Benefits of the Carbohydrate Counting Diet

Benefits of the Carbohydrate Counting Diet

The carbohydrate counting diet groups foods into three main groups:  carbohydrates, 

proteins, and fats.  You dietician will provide you with the number of carbohydrates you 

can have in a day and how that is divided up amongst your meals and snacks.  Your 

dietician will also educate you on how you can determine the numbers of carbohydrates 

are in some of your favorite foods by reading food labels.

The biggest benefit of the carbohydrate counting diet is that it does not eliminate any 

foods.  A diabetic can choose any food they wish to eat as long as they only eat enough of 

it to meet their carbohydrate needs.  The trick to this is to choose wholesome foods that 

will fill you up longer.  The same amounts of carbohydrates that are in a small handful of 

potato chips are not equal to the two slices of bread you can have instead.  But it is nice 

to know that if you really want to – once in awhile – you can treat yourself.

Another benefit is keeping a consistent amount of carbohydrates in your body.  This can 

help regulate your insulin needs and control.  If your body has the same amount of 

carbohydrates to process at the same times each day it will be beneficial to your health 

and blood glucose readings.

When you choose a carbohydrate counting diet it is important to make sure you are doing 

it correctly.  If you don’t you can too much or too little and both situations can be 

detrimental to your diabetes.  Have a dietician teach you how to properly count 

carbohydrates and closely monitor your blood sugar levels to make sure the diet it 

working for you.

As with any new diet, give it time for you to adjust and learn how to plan your meals 

properly.