What in the world are hidden carbs? How do you find out if the product has them? Do you then count them in your total for the day? Confused.

Davinci syrup has 0 calories, 0 carbs, do they have hidden carbs?

At the top of the page under Low Carb Tools is the Hidden Carbs Inspector. If you put the information from the nutritional panel on a product into it, it will do the calculations and tell you if there are any hidden carbs.

Karen

Another way to figure this out (in case you are at the grocery store and don't have access to the tool) is to multiply the fat grams by 9 and multiply the protein by 4 (a fat gram has 9 calories and a gram of protein has 4). If these two totals added together equal the calories in a product than there are no hidden carbs. Example:

Calories: 74
Fat: 6
Protein:5
Do the math:
6X9= 54
5X4= 20
54 + 20 = 74

If you get a number higher than the total calories the product lists, you have hidden carbs. Divide the difference by 4 (because that's how many calories are in a gram of carbs) to get the additional "hidden" carbs you will be getting per serving.

True, but you also have to add in the carbohydrate total which is carbohydrates stated on the label x 4. Subtracting the fat and protein only will not tell you if there are any hidden carbohydrates, it will only tell you that what is leftover is carbohydrate.

But the calculations are a rough guide only. The x 4 and x 9 change, depending on the food.

So, it would actually look like this:

Total Calories 14.80
Total Carbohydrates 1.78 g x 4 = 7.12
Total Protein 1.56 g x 4 = 6.24
Total Fat 0.16 g x 9 = 1.44

If they all add up fairly closely to the calorie total you're fine. If there is a number greatly above the calorie total, there are either hidden carbs, or the manufacturer has presubtracted the fiber.

Karen

Here is another way:

(Total Calories - Fat Calories - 4Protein)/4 = Carbs

I add 1 to the calories if the package says 0 calories (except for water or salt). This method should be more accurate IF THE LABEL IS TRUTHFULL. I have found that extremelly small serving sizes can throw off both equations. Excessive rounding is a major problem. Personally, I wish they'd go with tenths place percission or at least switch to milligrams if it has <1g.

4Protein means (Protein *4)

Folks might also want to have a look at the USDA Food Composition FAQ's .. http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodco...letins/faq.html

In particular, this section:
The USDA clearly states that insoluble fiber is often pre-subtracted before calculating the calories in high-fiber foods. This really is more accurate, and is not a falsehood or trickery on the part of food manufacturers.

Doreen