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Basic Skills for Living with Diabetes
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Examples of one carbohydrate choice
 Examples of one carbohydrate choice (15 grams) - printer-friendly version
Breads, cereals, grains, starchy vegetables
Food |
Serving Size |
Carbohydrate Grams |
Carbohydrate Choice |
Bagel (most bagel shops) |
1 large |
60 to 75 |
4 to 5 |
Bagel |
1 mini |
15 |
1 |
Baked beans |
1/2 cup |
30 |
2 |
Black beans: cooked |
1/2 cup |
21 |
1 1/2 |
Bread: reduced-calorie |
2 slices |
15 |
1 |
Bread: sticks (soft), 6 to 7 inches |
1 stick |
30 |
2 |
Bread: pumpernickel, rye, white, whole wheat |
1 slice |
15 |
1 |
Cereal: cooked and unsweetened |
1/2 cup |
15 |
1 |
Cereal: dry |
1/2 to 1 1/3 cup |
20 to 45 |
1 to 3 |
Coleslaw |
1/2 cup |
15 |
1 |
Corn |
1/2 cup |
15 |
1 |
Corn on the cob: 5 to 6 inches |
1 |
15 to 20 |
1 |
Cornbread |
2-inch square |
23 to 34 |
1 1/2 to 2 |
Couscous: cooked |
1/2 cup |
15 to 20 |
1 |
Dinner roll |
1 |
15 |
1 |
Doughnut: cake |
1 |
25 |
1 1/2 |
Doughnut: glazed |
1 |
35 |
2 |
Doughnut holes |
2 |
15 |
1 |
English muffin |
one-half |
15 |
1 |
Garbanzo beans |
1/2 cup |
22 to 27 |
1 1/2 to 2 |
Graham crackers |
3 squares |
15 |
1 |
Green peas |
1/2 cup |
15 |
1 |
Hash browns |
1/2 cup |
22 to 30 |
1 1/2 to 2 |
Hoagie roll |
1 |
75 |
5 |
Hot dog or hamburger bun |
one-half |
15 |
1 |
Kidney beans |
1/2 cup |
20 |
1 |
Lentils |
1/2 cup |
20 |
1 |
Muffin: extra large |
1 |
50 to 75 |
4 to 5 |
Muffin: medium |
1 |
24 |
1 1/2 |
Pancake: 4 inches |
1 |
15 |
1 |
Pasta: cooked (macaroni, noodles, spaghetti) |
1/3 cup |
15 |
1 |
Pita: 6 inches |
1 |
30 |
2 |
Potato salad |
1/2 cup |
15 |
1 |
Potatoes: baked |
1/4 |
45 to 60 |
3 to 4 |
Potatoes: french fries (frozen) |
10 to 15 |
15 |
1 |
Potatoes: mashed |
1/2 cup |
15 |
1 |
Rice: brown, cooked |
1/3 cup |
15 |
1 |
Rice: wild, cooked |
1/2 cup |
15 |
1 |
Rice: white, cooked |
1/3 cup |
15 |
1 |
Ritz crackers |
6 to 7 |
15 |
1 |
Saltine crackers |
6 |
15 |
1 |
Squash: acorn |
1/4 medium (1 cup) |
15 |
1 |
Squash: butternut |
1/4 medium (1 cup) |
30 |
2 |
Stuffing |
1/2 cup |
10 to 15 |
1 |
Taco: corn shell, 6 inches |
2 |
15 |
1 |
Tater tots |
5 |
15 |
1 |
Tortilla: flour, 6 inches |
1 |
15 |
1 |
Waffle: frozen |
1 |
15 |
1 |
Wheat thins |
12 |
15 |
1 |
Yam (sweet potato) |
1/2 cup |
15 |
1 |
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Fruits
Food |
Serving Size |
Carbohydrate Grams |
Carbohydrate Choice |
Apple: small |
1 |
15 |
1 |
Banana: large |
1 |
30 |
2 |
Berries: blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries |
1 cup whole |
15 |
1 |
Canned fruit: in juice |
1/2 cup |
15 |
1 |
Cherries |
15 |
15 |
1 |
Clementines |
2 |
15 |
1 |
Grapefruit: medium |
1/2 |
15 |
1 |
Grapes |
15 |
15 |
1 |
Kiwi: large |
1 |
15 |
1 |
Mango |
1/2 cup |
15 |
1 |
Melon |
1 cup cubes |
15 |
1 |
Nectarine: medium |
1 |
15 |
1 |
Orange: medium |
1 |
15 |
1 |
Peach: medium |
1 |
15 |
1 |
Pear: small |
1 |
15 |
1 |
Pineapple |
1 cup |
20 |
1 |
Plums: small |
2 |
15 |
1 |
Raisins |
2 tablespoons |
15 |
1 |
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Fruit and vegetable juice
Food |
Serving Size |
Carbohydrate Grams |
Carbohydrate Choice |
Apple, grapefruit, orange or pineapple |
1/2 cup |
15 |
1 |
Cranberry juice cocktail, grape, prune |
1/3 cup |
15 |
1 |
Fruit juice blends (100 percent juice) |
1/3 cup |
15 |
1 |
Fruit juice: reduced calorie |
