How Much Carbohydrate Should I Be Eating in a Day?
This is not a simple question and the answer varies from person to person. It isn't necessarily important to know simply how much carb to eat in a day, but rather how that carb is distributed throughout the day in meals and snacks to keep blood glucose in a healthful range. Your healthcare team will work with you to determine the amount of carbohydrate allotted to a given meal or snack based on such things as:
- Weight/height
- When and how much physical activity you do
- What medications you are taking for your diabetes, and when their action peaks
- Weight goals
- Age
- Laboratory values like cholesterol, triglycerides, microalbumin (a measure of kidney function), and A1C
- Personal preferences
- Other medical issues
- Cultural background and lifestyle
See our latest cookbooks and nutrition books at the Joslin Store.
Related Links
- Eating Well on a Budget
- Building a Healthy Pantry, Part 2
- Building a Healthy Pantry, Part 1
- Lower Your Cholesterol with Plant Sterols and Stanols
- Tips for Coping with Emotional Eating
- How to Deal with Hunger by Using a Hunger Scale
- Diabetes & Nutrition
- Vitamin Supplements for People with Diabetes
- Vegetarian meal ideas
- Getting started with vegetarian meal planning
- Making sure your vegetarian diet is nutritionally adequate
- Healthy Grocery Shopping When You Have Diabetes
- Cooking with dLife
- Correcting Internet Myths About Aspartame
- Can I Eat as Many Sugar-Free Foods as I Want?
- The ABC's of Sugar Substitutes
- What Are Sugar Alcohols?
- Fitting Sugar Into Your Meals
- Facts About Fiber
- Key To Success: Portion Control
- The Best Kinds of Low-Carb Snacks
- Dining Out With Diabetes
- 5 Common Food Myths for People with Diabetes Debunked
- Enjoying Thanksgiving with Diabetes
- Know your Food Groups with Diabetes
- Diabetes and Sweets: A Very Delicate Balance
- Diet and Diabetes: A Personalized Approach
- Diet Strategies for Women with Diabetes: Why Some Work and Why Some Don't
- The Truth About the So-Called "Diabetes Diet"
- Healthy Alternatives to Your Favorite Foods
- Meal Replacement Bars: OK for Those with Diabetes?
- Should I Count Calories or Use Exchanges for My Meal Planning Approach?
- The Glycemic Index and Diabetes
- How Does Fiber Affect Blood Glucose Levels?
- 8 Replacements for High Fat Foods
- Identifying and Integrating Healthy Fat Into Your Diet
- Food 'Cravings' and Diabetes
- Valentine's Day the Sugar-Free Way
- Keeping a Healthy Kitchen with Diabetes
- Healthy Cooking Techniques and Diabetes
- Diabetes and Alcohol
- Carbohydrate Counting 101
- How Much Carbohydrate Should I Be Eating in a Day?
- Building a Healthy Pantry, Part 2 (video)
- Building a Healthy Pantry, Part 1 (video)
- Fitting Sugar Into Your Meals
- Diabetes and Sweets: A Very Delicate Balance
- Fitting Alcohol Into Your Meal Plan
- How Much Carbohydrate Should I Be Eating in a Day?
Page last updated: March 21, 2013

