Oregano	1tsp	0.0
Pepper	1tsp	0.0
Rosemary	1tsp	0.0
Sage	1tsp	0.0

Net Carbs In Dairy

Diabetics take into account sugar alcohols also and reduce that too for Net Carbs. (Though I don’t do it as I fear getting too many carbs in doing that 🙂 )

For more details, check the below links –

“http://onlylowcarb.com/gramcount4.htm”

“http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/whattoeat/a/whatveg.htm”

“http://www.atkins.com/AtkinsDotCom/media/Master/Programs/2013-carb-counter-(1).pdf”

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