Help with Carb Counting please

[CathyFP]

Hi,
I am still not sure how to carb count things like rice, pasta, lentils, potatoes. Do I weigh these before I cook them i.e dry or after they have been cooked and absorbed water. I’m doing it dry but not sure I’m getting things right.

Also I keep going low after eating quiche- is it the mix of fat and pastry. How can I avoid this?

Thanks I am very much still learning

 

[helli]

I am still not sure how to carb count things like rice, pasta, lentils, potatoes. Do I weigh these before I cook them i.e dry or after they have been cooked and absorbed water. I’m doing it dry but not sure I’m getting things right.

Things like pasta and rice are definitely more challenging to carb count for. The trick is to read the small print on the packaging which tells you whether the stated carb contents is before or after cooking, Unfortunately, they are not consistent but I think most are carb content when dry.
The other thing to consider is what you have with these carb stables. It is common to have a creamy sauce with pasta, for example which can slow the carb absorption resulting in a low.

Also I keep going low after eating quiche- is it the mix of fat and pastry. How can I avoid this?

Food with high fat content such as good buttery pastry can slow down the carb absorption and may need a split or delayed bolus. If you find your BG rises after the lower readings, you could bolus AFTER eating the quiche. If your BG does not rise, just reduce your bolus dose when eating quiche. Sadly there is no one rule that fits everyone for all carbs and we only learn through trial and error. But I would start by erring on the side of caution.

Thanks I am very much still learning

We all are. After more than 20 years I still find things that trip me up.

 

[Inka]

@CathyFP Yep, I weighed my dry pasta - note the past tense. I weighed my pasta once @CathyFP I used the carb info on the packet for dry weight of X grams. Then once it was cooked, I weighed it cooked. I now knew that Y grams of cooked pasta was the same as X grams of dry pasta, so I knew the carbs.

After that, I just cooked all the pasta together (for all family members) then weighed out my portion once it was cooked, using the knowledge I’d gained (above).

Rice is trickier because it’s denser and be deceptive, so I always measure that in tablespoons once cooked.