This guide can be used to make changes to the carbohydrate options suggested in your recipe, or to assist you in making your own meal. Follow the steps below to personalize your meal.
- Decide on the portion of carbohydrate you need to add to your meal. The suggested 30g-40g of carbohydrate per meal can be attained by choosing either one carbohydrate or a combination of a few. Some carbohydrates are measured by volume (in cups), while others are measured by quantity (1 fruit). For example, 1 cup of strawberries is equivalent to 10g carbohydrates, and 1 slice of bread is also 10g carbohydrate. To simplify this step, the guide is organized into units of 10 grams of carbohydrates. Each carbohydrate (unit) in the chart totals 10g carbohydrates.
- To substitute one carbohydrate for another, choose from any of the options available in the guide. There are 3 categories: vegetables, beans & fruit, and breads, grains & other. Choosing carbohydrates in a different category may change the volume of food you are able to have. For example, you can replace 1 cup of carrots (10g carbohydrates) with ¼ cup rice (10g carbohydrates). They contain the same amount of carbohydrates, but you get a lot more volume of carrots than rice for the same breakdown.
- Another consideration when substituting carbohydrates is the glycemic index of the food. The guide is color coded into low (green), medium (blue) and higher (red) glycemic indexes. Although the amount of carbohydrates are all the same (10g), the way they behave in your body may not be. For those aiming to lose weight or watching their carbohydrate intake more closely, it is best to choose from the low glycemic foods (green). Switching from a medium glycemic index food (blue), to a low glycemic index food (green), can be a great way to not only increase the amount of food you can eat, but also increase your chances of losing weight.
- To increase your portion, adding an extra unit will provide you with 10g more carbohydrates in your meal. Those aiming to increase their meal from 30g carbohydrates to 45g carbohydrates, can choose 1 ½ extra units.
- To make your own meal, mix and match whichever carbohydrates you like. Those aiming for 30g carbohydrates can choose 3 units of carbohydrates, and those aiming for 45g carbohydrates can choose 4 ½ units of carbohydrates. For example, ½ small sweet potato (1 unit), 10 spears of asparagus (1 unit), and ½ cup blueberries (1 unit) would satisfy a 30g carbohydrate meal (total of 3 units). By adding an extra ½ sweet potato (1 unit) and 5 spears of asparagus (½ unit) would bring this meal to 45g carbohydrates.
| Quantity | Vegetables | Quantity | Beans & Fruit | Quantity | Breads, Grains, Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3/4 cup | Artichoke hearts | 1/2 fruit | Apples | 1/2 cup | Oatbran Cooked |
| 10 spears | Asparagus | 1/3 cup | Applesauce | 1/4 potato | Baked Potato |
| 2 cup | Bean sprouts | 1 fruit | Apricots (large) | 1/4 cup | Bran Flakes |
| 3/4 cup | Beets | 1/2 cup | Blueberries | 1/3 cup | Oatmeal (cooked) |
| 2 cups | Bok choy | 1/2 cup | Cheeries (with pits) | 1/4 cup | Pasta Cooked |
| 2 cups | Broccoli | 1/2 fruit | Grapefruit | 3 tbsp | Bran Buds |
| 1/2 cup | Butternut Squash | 3/4 cup | Grapes | 3 tbsp | Grape Nuts |
| 1 cup | Carrots | 1/4 cup | Kidney Beans | 1/4 cup | Kashi Go Lean |
| 2 cups | Cauliflower | 1 fruit | Kiwi | 1/3 cup | Kashi Nutty Chia Flax |
| 2 1/2 cups | Celery | 1/4 cup | Lentils | 3/4 cup | Kashi Puffed Grains Cereal |
| 1/4 cup | Corn | 1/3 cup | Mango | 3/4 cup | Milk* |
| 2 cups | Cucumber | 1/2 fruit | Oranges | 1.4 cup | Rice (cooked) |
| 2 cups | Eggplant | 1/2 cup | Papaya (cubed) | 1 slice | Rye bread |
| 2 cups | Green Beans | 1/2 fruit | Peach (medium) | 1/4 potato | Sweet Potato |
| 1/2 cup | Green Peas | 1/2 fruit | Pears (medium) | 1/4 cup | White beans |
| 1 1/2 cups | Heats of palm | 1/2 cup | Pineapple (cubed) | 1 slice | Whole grain bread |
| 2 cups | Kale | 3/4 cup | Raspberries | 1/2 cup | Yogurt* |
| 1 1/2 cups | Mushrooms (cooked) | 1 cup | Strawberries | 1/2 bun | Flat bread panini |
| 4 cups | Mushrooms (raw) | 1 fruit | Tangerine (small) | 2 tbsp | Spelt flour |
| 3/4 cup | Onions | 3/4 | Watermelon (cubed) | 2 tbsp | Oat flour |
| 3/4 cup | Parsnips | 1/4 cup | Chickpeas | 2 tbsp | Coconut flour |
| 2 cups | Red Cabbage | 1/4 cup | White beans | 2 tbsp | Quinoa flour |
| 1 whole | Red pepper | 1/4 cup | Black beans | 2 tbsp | Whole wheat flour |
| 2 cups | Snow peas | 1/4 cup | Couscous (cooked) | ||
| 1 cup | Spaghetti Squash | 1/4 cup | Buckwheat (cooked) | ||
| 1 /12 cups | Sugar Snap Peas | 1/4 cup | Bulgar (cooked) | ||
| 1 large | Tomatoes | 1.4 cup | Quinoa (cooked) | ||
| 1 cup | Turnip | ||||
| 2 1/2 cups | Zucchini |
* different brands and varieties may produce varying glycemic indexes.
**all vegetables low unless stated otherwise in the medium or high columns.
http://www.gisymbol.com/about/glycemic-index/
http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsweek/Glycemic_index_and_glycemic_load_for_100_foods.htm
