6 Carb Counting Tips for Takeaways & Eating Out
By Carbs & Cals // 1 Oct 2020 // 3 minute video
By Carbs & Cals // 1 Oct 2020 // 3 minute video
Carb counting takeaways and restaurant food can be more difficult than usual meals, as you haven’t made the food yourself and there are no nutritional labels.
They tend to be big portions; high in carbs, fat and protein; and can often cause a larger increase in blood glucose than you may expect, which can happen several hours after eating.
It’s common for people to underestimate carbs in these situations, and the insulin needed, because takeaways can contain significantly more carbs than everyday meals. And it’s easy to forget about sauces and dips – more on that in a minute.
So let’s get stuck into our 6 carb counting tips for takeaways and eating out.
If you’re eating out at a well known restaurant chain, check their website on your phone. Many have the nutritional values listed.
Use the Carbs & Cals book or app to look up the foods. Compare the amount on your plate with the photos in the book to quickly see the carbs in your meal. This helps with choosing portion sizes too.
For carb foods that you normally eat at home (like rice, chips or bread), relate these to the food in your takeaway or restaurant meal.
For example, compare noodles from a Chinese restaurant to those you’d make yourself.
or how many slices of bread would be the equivalent of a naan bread.
Learn how your favourite meals affect blood glucose levels. Take a quick snap on your phone, and make a note for the next time you order your go-to dishes.
If you take insulin and found that you’ve underestimated the carbs, this will help you remember to consider taking more next time.
If you are unsure how many carbs are in a sauce, consider counting it as 10g of carbs, unless it is a sweet sauce (like sweet & sour), which will have more.
Consider if you need to count carbs in dips like chilli sauce, ketchup, mango chutney, mayo, sweet chilli sauce, and sweet & sour sauce. Some are carb-free, while others may add a significant amount of carbs, especially if you squeeze and dollop a lot to your plate.
If you’re wondering how many carbs you need, we’ve done a separate video called “How many carbs should I eat each day?”. Watch it here:
All the foods shown above are from the Carb & Calorie Counter and Carbs & Cals app – the easiest way to track all the food and drink you consume.
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