Carb counting aps - does anyone have any experience

[simon_helen.gulliver]

Hi I am new to this site. We have a 6 year old with Diabetes type1 and are trying to get out heads around Carb counting. Also probably he is going on to a pump soon.
My husband and I are soon going to buy smart phones and would like them to be able to use a good carb counting ap. Does anyone out there use an ap they think is good?
We can then find which phones are compatible.
Thanks
Helen

 

[novorapidboi26]

the carbs and cals app is good on the iphone/ipod/ipad..............

its only as good as the actual book an gives a rough guide as to what the carb value may be simply by looking at the potion size..........

the best tools to use are scales and the internet, if the packaging does not provide you with the carb values, the more you do the better you become....

and eventually you wont need anything and can make very accurate guesses...........

 

[simon_helen.gulliver]

ok thanks

Ok thanks re carbs and cals ap
What internet sites do you use for counting?

 

[Pumper_Sue]

and eventually you wont need anything and can make very accurate guesses...........

Not such a good idea as portion sizes tend to get bigger without checking with scales on a reg bases

 

[novorapidboi26]

Ok thanks re carbs and cals ap
What internet sites do you use for counting?

I would basically just search for how many carbs are in a certain food items if the packaging it came in did not provide it.............as opposed to any counting specific website..........

Sue, your right, always check with scales, but when your eating out, just take a guess...........😉

 

[Robster65]

Hi simon & helen. Welcome 🙂

As has been said, you can usually get a fairly accurate total from the packaging or one of the calorie/carb books you can buy. Another possible is manufacturers' websites.

We use our scales a lot too 🙂

We have good parents and pumping sections for any questions you may have. 🙂

Rob

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Hi Simon Helen

Welcome to the forum 🙂

I responded to your post on the DUK facebook page, but just wanted to say 'Hi' and welcome to the forum.

There seems to me more choice in apps developed for iPhone, though fortunately these also work with iPod touch (which can give you a slightly cheaper way in).

The biggest help on my phone as others have suggested is the calculator. I tend to check packets ratehr than relying on something like Carbs & Cals (though lots of people swear by it) because even within staples like rice/pasta/bread there can be quite large variations.

Good luck with your carb counting. Feel free to ask more questions here as and when they crop up - much easier to check for responses than on the FB page as things don't 'drop off the bottom' anything like so quickly. You might also like to look up CWD the 'Children with Diabetes' mailing list to comparte notes with a larger number of other parents.

M

 

[redrevis]

I use nutritional charts on food packaging whenever possible as that's the most accurate.

If that's not possible, eating out etc, I use the Carbs and Cals app on my iPod Touch. It is also now available for Android as well. Also for eating out at 'fast food' places, I use the Restaurant Nutrition app. There are a lot of American places in it, but still lots for the UK too.

I use EasyDose for working out insulin doses when I can't be bothered to do it in my head. I also use Glucose Buddy for recording all my BG levels, insulin amounts and carbs eaten.

If there's anything obscure like this week I bought some fresh chocolate Tesco muffins, which don't have nutritional values on them, I always google the product and see if nutritional info is available and most of the time it is.

Good luck with the carb counting 🙂

 

[ssuppe]

I can attest that 'experience' goes a long way. Of course, there are always variations when going out to eat, but I've learned to factor those in as well.

Also, routine can be your best friend whenever possible. I try to eat 'similar' things during the week because it's much easier to track. I work/move around quite a bit, so it's more challenging when the menu changes - you'll see this a lot on vacations.

 

[schmeezle]

I've used myfitnesspal on android from time to time, say for lunch somewhere different. I don't pay attention to weight loss goals and such - only use to see carb counts of various meals. Worth a look http://www.myfitnesspal.com/

I also used to carry a Calorie King book, very useful (gave away - need to re-up). Sounds similar to Carbs and Cals.

 

[Northerner]

There's a review of Track3 for iphone here:

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/mobile-news/iphone-and-diabetes-management-using-track3-app/5902

 

[heasandford]

There's a review of Track3 for iphone here:

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/mobile-news/iphone-and-diabetes-management-using-track3-app/5902

thanks from me!

Anybody else using this one, seems to have it all, ie food included, insulin calculator from BG put in, exercise put in. Does it calculate when there might be insulin stacking?