Get the Skinny: Carb counting: The skinny on net carbs

So whether you’re counting carbs because you’re watching your weight, your blood sugar, or following a keto diet, tune in to Get the Skinny with Molly on this, plus more FAQ about the Eat Fit King Cake!

CARB COUNTING:

Most carbs have four calories per gram. But sugar alcohols in food changes the ‘rules’ about counting carbs.

Sugar alcohols are used as reduced-calorie sweeteners; examples include erythritol, maltitol, xylitol, sorbitol

On average, sugar alcohols provide about half the carbs and calories of regular sugar. But sugar alcohols like erythritol have less than 0.02 calories per gram.

American Diabetes Association guidelines for counting carbs:

• Subtract fiber from total carbohydrates

• Then – if a food has 5 or more grams of sugar alcohols per serving, subtract HALF the grams of sugar alcohol from the total carbohydrates.

• Example: If a food has 25 grams of carbs and 18 grams of sugar alcohol, subtract 9 grams from the total, yielding 16 grams of ‘impact’ or ‘net’ carbs. See diabetes.org for more examples.

EXCEPTION: For erythritol (e.g. Swerve), subtract ALL of the sugar alcohol from the total carbohydrates.

EAT FIT KING CAKE EXAMPLE:

18 grams total carbohydrate – minus 2 grams fiber – minus 11.5 grams Swerve => 4.5 net carbs per serving

To catch the full segment on WGNO.com, click here.