Foods that contain carbohydrate provide the main source of energy for your body, especially the brain.  When your body digests carbohydrate, it breaks it down into glucose, which is then absorbed into the bloodstream. This causes your blood glucose levels to rise.

Carbohydrate is found in lots of different foods, and these foods also provide us with other important nutrients like fibre, vitamins and minerals.

What foods contain carbohydrate?

Carbohydrate is found in many foods that we eat every day, these foods include:

• Breads, rolls, flat breads and wraps, crackers
• Breakfast cereals
• Grains, such as rice, pasta, barley, couscous and quinoa
• Starchy vegetables such as potato, legumes, and corn
• Fruit
• Dairy foods such as milk and yoghurt
• Anything with added sugar (e.g. chocolate, confectionary, desserts, ice-cream, jam, syrups, sugary drinks)

How much carbohydrate should I be eating?

Carbohydrate is the one nutrient this is going raise your blood glucose levels (BGLs). However, this doesn’t mean you need to cut them out of your diet altogether, as they are still needed for good health and energy levels.

When it comes to your BGLs and carbohydrate, there are two main things to consider:

1. The amount of carbohydrate you are eating at each of your meals and snacks
2. The types of carbohydrate foods you are eating  

Every single person will have different requirements for carbohydrate, depending on their gender, age, activity level and weight. An Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD) can help you to work out how much carbohydrate your body needs and develop a meal plan that is suitable for you.

In general, blood glucose levels are best managed by eating small to moderate portions of carbohydrates that are higher in fibre and/or have a lower glycemic index (GI). Eating roughly the same amount of carbohydrate at each meal and snack (if you choose to snack), can help to keep blood glucose levels more stable throughout the day, avoiding large fluctuations.
Read more about the glycemic index in the next tab (above).

For more information about how monitoring your carbohydrate intake can help you manage your blood glucose levels, read our carbohydrate counting factsheet.
 

Fibre

It is best to choose carbohydrate foods that are higher in fibre. Fibre is the part of plant based foods that is not digested and absorbed by the body, passing through almost unchanged. Foods that are higher in fibre will have many benefits for your health, including:

• Improved bowel and gut health and reduced risk of bowel cancer
• Weight management – foods that are higher in fibre will fill you up for longer, so that you are less likely to overeat
• Reduced cholesterol levels, as soluble fibre (found in oats, barley and legumes) helps the body to remove bad cholesterol from the blood stream

 

How can I increase my fibre intake?

There are lots of simple ways that you can increase your fibre intake:

• Switching from white bread to wholegrain bread
• Choosing minimally processed breakfast cereals, such as traditional rolled oats, natural muesli and bran based cereals
• Eating at least 5 servings of vegetables and 2 serves of fruit every day. Leave the skin on them where you can
• Including legumes and lentils regularly in  your meals
• Try brown rice and pasta and other wholegrains such as barley and quinoa
• Snack on a handful of unsalted nuts, or add them to your meals

 

Sugars and sweeteners

As diabetes is a condition where there is too much glucose (sugar) in the blood stream, many people think that they have to cut out all forms of sugar from their diet. Many sweet drinks, chocolates, confectionary, ice creams, desserts and processed/packaged foods contain large amounts of added sugar and are best limited to special occasions only.
Small amounts of added sugar can be consumed as part of a meal without causing a significant rise in blood glucose levels. Examples of this could include:

• 1 teaspoon of sugar or honey drizzled over a hot bowl of porridge
• 1 teaspoon of jam or honey on some wholegrain bread
• A small tin of baked beans on some wholegrain toast
• The occasional teaspoon of sugar in tea or coffee

Alternative sweeteners, such as Equal, Splenda, Sugarine, Stevia etc. are not necessary to manage diabetes. As mentioned above, small amounts of added sugar in meals will not significantly affect blood glucose levels. ALL forms of sweetener (including sugar and alternative sweeteners) are best limited to small amounts.

Foods and drinks that have been sweetened with an alternative sweetener, such as diet soft drinks and cordials, sugar-free lollies etc., are also best enjoyed occasionally, as they do not have any nutritional benefit and may often take the place of more nutritious foods and drinks, such as fruits, vegetables, dairy, nuts and water.

 

More information:

• Alternative sweeteners
• Healthy meal ideas

Not all carbohydrate foods will have the same impact on blood glucose levels (BGLs). Some carbohydrate foods are broken down and released into the blood stream very quickly and others are broken down much more slowly. The rate at which carbohydrate foods are released into the bloodstream is called the Glycemic Index (GI). Carbohydrate foods can be classified as having either a low, medium or high GI. 

Low GI foods

Low GI carbohydrate foods are digested slowly, releasing glucose into the bloodstream more gradually compared to higher GI foods. They are also a lot more filling because they sit in your stomach for a longer amount of time, before they are digested. This can help with weight management, as you will be less likely to overeat. 

