Carb Counter: A Clear Guide to Carbohydrates in Everyday Foods (Collins Gem)

I got this for my mother. She wanted a carb counter she could carry in her purse. She said it has everything she needed and it is perfect

Was not what I expected.

I don’t like it not good.

This book would be very helpful if it were in large print or at least 6x9" in size. This book is Useless for elderly consumers!

Not what I expected. Written in kg, ml, cm, etc, all in the metric system. Could not understand. I needed pounds, inches, etc, in regularWill be sending this one back

Book way to small to read without magnifying glass.

Love it I am a Dieter

a good book and easy to take along in a bag or purse especially when you know you are going to a restaurant

I expected this to be as the title suggested a carb counter and a clear guide to carbohydrates in food. There is too much bumph about different diets and not enough listings (as I thought it would be) of carbs in foods. Very disappointed!

Smashing pocket guide!Loads of relevant information for Uk foodsLots of extra information and adviseThis book is invaluable to anyone diabetic or wanting to card watch!!!

This is my 'bible' as I'm on a low carb regime. It's a real aid and a very handy size for my handbag.. So far lost over two stone and blood sugar levels well within normal range

ProsI have been a Type 1 diabetic for 53 years and carb counting for nearly 10. I own 2 other carb counting books, both of which are large to carry around. This book is small and will fit into a pocket or handbag very easily, so very user friendly.Unlike most carb counting web sites, this book is written for the UK market using names I recognise rather than US names. An aubergine is called that not an eggplant, courgettes are there rather than zucchini, mince is entered not ground beef etcCarbohydrate and calorie content of food types and portion sizes served in UK eating out places are listed e.g. Pizza Express, Domino's Pizza's, Burger King, Wimpy, etc. Most other books/web sites give US equivalents which are often much different, having been to the states believe me a burger over there is much larger than one here.Net carbs are explained and used rather than the glycaemic index. I don't know about other people, but the GI is complex to use and requires carrying around a long list or the use of internet access. Net carbs are an alternative - they are the total carbs minus the fibre content, this is a calculation anyone can do using the labels found on foods. The higher the number the greater the peak in blood sugar, something Type 1 diabetics should avoid. The lower the number the better for Type 1 diabetics. So with the M&S bread I use - carb content per slice 11.1g, fibre content per slice 2.6g, 11.1 - 2.6 = net carb of 8.9g. I can then compare that with other breads to see if this is the best type for avoiding blood sugar peaks. Much easier than carrying around a list containing the GI of every type of bread!There is a section at the end that discusses the content of foreign foods. It contains some interesting facts such as monosodium gluconate, found in most chinese foods, is made from beets and thus high in carbogydrate. I have always avoided most chinese food as it caused high BS levels, I thought this was because they must use sugar in their recipes. This book has definitely taught an old dog new facts and tricks!!ConsBecause it is made to be pocket size, the writing in the book is very small and therefore would be difficult to use for some people.4 types of low carb diets are explained very superficially at the beginning of the book and their use in weight loss. I did not feel that the explanations were very good, however a list of further reading was given at the end.Lastly I offer this personal comment, this book does not give medical advice and claim this will work for any specific condition. It is intended as a tool to be used for carb counting, any Type 1 diabetic should only do this with the support of their diabetes team. Ensuring a stable basal insulin level before using carb counting is essential and requires the involvement of professionals.

The tables are very good, usually based on sensible portions (though how does one measure tofu by the tablespoon?). UK products another plus. And a good mix of standard and branded products, not overburdened with products in the way the US books usually are.The tips and recommendations along with the tables I think are occasionally a bit unreliable - bananas and cherries are given as good sources of vegetarian protein, but the tables themselves show that a medium banana has 1.2g only of protein.The book also includes a comparison of the four main low carb diets and makes references to recipes provided by the diet proponents. To be clear there are no recipes in the book only suggestions.A very useful reference.