Think you know how to count carbs? Take our Carb Quiz and find out if you are a pro!
Write down your answers and e-mail them (with the subject line “Carb Quiz”) to Integrated Diabetes Services’ Director of Nutrition Education, Sarah Halabu: sarah@integrateddiabetes.com
Be sure to include your full name, e-mail and phone number. Sarah will score your test and send you a personalized reply, letting you know how
you did and where your strengths/weaknesses lie.
To learn more about carb counting, watch a video by registered dietician, Jenny Smith
Section 1: Applied Carb Counting (each answer worth 4 pts)
| Approximately how many grams of total carbohydrate are in the pictured portions? | ||
|---|---|---|
 | 1. Salmon with Pasta A: 20 B: 30 C: 50 D: 75 | |
 | 2. Apple and Diet Soda A: 5 B: 15 C: 25 D: 30 | |
 | 3. Banana A: 10 B: 20 C: 30 D: 40 | |
 | 4. Philly Soft Pretzel A: 30 B: 45 C: 60 D: 90 | |
 | 5. Tossed Salad & Diet Soda A. 0 B. 5 C. 10 D. 15 | |
 | 6. Pear A. 5 B. 15 C. 25 D. 30 | |
 | 7. Cooked Mixed Vegetables & Diet Soda A. 0 B. 5 C. 10 D. 20 | |
 | 8. Life Cereal & Whole Milk A. 20 B. 30 C. 40 D. 50 | |
 | 9. Cantaloupe A. 15 B. 25 C. 35 D. 45 | |
 | 10. Waffles & Regular Maple Syrup A. 25 B. 45 C. 60 D. 75 | |
 | 11. Chicken Breast, Cooked Carrots, & Mashed Potatoes A. 15 B. 20 C. 35 D. 40 | |
 | 12. Popcorn & Diet Soda A. 5 B. 20 C. 40 D. 60 | |
 | 13. Sausage Pizza & Diet Soda A. 20 B. 40 C. 60 D. 70 | |
 | 14. Pretzels & Diet Soda A. 25 B. 40 C. 50 D. 65 | |
Section 2: Multiple Choice
(each worth 3 points)
| Question | Your Answer |
|---|---|
| 15. Which meal contains the greatest amount of carbohydrates? | A. 1 cup of sweetened vanilla yogurt and ½ cup of granola B. 1cup frosted flakes and 1 cup whole milk C. 1 English muffin with 2 Tbs peanut butter and 2 tsp jelly D. 1 cup plain cooked oatmeal with 2 tsp. butter and 2 tsp. sugar |
| 16. Which meal contains the least amount of carbohydrates? | A. 1 1/2 cups of brown rice, 12 shrimp, 1 cup of broccoli, and 2 fortune cookies B. 10 inch hoagie, and 1 small bag of chips C. 1 1/2 cups of pasta with butter, 1 chicken breast, 2 Oreo cookie D. 1 cup of potato, ½ cup peas, 1dinner roll, 5 oz steak, and 1 cup ice cream |
| 17. Which statement is true about fiber? | A. It speeds up the rate of digestion B. It blocks insulin absorption C. The human body does not absorb it D. It stimulates the liver to release glucose |
| 18. Which food would produce the slowest rise in blood glucose? | A. Pretzels B. Corn flakes C. Ice cream D. Rice cake |
| 19. Which food would be the best choice for treating a low blood sugar (has a high glycemic value and, therefore, converts to glucose quickly)? | A. Orange juice B. Regular soda C. Saltine crackers D. Chocolate |
| 20. You can use the Glycemic Index to help—– | A. Figure out total carbohydrate content of foods B. Increase metabolism C. Figure out total insulin dose. D. Manage after meal blood sugars. |
| 21. Which has the highest glycemic index value (converts to glucose fastest)? | A. Glucose tabs B. Pasta C. Apple D. Chocolate |
| 22. According to the nutritional information below, how much blood sugar-raising carbohydrate is in a 1½ cup portion? | A. 12 g B. 24 g C. 32 g D. 48 g |
| Nutrition facts:Serving size: ¾ cup Servings per container: 12 | |
| Calories: 90 Calories from fat 10% Total fat 1 g Sodium 70mg Potassium 120 mg Total Carb 24 g dietary fiber 8g sugar 6g Protein 3g | Daily Value 2% 3% 3% 8% 32% |
Section 3: True or False?
(each worth 2 points)
| Question | True or False? |
|---|---|
| 23. Sugar alcohols do not raise blood sugar | True False |
| 24. Carrots are as high in carbohydrates as potatoes. | True False |
| 25. People with diabetes can include table sugar in their meal plans. | True False |
| 26. Sweet potatoes are higher in carbohydrates than white potatoes. | True False |
| 27. A cup of rice has more carbohydrate than a cup of pasta. | True False |
| 28. Most vegetables contain no carbohydrates. | True False |
| 29. Light (aspartame-sweetened) yogurt usually has the same amount of carbohydrate as fruit/sugar-sweetened yogurt. | True False |
| 30. Half a cup of raisins has more carbohydrate than half a cup of grapes. | True False |
| 31. Sugar-free chocolate often has the same amount of total carbohydrate as regular chocolate. | True False |
| 32. Foods that are low in carbohydrates are always low in calories. | True False |
This test was designed to assess your carb counting skills and determine where you may need to work on your carb counting accuracy.
For personalized instruction on carbohydrate gram counting or any other aspect of diabetes self-care, please contact us at:
Integrated Diabetes Services
333 E. Lancaster Ave., Suite 204
Wynnewood, PA 19096
(610) 642-6055
(877) 735-3648
Individual consultations are available via phone, Skype, fax and e-mail for those who live outside the Philadelphia area.
Is coffee bad for type 2 diabetes?
Coffee has been shown to have some health benefits, it has anti oxidants. But all thing sin moderation! Too much caffeine can be harmful and the high acidity of coffee can also lead to digestive issues.
However specifically for people with diabetes it is important to remember that the caffeine in coffee dose raise blood sugar. So taking that into account is important. Not to mention any added sweeteners etc that can also raise our blood sugars. (On a side note, the jitters and racing heart we can get from too much caffeine can also feel a lot like a low blood sugar and can lead to over treating a low that was never really there to begin with)