Examples of low GI foods include traditional rolled oats, dense wholegrain breads, lentils and legumes, sweet potato, milk, yoghurt, pasta and most types of fresh fruit.

Try to include at least 1 lower GI food at each of your meals. Remember that the portion size of carbohydrate is going to have the biggest impact on your BGLs. Just because a food has a lower GI doesn’t mean it can be eaten in large amounts.  
 

High GI foods

High GI foods are broken down and released into the blood stream quicker than other carbohydrate foods. They tend to cause a quick rise in blood glucose levels and often don’t fill you up as much as lower GI foods, so you may feel hungry a short time after eating them. 

Examples of high GI foods include white bread, highly processed/low fibre breakfast cereals, shorter-grain rice (e.g. Jasmine rice), soft drinks and confectionary, as well as many processed and packaged snack foods.

Some high GI carbohydrates are still nutritious foods, such as potatoes and tropical fruits. Just because they are high GI doesn’t mean you need to cut them out – eat them in smaller portions. 
 

Lower GI foods	Higher GI foods
Wholegrain bread Wholegrain cereals            Rolled oats, muesli Basmati rice Quinoa, barley Milk & yoghurt Legumes Sweet potato	White & wholemeal bread Cornflakes, rice bubbles Quick oats Jasmine, medium grain rice Couscous  Rice & oat milk Potato

The University of Sydney Glycemic Index website has more information about the glycemic index and the values of specific foods. You can also look for the Low GI symbol on packaging when shopping, however not all low GI foods will carry this symbol. To find out which products carry the low GI symbol, check out the website.



For more information about the GI, read the Glycemic Index fact sheet

By law, all packaged food products must display an ingredient list. Small packages and foods like herbs and spices, tea, coffee and foods sold unpackaged or foods made and packaged at the point of sale are exceptions. Food labels can help you become more informed about your food choices and help you to make healthier food choices.

The nutrition information panel (NIP) tells you the amount of energy (kilojoules), protein, total fat and saturated fat, carbohydrate, sugars and sodium, and any other nutrient about which a claim is made on the label.

Nutrition information panel - example
 

Servings per package: 1    Serving size: 50g
	Per 50g serve	Per 100g
Energy	501kJ	1002kJ
Protein	3.5g	7.0g
Total Fat	0.4g	0.8g
Saturated fat	0.3g	0.7g
Carbohydrates total	25.3g	50.6g
Carbohydrates sugars	7.5g	15.0g
Dietary Fibre	3.4g	6.8g
Cholesterol	nil	nil
Sodium	195mg	390mg

Serving size

This is the average serving size of the product as decided by the manufacturer. However, this may not be the same as the serving you will eat.

Per 100g

The 100g column tells you the amount of nutrients in 100g of the food. This can be useful for comparing food products and determining the percentage of that nutrient in the food. For example, this food has 7g Protein per 100g = 7 per cent.

Energy

This is measured in kilojoules (kJ) or calories (cal). The amount of energy each of us needs depends on many factors such as age, weight and activity levels, and will vary from person to person. Foods that are high in fat and sugar tend to be high in kilojoules. Eating more kilojoules than what your body needs will lead to weight gain. 

Fat and saturated fat

Use the figure per 100g to compare similar products and pick the one with less total fat and less saturated fat.  The example food above is very low in fat with only 0.8g of fat per 100g.

Carbohydrates - Total

This includes the combined total of starch and sugar in the food. Look at this value if you are considering the impact of the food on your blood glucose levels. If you are counting carbohydrates you can use this value to calculate the amount of carbohydrate in your serving of the food.

Carbohydrates - Sugars

This tells you how much of the total carbohydrate is sugar. This includes added sugar as well as naturally occurring sugars like lactose (milk sugar) and fructose (fruit sugar). Just looking at the amount of sugar will not predict the effect of the food on your blood glucose level, you need to look at the total amount of carbohydrate.

Look at the ingredient list to determine if the sugar is an added sugar or if it is coming from fruit, milk or yoghurt.  

Dietary Fibre

Fibre content will only be listed on packaged foods that are plant based, like breads, breakfast cereals, pasta, rice, crackers etc. Use the figure per 100g and pick the product that is highest in fibre. Aim to eat about 30g of fibre every day. 

Sodium (salt)

Look for products that have the lowest amount of sodium per 100g. When it comes to many sauces, or canned products, look for those that are labelled reduced or no added salt.

The ingredient list

All packaged foods must have an ingredient list on the label. All ingredients (except water) are listed in descending order by weight, so you can work out roughly how much of the ingredient the food contains. You can use this information to help make the healthiest food choice.

Supermarket tours

Diabetes Victoria coordinates supermarket tours in various locations, run by local dietitians. The tours will teach you more about reading food labels and choosing healthy food products, using practical hands on activities in the supermarket with real foods. You will receive lots of information, including a free copy of the Diabetes Australia Healthy Shopping Guide (RRP $7.50).

Find your nearest location here: Supermarket tours
 

More information
Find out more: Understanding Food Labels.