Carbs · meal total
Meal carb counter, total and net.
Enter carbohydrate and fibre per label serving and how many servings you ate. The page adds up total carbohydrate, fibre and net carbohydrate (carbohydrate minus fibre) for up to six foods. Counting only; no insulin math.
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How the carb counter works
Carbohydrate counting means planning and keeping track of the amount of carbs you eat and drink in each meal or snack; NIDDK notes that not all people with diabetes need to count carbs. For each food, this page multiplies the label carbohydrate and fibre by the servings you ate. Net carbohydrate here is total carbohydrate minus dietary fibre, the same “available carbohydrate” subtraction used when glycemic load is calculated in the research literature. The FDA’s sample Nutrition Facts label lists Total Carbohydrate and Dietary Fiber as separate lines and does not use the term “net carbs”.
Worked example. The FDA sample label for lasagna lists 34 g Total Carbohydrate and 4 g Dietary Fiber for 1 cup, and 68 g and 8 g for 2 cups. Eating 1.5 cups: total 34 × 1.5 = 51 g, fibre 4 × 1.5 = 6 g, net 51 − 6 = 45 g.
Which number to use. Whether to plan with total or net carbohydrate is something to settle with your care team or dietitian, especially if you use insulin. This page counts only and does not convert carbohydrate into insulin.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate net carbs?
Subtract dietary fibre from total carbohydrate. For 51 g of total carbohydrate with 6 g of fibre, net carbohydrate is 51 - 6 = 45 g.
How do I scale a label to the amount I ate?
Multiply the label values by the servings eaten. Eating 150 g of a food with a 100 g label serving is 1.5 servings, so 34 g of carbohydrate becomes 51 g.
Is net carbs a label term?
Not on the FDA sample Nutrition Facts label, which lists Total Carbohydrate and Dietary Fiber as separate lines. Net carbs here is a calculation: carbohydrate minus fibre.
Should I count total carbs or net carbs?
That depends on your plan. Ask your diabetes care team or dietitian which to use, especially if you take insulin.
Sources
Checked
- NIDDK: Healthy Living with Diabetes (carb counting)
- US FDA: How to Understand and Use the Nutrition Facts Label
- Lee et al.: Validation Study of the Estimated Glycemic Load Model Using Commercially Available Fast Foods (Frontiers in Nutrition, 2022)
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Educational worked example, not medical advice
This page shows arithmetic and published rules of thumb for learning. It is not a dosing instruction, a diagnosis or a treatment plan, and it does not know your insulin, your body or your health history. Never change insulin or medicine because of a number on this page. Confirm every setting and target with your diabetes care team. If you have symptoms of a very low or very high glucose, follow your care plan; in an emergency call your local emergency number.