1 cup |
10 to 15 |
1 |
Tomato juice |
1 cup |
10 |
1 |
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Milk and yogurt
Food |
Serving Size |
Carbohydrate Grams |
Carbohydrate Choice |
Milk: buttermilk, skim, whole, 1 percent, 2 percent |
1 cup |
15 |
1 |
Milk: chocolate |
1 cup |
30 |
2 |
Milk: soy (plain or flavored) |
1/2 to 1 cup |
15 |
1 |
Yogurt: plain or artifically sweetened |
3/4 cup |
15 |
1 |
Yogurt: sweetened with fruit |
3/4 cup |
30 |
2 |
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Snacks and sweets
Food |
Serving Size |
Carbohydrate Grams |
Carbohydrate Choice |
Angel food cake: unfrosted, 1-inch slice |
1 |
15 |
1 |
Brownie: unfrosted, 2-inch by 2-inch |
1 |
15 |
1 |
Cake: unfrosted, 2-inch by 2-inch |
1 |
15 |
1 |
Cheesecake |
1/12 of 9-inch |
35 to 45 |
2 1/2 to 3 |
Chips: potato or tortilla (regular) |
10 to 15 |
15 to 20 |
1 |
Cookie: 3-inch |
1 |
10 to 15 |
1 |
Cupcake: frosted, small |
1 |
30 |
2 |
Frozen yogurt |
1/2 cup |
25 |
1 1/2 |
Gelatin: regular |
1/2 cup |
15 |
1 |
Honey: regular |
1 tablespoon |
15 |
1 |
Ice cream cone: cake, sugar, wafer |
1 |
3 to 9 |
0 to 1/2 |
Ice cream: light, low-fat, regular |
1/2 cup |
15 |
1 |
Jam and jelly: regular |
1 tablespoon |
15 |
1 |
Pie: single crust |
1/8 of 9-inch |
25 to 45 |
1 1/2 to 3 |
Pie: double crust |
1/8 of 9-inch |
45 |
3 |
Popcorn |
3 cups |
15 |
1 |
Pretzels: mini twists |
20 |
25 |
1 1/2 |
Pudding: regular |
1/2 cup |
30 |
2 |
Pudding: sugar-free |
1/2 cup |
15 |
1 |
Sherbet, sorbet, gelato |
1/2 cup |
30 |
2 |
Sugar: brown packed or white |
1 tablespoon |
15 |
1 |
Syrup: light |
1/4 cup |
25 |
1 1/2 |
Syrup: regular |
1/4 cup |
52 to 60 |
1 |
Syrup: sugar-free |
1/4 cup |
15 |
1 |
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Convenience and combination foods
Food |
Serving Size |
Carbohydrate Grams |
Carbohydrate Choice |
Casserole (hot dish) |
1/2 cup |
30 |
2 |
Chili |
1 cup |
30 |
2 |
Pasta or potato salad |
1/2 cup |
15 to 25 |
1 to 1 1/2 |
Soup: broth type |
1 cup |
15 |
1 |
Soup: cream type |
1 cup |
15 to 30 |
1 to 2 |
Sub sandwich |
6-inch |
45 |
3 |
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Convenience and combination foods: Ethnic
Food |
Serving Size |
Carbohydrate Grams |
Carbohydrate Choice |
|
|
Chinese egg noodles |
1/3 cup |
15 |
1 |
Chow mein |
1 cup |
15 to 20 |
1 |
Chow mein noodles |
1/2 cup |
15 |
1 |
Egg roll: 5-inch |
1 |
23 |
1 1/2 |
Fried rice |
1/3 cup |
15 |
1 |
Lo mein (meat, noodles, vegetables) |
1 cup |
30 to 50 |
2 to 3 |
Stir fry (meat, no rice) |
1 cup |
10 |
1 |
Sweet and sour: chicken or pork (no noodles, no rice) |
1 cup |
45 |
3 |
Sweet and sour sauce |
1 tablespoon |
15 |
1 |
|
|
Lasagna |
4-inch by 4-inch |
45 to 60 |
3 to 4 |
Pizza: thick crust |
1/8 large |
30 to 45 |
2 to 3 |
Pizza: thin crust |
1/8 large |
25 to 35 |
1 1/2 to 2 |
Ravioli (no sauce) |
9 to 11 |
45 to 60 |
3 to 4 |
Tomato sauce |
1/2 cup |
15 |
1 |
|
|
Burrito: 6- to 8-inch |
1 |
45 to 60 |
3 to 4 |
Enchilada: 8-inch |
1 |
50 |
3 |
Fajita: 6- to 8-inch |
1 |
20 |
1 |
Quesadilla: 8- to 10-inches |
1 |
30 to 40 |
2 to 3 |
Refried beans |
1/2 cup |
20 |
1 |
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Source: Allina Health Patient Education, Basic Skills for Living with Diabetes, fifth edition, ISBN 1-931876-32-0
First published: 12/01/2006
Last updated: 05/14/2012
Reviewed by: Allina Health Patient Education experts
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