Hiya, I'm sure this must have been asked before, but I've searched and I cant find the answer to my question.

When you look at the back of packets of things, is it just the "of which sugars" carbs that you have to count?? For example...if it says 4.3g carbs of which sugars 1.2g do you just count the lower number or the higher??

Also, am I totally on the wrong tangent?? Is this how you work out what the true carb count is in something? The digestable carbs which Atkins talks about?

Thanks in advance!

You count all the carbs except for fiber. That includes "other carbs" Like most cereals only have a couple grams of sugar, but 40g or more of "other" carbs. These will still rush to your blood sugar levels and make for insulin responses.

whoops, I've totally been doing that wrong then!!!!!!! thanks - does anyone have a failsafe formula for working it out whilst standing in the supermarket? I mean, maybe give me an example so I know I'm counting them right??

an example for you:

on the back of a 1oz bag of peanuts:

Serving size 1 packet
calories 170
Total fat 15g
Saturated fat 2 g
Polyunsaturated fat 4.5g
Monounsaturated 7g
Cholesterol 0mg
Sodium 115mg
Potassium 190mg
Total Carbohydrate 5g
Dietary Fibre 2g
Sugars 1g
Protein 7g

you would take the carb count which in this case is 5 and subtract the dietary fibre count from the carbs which is 2...they amount of "net carbs" would be 3g.

you always subtract the dietary fibre fromt he carbs on the labels unless it says that they have already subtracted them, which I don't see very often.

I hope this helps!!

As you are in the UK, just count the carbs on the product. In the UK fibre is not counted as a carb and is lower down in the Nutrional info. The sugar info is for diabetics. It doesn't matter to us. The carbs which are written on the packet/bottle is the carbs which are in there. Do NOT deduct carbs !

Unfortunetly most products that presubtract fiber don't state they have. Ways that make it obvious though are

1. The total number of fiber grams and sugar grams is more thent he total grams.

2. Adding up calories. There should be around 9 calories for each gram of fat, 4 for each gram of protien and 4 for each gram of carbs minus fiber. If you use fitday that is an easy way to find out as it will yell at you if you enter a food with presubtracted fiber.

3. Besides meats there is no such thing as a 0 carb food, especially when it's nuts, seeds, or any kind of grain.

That's only true for US/Canadian products. In europe the fibre is counted extra, not as a carb.

Our products are labled:

Fat: xx
Protein: xx
Carbohydrates: xx
of which sugars: xx
Sodium:xx
Fibre:xx

occasionally they break down the fats, but not very often. Vitamin info is very rarely given.

All I subtract is fiber. If it's not mentioned or listed as 0 I use the total carb count. I alsp read the labels for sugars and evaluate the product with totals and amount of sugar present.

For example I might choose Kraft Ceasar Dressing over a LC brand because, even tho it contains sugar in it's ingredients, the total carb count is <1 for 2T.....and I rarely use that much!