In search of carb and calorie counter

[shonda in ca]

I really know next to nothing about nutrition. I never know if what I'm eating is a high carb etc. (except for the obvious examples such as cake).

I am looking for an online "ap" where I can put in what food I eat and it will tell me how many carbs and calories it has. I have seen some online, but they aren't very easy for me to navigate.

For instance, today I had four baby boiled potatoes with tsp. butter, 1 cup salad with 5 cherry tomatoes and 1/8 cup red pepper, and 2 dried dates with a soaked raw almond I stuck inside each. I have no clue if dates are high carbs because the packaging from the health food store doesn't list any nutritional information. I have been eating a ton of these little treats! They are so sweet and sugary I suppose they are a high carb, though.
I do know that potatoes are a carb, but are they terribly high?

I have eliminated refined sugars and grains from my diet. I eat mostly plant based meals, but I have meat occasionally and I eat eggs. I eat a LOT of fruit. I make green smoothies with spinach, collards and kale, but I put a lot of different fruits in it. Are the fruits doing anything to my blood sugar or is it fine because they are natural, unprocessed?

I'm clueless.

[Dawn Gilmore]

I don't know, offhand of an online app for you, but I can tell you, that dried fruit is HIGH in carbs. When they are dehydrated, the fluid leaves, and the natural sugars become more concentrated. I know weight watchers has some good tracking software online, but they charge a monthly fee to use it.

I just googled "carb counting app" and here are the results:
https://www.google.com/#hl=en&sclien...w=1024&bih=475

Hope it helps!

[Laura F]

www.calorieking.com is my recommendation. I don't have a smart phone, so I carry the book version when we plan on eating out. Of the 3 endocrinologists we've seen, they all recommend Calorie King.

BTW, veggies are typically 5 g. of carbs per half cup. That doesn't include peas, corn, or potatoes though. If you're really counting what you're eating, buy a food scale and weigh your portions to more accurately calculate their nutrition.

[Amy Joy]

I use myfitnesspal.com it has both an app and a website and they linked so you can use both together. It's super easy to use.

[Heather (WI)]

OH Daily Burn is a great free app for this!! Plus, you can access it online, too. It charts your food, calories, exercise, etc. and gives you a daily pie graph to see what percent of carbs/fat/protein you are eating. It helps me a lot!

[Kisha]

I use the Belly Fat Cure Sugar and Carb Counter app for $4.99. Love it!

[Heather (WI)]

I use the Belly Fat Cure Sugar and Carb Counter app for $4.99. Love it!

Oh Kisha, I'm glad to hear that, because I was thinking of trying that one!

[Nancy Ann]

You can't go wrong if you stick to vegetables, fruit and real meat. Some fruits will have high carbs like bananas, but if you are really limited in your bread or just get it out of your diet than fruit is not a concern carb wise. Dairy will have some because things like yogurt they will add lots of sugar to it. Milk also has added sugar to make up for taking out the fat. So, for dairy the lower carb choices would be full fat versions for milk, cottage cheese etc...

Processed meats will have a few carbs but usually not much. Things like sausages, beef sticks.

I really love the Primal Diet and his book is written so inspiring. It is about a lifestyle and not just another diet which is why I feel I can embrace it.It is such a healthy way to eat and it is not confusing. He basically talks about eating real natural foods. He suggest eating organic meats, produce and dairy but that is not always financially easy or accessible. I find this diet to be the easiest to understand and implement. It still takes saying no to some of those foods I love, but it's simple and not confusing because you basically just eat produce, meat, some dairy and healthy fats. I also find myself not really hungry and so I don't really need snacks. I enjoy just making the healthy meals. This diet is highly recommended for those with celiac disease and gluten problems.

[Susan Seaman]

I like myfitnesspal.com, too. My sisters both use myfitnesspal on their iPhones, but I don't have an iPhone and just use my PC.

The discipline of tracking calories and exercise has really helped me. I've lost 8 pounds this summer.

I'm also planning on having each of my boys join and track their food and exercise for a week as a "health class" assignment. I counted calories back in high school for awhile, and a lot of the basic calorie amounts stuck with me such that I always had a ballpark idea of my calorie intake.

[Melany -KS]

I also use my fitness pal, well actually I haven't been the past 6 months or so, but when I was using it last year I was able to lose 17 lbs. I have gained 5 lbs back and I really need to get back into using it.

I was really amazed at how much larger my portions were in comparison to an actual serving size. I like how you can track different things with it, my mom has to track her sodium intake and she uses it for that reason.