How to Calculate Grams of Carbohydrates into Calories

If you've ever done the Atkins diet, you are very familiar with counting carbs. The difficulty with carbohydrates is that the nutrition labels aren't always clear about how many of the carbohydrates are added sugars. Sure, there is a category for "sugar" under carbohydrates, but it doesn't distinguish between naturally occuring sugars and added sugars. The best way to try to make the distinction is by reading the ingredients which are usually located just below the nutrition information. The ingredients are listed in the order of volume ranging from the most (on top) to the least (near the bottom).

How do you calculate the grams of carbohydrates into calories? Each gram of carbohydrates is equal to 4 calories. For instance, if the label reads 27 grams of carbohydrates, you can multiply 27 by 4 to get the total calories of carbohydrates per serving, which would be 108 calories. So, let's say the total calories per serving is 432 calories, 27 grams of carbohydrates (or 108 calories) make up 25% of the total calories per serving.

You can further breakdown the carbohydrates category into the subcategories of Fiber and Sugars. For example, if there are 20 grams of sugar in the product, then 80 calories (or 74%) of the 108 carbohydrate calories are made up of sugars (or 18.5% total sugar per serving).

Do I expect that you are going to stand with a calculator in hand, calculating the percentages for every item you drop in your food basket? Of course not. But, having this knowledge will certainly empower you when you're trying to decide if a product contains too much sugar per serving for your family.



Do you have a question you want answered or a story to tell? Send me a note. Be part of the story.