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Don't Die a Betis
A beat 'em up about type 1, set in Calgary. Count carbs, dodge the Cinnamon Guy, and find a washroom before it is too late.
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What carbohydrates are
Carbohydrates, or carbs, are the body's main source of energy. There are three main kinds: starch, sugars and fibre. Your body breaks starch and sugars down into glucose, the sugar in your blood.
You find carbohydrate in:
- grains and starches, such as bread, cereal, pasta, rice and quinoa
- legumes, such as chickpeas and lentils
- starchy vegetables, such as potatoes and corn
- fruit, milk and yogurt
- sweet foods and drinks, such as baked goods, candy and regular pop, and many prepared foods
Meat and alternatives, most vegetables and fats contain little carbohydrate. They still belong on your plate. They just don't raise your blood sugar much on their own.
Why counting matters with insulin
With type 1 diabetes, your body no longer makes the insulin it needs to move sugar from your blood into your cells. You take mealtime insulin, also called bolus insulin, to cover the carbohydrate in a meal or snack.
The more carbohydrate you eat, the more it raises your blood sugar. Diabetes Canada's guidelines say the mealtime dose is worked out from the carbohydrate in the meal, your insulin-to-carb ratio, any activity you have planned, the time since your last dose and your blood sugar. Carb counting gives you the first of those numbers.
Counting does not mean you have to eat less carbohydrate, or the same meal every day. It means you know roughly what is on your plate, so your insulin can match it.
Reading a Nutrition Facts table
Most packaged foods in Canada have a Nutrition Facts table. Here is how to find the carbohydrate in it.
Start with the serving size. It is at the top of the table, and every number below it is for that amount. If you eat more or less than the serving shown, adjust the carbohydrate to match.
Find the Carbohydrate line. This is the total carbohydrate in grams. It includes starch, sugars and fibre. Starch is usually not listed on its own line.
Look at Fibre, just below it. Fibre does not raise blood sugar, so Diabetes Canada says to subtract it from the total. What is left is called the available carbohydrate.
The Sugars line is already included in the total carbohydrate, so don't add it again. On Canadian labels it counts both natural and added sugars.
| Line on the label | Amount |
|---|---|
| Carbohydrate | 36 g |
| Fibre | 6 g |
| Sugars (already part of the 36 g) | 3 g |
| Available carbohydrate (36 g minus 6 g) | 30 g |
If your team has taught you a different way to count, follow theirs.
Your insulin-to-carb ratio
Many people with type 1 use an insulin-to-carb ratio. It is the number of grams of carbohydrate that one unit of your mealtime insulin covers.
Your ratio is personal. Everyone's is different, and it can be different at breakfast, lunch and dinner. Your team works it out with you from your blood sugar checks, what you ate and the insulin you took, and they will change it from time to time.
Don't use a ratio from a website, a friend or an app's default setting. Ask your doctor or diabetes educator for yours, and ask them before you change it.
When there is no label
Fresh fruit and vegetables, restaurant meals and home cooking don't come with a table. Some ways to estimate:
- Measure at home. Measuring cups and spoons help you get portions right, and over time they help you judge a portion by eye.
- Look it up. Food composition books, restaurant nutrition sheets, websites and the Canadian Nutrient File list the carbohydrate in common foods.
- Use your hand or plate. A Diabetes Canada dietitian video suggests that a fist is about one cup of food, and that starches usually fill about a quarter of a balanced plate.
- Watch for carbohydrate you can't see. Sauces, ketchup, salad dressings, breading and some milk alternatives all have it.
Meals high in fat and protein, such as pizza or nachos, can slow down how quickly the carbohydrate raises your blood sugar. If a favourite meal keeps giving you a surprise high hours later, write it down and ask your team how to handle insulin for it.
Carb counting is a skill that takes time. Nobody gets it exactly right every time.
Getting help from a dietitian
A registered dietitian or certified diabetes educator can teach you carb counting from the start. They can also help you set carbohydrate goals for meals and snacks that fit how you like to eat.
Ask your diabetes clinic for a referral. It helps to bring a few days of notes: what you ate and drank, the portion sizes, your blood sugar before and two hours after, and your insulin.
Diabetes Canada's Basic carb counting page has a printable handout with a blank log.
Follow your own diabetes care team. This page explains the general advice. Your doctor, nurse educator and dietitian know your body and your insulin, and their plan comes first.
Sources
- Diabetes Canada. Carb counting for blood sugar control, including its dietitian video on carb counting tips.
- Diabetes Canada. Basic carbohydrate counting for diabetes management (patient handout, 2025).
- Diabetes Canada Clinical Practice Guidelines. Chapter 12: Glycemic management in adults with type 1 diabetes.
- Alberta Health Services. Insulin to carbohydrate ratio (ICR) (2018).
- Health Canada. Carbohydrates.
- Health Canada. Nutrition labelling: Nutrition facts table.
Checked against these sources in November 2026.