What is the "hidden carb calculator?"
 

Hi. I'm brand new on the forum and would love to know what the hidden carb calculator is. Thanks.

Ken

Replying to my own question
 

I checked out the links on the right and found the calculator. Now I'd like some info on how something that reports it is only 8 carbs actually has 18!! IT is the Premier 8 protien bar. Can anyone clue me in? Thanks.

Ken

A hidden carb calculator is a tool that ferrets out carbs that are not listed on labels. Often labels (specially in the US) will say "0" carbs when in fact there can be as many as .9g per serving. US regulations permit manufacturers to list 0 carbs when the recommended serving contains less than 1g per. For example eggs can be listed as 0 when in fact they contain .6g. 4 eggs would give you 2.4 g carbs, not the 0 you'd be led to believe.

A hidden carb counter figures out if the nutritional data on a lable adds up; it does this based on the calories, fat grams, protein grams and fat grams. 1 gram of fat = 9 calories, 1 gram of carbs = 4 calories and 1 gram of protein = 4 grams. If something is listed as having 2 grams of carbs but contains sugar alcohols the actual carb count would be higher. This is because some claim that sugar alcohols do not have carbs, and can therefore be subracted from the total (similar to fiber, which is not absorebed by the body) To quote Doreen :



That is what a hidden carb counter does for you (the math!).

Nat

Nat,

I'm still confused about this formula. It says that the hidden carbs are in sugar alcohols. But how can you determine sugar alcohol content from fat/calorie/protien/carb count? Also, the quote in your reply said: "If the number you get is bigger than the number of carbs declared on the label, the product has hidden carbs, and it's most likely the polyol. Calories do not just disappear into thin air! " I thought calorie count was basically irrelevant as far as Atkins was concerned. The way I understand it, all we have to do is pay attention to carbohydrate count.

Ken

Yes, but to get a hidden carb count you need the calorie count. While manufacturers do not have to count the carbs in sugar alcohols they do have to count the calories. They also have to list all the ingredients on the product; including the sugar alcohols.

Calories arent what we are looking at but they are the sum of what the product is made of. For example, a label that states 2 g of carbs will have 8 calories from carbs (2 g x 4 cal/g = 8); 3 g of fat will equal 27 calories from fat (3 g x 9 cal/g = 27); and 10 g of protein will equal 40 calories from protein (10g x 4 cal/g = 40 calories). The calorie total of this item SHOULD be 75. If the manufacturer lists calories at 107 and there are things like malitol, sorbitol or manitol listed in the ingredients then you know there are sugar alcohols totaling 32 calories or 8 grams being hidden. Does this clarify?

Nat

Nat,

Yes, that does clarify things. It is interesting. Now I have another question (too curious). I tried using a label that had carbs at 11.87, Fiber at 12.9, Calories at 281, fat at 8 and protien at 40. the label said nothing about the fiber already being subtracted or anything like that. I don't understand if I am supposed to put the fiber into the calculator (the instructions sound like I'm not), or if I should. The results are very different. What should I do? Thanks.

Ken

Generally speaking the manufacturers do not subract the fiber. Put the fiber into the box indicated on the page with the calculator, but do not check the box next to it, unless you are sure that fiber has been subtracted on the product. If the manufacturer has done so, they usually indicate it. I have found that they tend to do this (subtract fiber) only when dealing with LC specific foods (Atkins Bake Mix, etc)

Nat

Thanks Nat.

Ken

Actually, I'm in the process of doing research on this very topic ;)

In fact, manufacturers ARE pre-subtracting fiber before calculating the energy value (ie, calories) of foods, and they are not required by law to state that they have done so. And this is the case in both Canada and the US.

At first I thought this was terrible, but now I see that it makes sense. It just would be nice if there was some consistency .. but there isn't, since there is no official regulation in effect YET for the reporting of dietary fiber. But it is on the way.
'
We will need to rethink our carb-minus-fiber counts ... This practise was introduced in 1996 by the Eades in Protein Power ... they use the term "effective carbs". So, all lowcarbers, no matter what program they've been following, hopped on the bandwagon, and started subtracting fiber grams so that they could eat more carbs. Great idea for vegetables and whole grains ... not great for the Frankenfoods, and processed, refined, laboratory-created stuff like the bars, mixes and candies. (For the record -- sugar alcohols, glycerine, polydextrose etc ... are indeed carbs, but no FDA classification yet ... that's why manufacturers get away with not declaring them in the nutrient data).

However, many processed food labels are now pre-subtracting the fiber ... meaning you do NOT subtract it again. So a food that lists 11g carbs and 12g fiber .... does NOT have less than zero carb grams in it. The manufacturer is listing that the food has 11g digestible carbs that will contribute calories affecting blood sugar and insulin and ALSO contains 12g dietary fiber, which does NOT contribute calories or affect blood sugar and insulin levels. Previously, the food would have listed 23g total carbs, and we would have subtracted the 12g fiber to get 11g effective carbs.

It is very confusing right now, since the changes were proposed in October 2000, but have not yet become law. But my opinion is that it will be a good thing, once there is consistency, and everyone is doing the same thing. By looking at the food label, we'll be able to see at a glance how many effective carbs there are in a food, without having to do the math ... it will already have been done for us.

Right now, it seems that manufacturers are doing this for "high fiber" foods, ie .. the food provides 4 or more grams of dietary fiber per serving. Which makes it confusing ... because some foods with LESS than 4g fiber per serving are still including the fiber in both the calorie and the carb count. Grrrr!!!

So for now, we still need to do the math for ourselves. This is good incentive to stick to whole, unprocessed, unrefined foods. At least you know what you're getting ;)

Doreen

Grrrr!!! is right. Ugh. Talk about confusing. Maybe I'll try to live on Stillman ;)

Nat

To add to the confusion, some do and some don't! :confused:

Wa'il

Or Neanderthin. It's a bit more fun! ;)

Shall we all chant together? One, two, three...

"Real food is best!"

Karen

I can't believe this
 

Now I know why I may have stalled. It's the low-carb bars. I forgot that I had two of 3 of these last week. I had bought them in the supermarket. I liked them and went looking for more, stopped into a nutrition store and bought a bunch of Atkins Advantage bars. Did the calculations and can't believe the content. Question is why would Atkins sell a bar like this if it's really full of hidden carbs?. Guess I wont get to use these as a snack.

hidden carbs
 

i was up to the wee hours last night trying to figure out this whole hidden carb thing. i told myself to post the question and when i came to the site this afternoon, i did a search, and there it was. amazing. i have a question and a comment though.

question: why is it hidden carbs and not fat or protein?

comment: i'm TRYING to only eat thing that i know what the ingredients are. if it has something i can't pronounce, i try not to eat eat.

thanks,
Brenda

Re: hidden carbs
 

Carbs are the most inaccurate of the bunch, since it is calculated by "difference" from the fat and protein. This is how FDA's ad manufacturers are doing it, and it is reflected on the lables.

Wa'il