How Many Carbs Can You Get Away With?

By Janis Jibrin, MS, RD

Let’s see, what year is it? 2011—that means carbohydrates aren’t exactly the enemy they were five years or so ago, but there are still hordes of carbo-phobes roaming around, who would only put a piece of bread or penne to their lips under threat of death!

I’ve been a nutritionist for a few decades now, so I’ve seen a few low-carb cycles (and a very long low-fat era). I’m cautiously optimistic that we’ve entered a saner time of emphasizing “good” carbs (as well as “good” fats, and lean protein).

I’d like to spell out exactly what is a “good carb” and help you figure out how many carbs you should be eating. First, a little Carb 101: Carbohydrates are sugars, starches and fiber. So, for example, table sugar and honey, bread and pasta, and fruits and vegetables are mainly composed of carbohydrate. Milk also contains its fair share of carbohydrate in the form of the sugar lactose.

The Good Carbs

In my view, a “good” carb is one that’s accompanied by naturally occurring nutrients and fiber. Most good carbs are not very processed. Prime examples are simple whole grains in which the entire grain is intact—the bran, the germ and the endosperm (starchy part), such as brown rice, bulgur wheat, oats, quinoa and wheat berries. Bread and pasta made exclusively from whole wheat, whole rye and other whole grains also count as good carbs in my book. Starchy vegetables, such as corn, peas, potatoes (not French fries though), sweet potatoes and legumes of all types (such as lentils), black beans, white beans and pinto beans are good carbs. So are all fruits and vegetables with skin intact and that haven’t been processed to death (i.e., canned or fried). I even count skim and 1% milk in the good carb family, although they’re obviously used very differently in the kitchen.

The Baddies

Before I list the bad carbs, a caveat: In moderation (about 150 calories per day), as treats, on top of a balanced, healthy diet, you can certainly enjoy these foods. They are agave syrup, high fructose corn syrup, honey, sugar and all the other sweeteners. Also white bread, white rice and all other starchy foods, like many crackers and cereal, which are based on refined flour (white flour, which is stripped of the bran and germ). Candy, cake, cookies, ice cream, sodas, fruit punch, sugary iced tea and most sweets go into the bad carb bucket as well.

Fruit juice is in carb limbo. Sure it has nutrients, but it’s very high in sugar and lacking fiber—and it’s so easy to rack up calories. My advice: eat whole fruit instead. If you love fruit juice, have 4 ounces as a substitute for one of daily fruit servings. And if you want more than 4 ounces, then those extra calories count toward your daily treat allowance (which is about 150 calories daily for most people trying to lose weight).

Your Daily Carb Allowance

Just because it’s a good carb doesn’t mean it won’t make you fat. No matter how healthy the food, if you overdo calories, you’ll put on weight. I’ve never heard of someone piling on pounds because of an apple habit; it’s usually the starchy carbs that are the culprits. So, while you can play a little fast and loose with the number of fruit and vegetable servings you eat daily, I’d stick close to my recommendations for starchy carbs.

What a Serving Looks Like

In the lists below, you’ll find familiar high-carbohydrate foods. This can be used as your bible of serving sizes—get to know it very well. Make a copy if you’d like, and keep it with you for reference.

GRAINS/STARCHY VEGETABLES
15 grams of carbohydrate and approximately 80 calories per serving

Many foods on the following list have a wide range of carbohydrates; for instance, a slice of bread can contain 8 to 21 grams of carbohydrate. So, if there’s a nutrition label on your food, check it. If you’d like, jot down the carbohydrate count of your staple items next to the foods below. Use a pencil—manufacturers change formulations all the time! Choose whole grains whenever possible.

GRAIN-BASED CARBOHYDRATES
One serving equals:

Bagel, 100% whole wheat or whole grain: 1⁄4 large bagel or 1⁄2 medium
Barley: 1⁄3 cup cooked
Bread, 100% whole wheat or whole grain: 1 medium slice
Cereal, flake type, 100% whole grain: about 3⁄4 cup (this varies; check the label and choose one with at least 4 grams of fiber per 100 calories)
Couscous, whole wheat or brown rice: 1⁄3 cup cooked
Crackers, 100% whole grain: 80 calories’ worth (and no more than 2 grams of fat)
English muffin, 100% whole grain: 1⁄2 of muffin
Multigrain wrap: 1 (100 calories and 17 grams of carbohydrate per serving)
Granola, low fat: 1⁄4 cup
Grits, whole grain corn: 1⁄2 cup cooked
Muesli: 1⁄4 cup
Muffin, whole grain: 1⁄4 large muffin or 1⁄2 of a 2 3/4 -inch-diameter muffin
Oatmeal, plain (or other unsweetened hot cereal): 1⁄2 cup cooked
Pancakes, buckwheat or other whole grain: Two 4-inch diameter
Pasta, whole wheat, brown rice, quinoa or other whole grain: 1⁄3 cup cooked
Pita bread, 100% whole wheat: 1⁄2 of a 6-inch round
Polenta, whole grain corn: 1⁄3 cup cooked
Popcorn: 3 cups (air-popped or no more than 3 grams of fat)
Pretzels, whole wheat, hard: 3⁄4 ounce
Rice, brown, black or other whole grain: 1⁄3 cup cooked
Rice cakes, brown: Two 4-inch cakes or 8 minis
Roll, whole wheat: 1 small (1-ounce) dinner roll or 1⁄2 of a 2.3-ounce hamburger roll
Tortilla, whole grain: One 7-inch
Tortilla chips, whole grain baked: 3⁄4 ounce
Waffles, whole grain: One 41⁄2-inch square

STARCHY VEGETABLES
One serving equals:

Beans (such as black beans, pinto beans, white beans, garbanzos, lentils, etc.): 1⁄3 cup cooked or canned
Corn: 1⁄2 cup or one 5-inch ear
Peas: 2⁄3 cup
Potato with skin: heaping 1⁄2 cup cooked (no fat added), or half of a medium sized baked potato
Squash (butternut, acorn or other winter squash): 1 cup cooked
Sweet potato with skin: 1⁄2 cup cooked or 1⁄2 medium potato

FRUIT: 15 grams of carbohydrate and approximately 60 calories per serving. Instead of fruit juice, go for whole fruit, which is more filling, lower in sugar and higher in nutrients. (If you must have fruit juice, have 4 ounces as just one of your daily fruit servings.)

