How many carbs should you eat per day to lose weight or manage diabetes? | Smart Eating Show

For some people, low-carb meals are just the ticket!


And I’m not talking about a keto diet which recommends only 20-50 grams of carbs per day, which means bacon and eggs with lots of protein foods, not many veggies, and forget the fruits and starchy grains. I like to work with my patients to determine their carbohydrate tolerance, which varies, depending on size, age activity level and any insulin resistance one might have.

In the case of pre-diabetes or diabetes, a starting place might be 25-30 grams of carbohydrate per meal, or 75-130 grams of carbohydrate per day.

Since grains like rice and pasta are dense sources of carbs, it’s best to limit them, especially the refined and processed types like white pasta and rice. One way to do that is to substitute vegetables.

Here are a few carb swaps that might be helpful:

Zucchini noodles can be a great substitute for pasta – it’s so easy to sauté them with olive oil and garlic and top with good parmesan cheese. Two cups of zucchini noodles have about 14 grams of carb, verses regular pasta – with 85. Serve it along with a piece of salmon, a chicken breast or a pork chop and a side salad with avocado, nuts and vinaigrette. You can top also top with marinara or pesto.

Alternately, add zucchini noodles to your favorite pasta dish or soup, cutting carbs in half.

Cauliflower is used to make many things these days, from sandwich thins to pizza crust to mashed potatoes. Check them out! It’s a great veggie side dish, sautéed with onion and an easy substitute for rice. Two cups of “riced” cauliflower has about 10 grams of carb, verses regular brown rice – with nearly 90. Mix it with mashed potatoes for lower carb option with a sweet taste.

Low carb eating is not for everyone, but it can be helpful for people with diabetes or for those who are eating too many carbs and need to recalibrate.

Rather than thinking of it as “low carb”, why not think of it as vegetable forward, high fiber with plenty of healthy fats? There are delicious ways to do it, and that just might be Smart Eating for you!



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