A Carb Counting Book that We Find Helpful
Available from Amazon, the CalorieKing carb counting book has been a helpful tool for Kevin and me.
In 2008, when Kevin and I began dating, I decided to start looking for things that may help him tackle the daily tasks of having diabetes. One of the first things that I set out to look for was a good carb counting book for diabetics. After reading reviews online, I decided to pick up the 2008 Version of The Calorie King Calorie, Fat & Carbohydrate Counter book by Allan Borushek, because it contained nutritional information for some of the restaurants and fast food locations that we frequented. We still use the book today and we recently received the 2011 Version (pictured on the left) complimentary of the Medtronic representative who we met last Monday.
After filing through the 2011 Version of the guide, I noticed that a number of new restaurants (Vocelli Pizza, Costco Food Court, Red Robin, Qdoba, Five Guys, etc.) have been added. Another positive to the new version is that since they haven’t changed the format, you aren’t left scrambling through the book trying to figure out a new layout. It is a great size, coming in at around 4.5 inches by 6 inches, so it fits well in my purse but could be easily kept in a car glove box for easy access while you are out.
Although we do not dine out as often now that we are married, we have found that this book is particularly helpful when it comes to determining carbohydrate counts for fresh items as well, such as pears, spinach, peppers and sweet potatoes that don’t have trusty nutrition labels on them. Various sizes are even listed for many items, enabling you to get a more accurate carb count. For example, whether you are planning to eat a 2 oz (baby), 6 oz (small), 8 oz (medium), 12 oz (large) or 16 oz (extra large) potato, the carbohydrate counts for each are listed. For quick reference, I have labeled some of the main categories and restaurants that we use with Post It Durable File tabs.
The CalorieKing Calorie, Fat & Carbohydrate Counter book fits easily into my purse.
A few other example situations when this book might be particularly useful include instances when you are confronted with unboxed snacks and other foods. Found yourself at a friend’s house for a hockey game and are being enticed by a spread of snacks? Look up your Club crackers, carrot sticks, Marzetti ranch dip and Oreo cookie. What if you encounter large bins of cereal at a hotel’s continental breakfast? Don’t know how many carbs are in your Cheerios or your child’s Cocoa Puffs sitting in that big bin? No problem (however, in this case it might also help to carry or ask for a measuring device, unless the scooper has a measurement value listed on it). The Calorie King Calorie, Fat & Carbohydrate Counter book has a surprising number of products clearly listed, helping you to further keep your carbohydrate intake under control.
I would also like to remind everyone that many restaurants have at least some of their nutritional information posted on their web sites. You can always check their web site before you go out, and in most cases you can access the information from a Smartphone’s web browser.
This carb counting book may or may not be helpful to you, but since we like it and decided it is worth writing about, here’s to happy eating.
My name is Kevin Lang and I am a Type 1 Diabetic who was diagnosed in May of 2004 at the age of 27. My last A1C was 6.0 in May 2015. I used to use daily shots of Lantus and Novolog to control my blood sugar until I switched to the MiniMed Paradigm Revel Insulin Pump in February 2011. To learn more about me, follow the about link in the menu bar.
FYI you can also access the calorie king online with your smart phone for free. The site also offers the sizing options for fruits and vegetables. I have it saved on my phone for easy access
This is the best book ever. I received it with my insulin pump and I am never without it.
SP