One serving equals:

Apple: 1 small
Applesauce, unsweetened: 1⁄2 cup
Apricots: 4 fresh or 8 dried halves
Banana: 1⁄2
Blueberries: 2⁄3 cup
Cantaloupe: 1⁄3 melon or 1 cup cubed
Cherries: 14
Dates: 3
Figs: 2 medium or 11⁄2 dried
Grapefruit: 1⁄2 large
Grapes: 1⁄2 cup
Juice (100%): 1⁄2 cup
Kiwi: 11⁄2
Orange: 1 medium
Mango: 1⁄2 mango or 1⁄2 cup slices
Peach: 1
Pineapple: 3⁄4 cup cubed
Plums: 2
Raisins: 2 tablespoons
Raspberries: 1 cup
Strawberries: 11⁄4 cups

NONSTARCHY VEGETABLES
5 grams of carbohydrate and approximately 25 calories per serving

General rule: One serving equals 3 cups lettuce or spinach, or 1 cup chopped raw vegetable, or 1⁄2 cup cooked vegetable. Note: 1⁄3 cup or less of lettuce is a free food; no need to count it.

One serving equals:

Artichoke hearts: 1⁄3 cup
Asparagus: 8 medium spears
Bean sprouts: 3⁄4 cup
Beets: 1⁄2 cup cooked
Broccoli: 1 cup raw or 1⁄2 cup cooked
Cabbage: 11⁄4 cups raw shredded or 3⁄4 cup cooked
Carrot: 1 medium (about 51⁄2 inches long) or 1⁄3 cup chopped
Cauliflower: 1 cup raw or cooked
Celery: 4 medium stalks
Cucumber: 11⁄2 cups sliced
Eggplant: 1 cup cooked
Greens (collard, kale, spinach, turnip greens, etc.): 3⁄4 cup cooked
Onion: 1⁄3 cup chopped raw or 1⁄4 cup cooked
Salad greens (arugula, mixed greens, romaine, etc.): 3 cups
String beans: 1⁄2 cup, cooked
Tomato: 1 medium or 3⁄4 cup chopped, 1⁄2 cup canned or 1 cup cherry tomatoes
Tomato juice: 1⁄2 cup
Tomato sauce (plain): 1⁄3 cup
Water chestnuts: 5

MILK AND YOGURT
12 grams of carbohydrate and approximately 100 calories per serving

Make fat-free or 1% milk or yogurt your mainstays. Yogurts sweetened with sugar or other caloric sweeteners are very high in carbohydrates so it’s best to avoid them. Cheese has virtually no carbohydrates, so it’s considered a high-protein food, not a milk/yogurt serving.

One serving equals:

Milk, fat-free or 1%: 1 cup
Soy milk: 1 cup (no more than 100 calories) calcium-enriched, at least 25 percent of the daily value for calcium and for vitamin D.
Yogurt, low-fat or nonfat plain: 6 ounces

MIXED DISHES
Counting the carbohydrate grams in your serving of boxed frozen pizza or from a can of chili is easy—all you need to do is measure your portion and compare it to the serving on the nutrition facts panel. But how do you calculate the carbs in your aunt Sofia’s lasagna or in the mushroom barley soup at your local lunch spot? You can guesstimate; the numbers below are bound to be somewhat imprecise, but they can be used as a point of reference.

Lasagna, vegetable, meatless: 1⁄8 piece of 12-inch lasagna, 45 grams of carbohydrate
Lo mein with shrimp: 1 cup, 35 grams of carbohydrate
Macaroni/pasta salad: 1⁄2 cup, 20 grams of carbohydrate
Pizza, thin crust, cheese only or cheese and vegetable(s) topping: 1 slice of 14-inch pie, 17 grams of carbohydrate (check pizza restaurants’ “websites” for exact carbs and other nutrition information per slice, and read food labels on frozen pizza brands for accurate nutrition information)
Stew, beef with vegetables and potatoes: 1 cup, 16 grams of carbohydrate
Sushi with fish and vegetables rolled in seaweed: 1 roll cut into 6 pieces, 43 grams of carbohydrate
Tuna casserole in white sauce: 1 cup, 25 grams of carbohydrate

SOUPS
Choose brands with 500 mg sodium or less per serving.

Chicken noodle soup: 1 cup, 11 grams of carbohydrate
Lentil soup: 1 cup, 25 grams of carbohydrate
Mushroom barley soup: 1 cup, 15 grams of carbohydrate
Tomato soup: 1 cup, 17 grams of carbohydrate

FREE FOODS
These foods have only 1⁄2 gram of carbohydrate and are low in calories. If you have no more than three servings total per day, these foods are free (more than three, and the carbs start adding up and will affect your blood sugar).

Cucumber: 1⁄3 cup
Gum, sugar-free: 1 stick
Salad greens (romaine, mixed greens, etc.): 1⁄3 cup

SWEETS
You can have about 150 calories of cookies, candy and the like daily, and if possible, make the healthiest choices, such as dark chocolate or poached pears.