Carb Commando

All You Need To Know About Carbs

Hidden carbs and ones you do not see coming

We are here to talk about carbs. More specifically, the secrets behind them. If you're on a strict low carb diet, you know the foods you're supposed to be avoiding--breads and pasta, candy, baked goodies, ice cream, chips, soda pop, etc. (These are also known as bad carbs.) You also know that you have to avoid the obvious natural foods which are sweet or starchy like fruit, potatoes, corn, peas, kidney beans, etc. (Some of these are also known as good carbs.)

But did you know there are hidden carbs in other foods?

It's true! Sugar or starch fillers are found in most deli-style meats, especially the ones labeled "low fat" or "extra lean." In these meats, the hidden carbs are usually less than one gram, but it's there. Just so you know. As hard as you have been counting carbs and trying to keep that accurate, you might not have met the greatest success.

Dairy products have more than one carb. You might know about these, in fact. Milk has 11-14 grams in an 8-oz. serving. The lower the fat content, the higher the carbohydrate count may be. This is done to compensate for the loss in fat. Here's a brief list of the hidden carbs in other dairy products:

Non-dairy coffee creamer - regular has 1 gram, light has 2 grams
Most cheeses have 1 gram per processed slice, 2 grams for light processed slices.Grated Parmesan has 3 grams per tablespoon
Cheese spreads like Cheez Whiz have 1 gram per tablespoon for regular and 1.5 grams for light
Cream cheese has 0.6 grams per tablespoon for regular, 1 gram for light, and 2 grams for fat-free
Sour cream has 0.6 grams for one tablespoon of regular, 1 gram of carbs for light, and 2 grams for fat-free
Cottage cheese has 4 grams for each half cup, 2% has 5 grams and 1% has 6 grams. Non-fat has 7 grams.
Ricotta cheese has 3.8 grams for a half cup of regular and 6 grams for a half cup of light
Plain yogurt has 6 grams for a half cup. Light has 7 grams, and fat-free has 8 grams.

Other hidden carbs can be found in beverages like coffee, diet sodas with fruit flavorings, drink mixes like Crystal Light and fruit flavored tea all have carbs, but it's usually only 1 gram or less, but even these small amounts of carbohydrates add up. The same holds true for herbs and spices. Some have carbs, but again, they are low carbs--usually 2 grams or less. Another surprise? Light mayonnaise has 1 gram per tablespoon and fat free can have 3-4 grams per tablespoon.

Of course, you should never cut carbs out completely. Doing so can cause heart and kidney damage. It can also make you lethargic and irritable. But if you are very strict about it, knowing where hidden carbs are can make a difference. Knowing as much as possible about carbs will give you better results and keep you healthier.

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