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How do YOU count carbs?

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When I first started carb counting (2007) the clinic gave us a booklet they produced with common food and portions in it. Not as comprehensive as carbs and cals, but a good help to get you started. Not sure if you are under the care of a clinic, but if so maybe you could ask? Or perhaps some clinics helpfully publish theirs online- might be worth a google?
 
BBarb said:
I don't have one of those phones, I'm 77 and have enough IT in my life with this laptop. 😱
Where do you get the book? Can I buy it online?
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Absolutely! I'm 66 and have had enough of techy stuff - I've got the Carbs & Cals book, which is portable and doesn't need an internet connection! 😛

I got mine off Amazon as I recall, pretty cheap.
 
I have the Collins Gem Counter and both the Carbs & Cals book and app. I use the app a lot, especially when I'm out and about. I hadn't seen any negative reviews, nor have I had any issues with it.
 
I use the Collins Gem book as mentioned above. I also use Carbs and Cals on my phone.
 
I got given the Carbs and Cals book when first diagnosed. Although I found it very useful, I wanted something more portable. I tried the DANE online app, but found it a bit clumpy... Ended up getting the Carbs and Cals app which is now my bible (and downloaded the pics in case of no t'imterweb).
I did stumble upon a food website called Fat Secret, which is a slimming website but has carbs for most bog btands / supermarkets / food chains.
 
AlisonM said:
I have the Collins Gem Counter and both the Carbs & Cals book and app. I use the app a lot, especially when I'm out and about. I hadn't seen any negative reviews, nor have I had any issues with it.
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I am an Anroid user! the average rating is 3.5
 
Me too @grovesy, Android 5.1 and it works fine for me.
 
i was going by the reviews on google play and was not prepared to pay £3.99 for a dodgy app!
I day buy the book though!
 
I had a look at the Carbs & Cals book in the hospital and it was no use to me - too many meals included that I just wouldn't eat.

I have a booklet with most of the things I eat listed in it, which I've built up over the years. For anything new, I've recently found this: http://www.calorieking.com/foods/ - use the search to find anything you're in doubt about, then you can choose what type (eg cooked or raw), and then no. of grams or no. of fruit or whatever, and it will tell you not just the calories but the carbs & everything else.
 
You really need to establish the basics first which IMO you can only get by looking at packets and using Google for things like fresh fruit and veg. Once you've got that, if you choose not to use a book or an app, you can pretty much guesstimate like I said earlier although I do agree with @Greyhound Gal, I would much rather err on the side of caution. You can always correct later!
 
Yes Dodo - there are a lot of things I/we wouldn't eat, either since we major on home cooking from raw ingredients in this house. It would appear that a lot of people enjoy things like wraps on a regular basis - I cannot honestly understand why this is when a) they taste of absolutely nothing except raw pastry b) ditto and c) ditto - and that's without them being far more carb laden than two slices of sliced white bread or a decent sized roll/cob !
 
I'll consult amazon again, thanks.
My lack of up to date equipment like i phones and computers that read bar codes and apps is hampering me here, my laptop is very old (I still use a mouse) and so is my phone - pay as you go and it doesn't even take photos. I don't have the spare cash to indulge in new electronics sadly, especially as there's nothing wrong with the ones I have so why change them? I do try to calculate grams of carbs from the back of packets, and I have a useful little booklet issued many years ago by Slimming Magazine but its only in calories and I want carbs now.
My little electronic add and weigh scales also uses a hearing aid type battery and has been a lifesaver.
I had to laugh Jenny - No I don't count cauli carbs (or lettuce or raspberries), at the time of writing I couldn't think of an example (like your baguette one) of something that was impossible to measure - perhaps I should have said 'one tablespoon of rice' and then try to decide whether it was measured dry or boiled.
You've all been very helpful (as always).
 
For rice I weigh it (cooked) and then divide by 3. Same with pasta. Seems to work ok! (Think I got that from Carbs & Cals originally)
 
I searched for 'carb count of fruit and veg' and got a big list of what was high and low . Gave portion sizes as well
 
Thank you for all the replies - it was the booklet I was looking for. The rice, cauliflower and other things mentioned were being used by me as (not very good) examples of how confusing some of the info on Google and elsewhere can be regarding cooked and uncooked weights 🙂 and not specific questions re their carb numbers, but thank you for the info anyway. I have ordered one from Amazon.
 
I use a US government website:

https://www.supertracker.usda.gov/default.aspx

You can create a profile and use the food tracker to log what you eat. There's an option to show the nutritional content and this will calculate the carbs for you.
The only slight drawback is that the site uses US cup measures, but they're easy to find and cheap to buy (I got mine in Asda for £1).
One of the features I like is that you can input full recipes, allot a number of portions and then store this information in a 'favourite foods' list to use again and again. It's particularly good if you cook a lot of something and then freeze portions.
The site also allows you to log weight, activity and even mood. Taken together with what you eat they can reveal some surprising and unexpected patterns.
Another great feature is the ability to generate reports. I find it quite satisfying to look at a nice graph...especially one that trends in the desired direction.
One of my colleagues who's a bit paraniod said that it seemed OK...just as long as I didn't mind the CIA knowing what I ate. 🙂
 
MikeTurin said:
I'm using myFitnesPal application that is a general calorie counting application - but track carbs, fats and proteines too.
I'm using more to weight loss aid but the barcode system to enter packaged food and the nutrients breakdown are useful functions.
Click to expand...
Agreed - I use this too, and have no complaints. Easy to use, providing you have a good signal, but can still store info for you offline.
 
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