Confused about Net Carbs? A Registered Dietitian Breaks it Down
By Kristin Neusel, MS, RD, LD, CDCES, NASM-CPT
If you’ve ever flipped over a nutrition label and seen “net carbs” bolded on the front of the package, here’s what that really means.
So, what are net carbs?
Net carbs are the amount of digestible carbohydrates in a food. Net carbs exclude different types of carbohydrates such as fiber, sugar alcohols and allulose, because while these are still considered carbohydrates, they’re not digested in your body and used for energy
How do I calculate “net carbs”?
It’s simple: If you’re counting carbohydrates, to get “net carbs”, you would subtract the sugar alcohols, allulose and fiber from the total carbohydrates on a label.
So as an example, for Hero Classic White Bread:
- 11g Total Carbohydrates
- Minus 11g Dietary Fiber
- Equals 0g net carbs
Items in the Hero Bread™ Crafted Collection may also have allulose to enhance flavor. As an example, for the Hero Buttermilk Biscuit:
- 22g Total Carbohydrates
- Minus 20g dietary fiber
- Minus 1g allulose
- Equals 1g net carbs
All Hero Bread products have grams of net carbs calculated for you to make it easy to review and compare. You can view the nutrition facts panel on any product page on Hero.co to see net carbs (and other nutrients) broken out by serving.
Are net carbs Real?
It’s a brand term that isn’t used by the FDA or recognized by the American Diabetes Association.
Why not? Because it assumes that sugar alcohols and fiber are NOT absorbed or metabolized, which isn’t always the case. Some are partially digested which means they’ll still provide calories in addition to impacting blood glucose.
In addition, there are different types of fibers and sugar alcohols (which aren’t indicated on the label), and they all impact sugars differently.
Should I still count net carbs?
Net carbs can be helpful to some in the general aspect. If you need to be serious about monitoring your blood glucose levels, it’s recommended to use the total grams of carbohydrates and closely monitor your blood glucose when consuming foods high in fiber to see how those foods affect YOU!
As always, talk with your healthcare provider about your personal health concerns.
