The carbohydrate counting diet groups foods into three main groups: carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. You dietician will provide you with the number of carbohydrates you can have in a day and how that is divided up amongst your meals and snacks. Your dietician will also educate you on how you can determine the numbers of carbohydrates are in some of your favorite foods by reading food labels.
The biggest benefit of the carbohydrate counting diet is that it does not eliminate any foods. A diabetic can choose any food they wish to eat as long as they only eat enough of it to meet their carbohydrate needs. The trick to this is to choose wholesome foods that will fill you up longer. The same amounts of carbohydrates that are in a small handful of potato chips are not equal to the two slices of bread you can have instead. But it is nice to know that if you really want to – once in awhile – you can treat yourself.