Pancake bread units. Book: Counter of bread units, carbohydrates and calories. Diabetes Handbook. Information about bread units of products

When compiling a daily menu, you should consider only those foods that increase blood sugar levels.

U healthy person The pancreas produces the required amount of insulin in response to food intake.

As a result, blood sugar levels do not rise.

With diabetes, in order to maintain optimal blood sugar levels, we are forced to administer insulin (or glucose-lowering drugs) from the outside, independently changing the dose depending on what and how much the person has eaten.

These are vegetables - any variety of cabbage, radishes, carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, red and green peppers (with the exception of potatoes and corn);

Greens (sorrel, dill, parsley, lettuce, etc.), mushrooms;

Butter and vegetable oil, mayonnaise and lard;

As well as fish, meat, poultry, eggs and products made from them, cheese and cottage cheese,

Nuts in small quantities (up to 50 g).

A slight rise in sugar is given by beans, peas and beans in small quantities as a side dish (up to 7 tbsp. l)

How to do this?

You don't have to weigh your food every time! Scientists studied the products and compiled a table of their carbohydrate content or Bread Units - XE for people with diabetes.

1 XE is the amount of product that contains 10 g of carbohydrates.

In other words, according to the XE system, those products that belong to the group that increase blood sugar levels are calculated - these are:

⇒cereals (bread, buckwheat, oats, millet, pearl barley, rice, pasta, vermicelli);

⇒ fruits and fruit juices;

⇒ milk, kefir and other liquid dairy products (except low-fat cottage cheese);

⇒ some varieties of vegetables - potatoes, corn (beans and peas - in large quantities);

⇒ chocolate, cookies, candies - must be limited in the daily diet; lemonade and sugar in their pure form - should be strictly limited in the diet and used only in case of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar).

The degree of cooking will also affect your blood sugar level.

So, for example, mashed potatoes will raise your blood sugar faster than a baked potato.

Apple juice gives a faster rise in blood sugar compared to eating an apple, just like polished rice than unpolished rice.

Fats and cold foods slow down the absorption of glucose, and salt speeds it up.

For the convenience of preparing a diet, there are special tables of Bread Units, which provide data on the amount of various carbohydrate-containing products containing 1 XE (I will give it below).

It is very important to learn how to determine the amount of XE in the foods you eat!

There are a number of foods that do not affect blood sugar levels:

⇒ these are vegetables - any type of cabbage, radishes, carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, red and green peppers (except potatoes and corn),

⇒ greens (sorrel, dill, parsley, lettuce, etc.),

⇒ mushrooms, butter and vegetable oil, mayonnaise and lard, as well as fish, meat, poultry, eggs and products made from them, cheese and cottage cheese, nuts in small quantities (up to 50 g).

Beans, peas and beans in small quantities as a side dish give a slight rise in sugar.

How many meals should you have during the day?

There must be 3 main meals, and intermediate meals, so-called snacks from 1 to 3, are also possible, i.e. There can be a total of 6 meals.

When using ultra-short insulins (Novorapid, Humalog), it is possible to avoid snacking. This is acceptable if there is no hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) when skipping a snack.

Foods that can be consumed without restrictions

- CABBAGE (all types)

- CUCUMBERS

- LEAF SALAD

- GREEN

- TOMATOES

- BELL PEPPER

- ZUCCHINS

- EGGPLANT

- BEET (raw)

- CARROTS (raw)

- GREEN BEANS

- RADISH, RADISH

- GREEN BEANS

- GREEN PEAS (young)

- SPINACH, SORREL

- MUSHROOMS

- TEA, COFFEE without sugar and cream

- MINERAL WATER

- DRINKS with sweeteners

Vegetables can be consumed raw, boiled, or baked.

The use of fats (butter, mayonnaise, sour cream) in preparing vegetable dishes should be minimal.

Foods to eat in moderation

"Moderate amount" means half of your usual serving.

- lean meat

- lean fish

- milk and dairy products (low-fat)

- cheeses with less than 30% fat content

- cottage cheese less than 5% fat

- potato

- corn

- mature legume grains (peas, beans, lentils)

- cereals

- pasta

- bread and bakery products (not rich)

- fruits

- eggs

Products that need to be excluded or limited as much as possible

- butter
- vegetable oil*
- salo
- sour cream, cream
- cheeses with more than 30% fat content
- cottage cheese with more than 5% fat content
- mayonnaise
- fatty meat, smoked meats
- sausages
- fatty fish
- poultry skin
- canned meat, fish and vegetable in oil
- nuts, seeds
- sugar, honey
- preserves, jams
- candies, chocolate
- pastries, cakes and other confectionery products
- cookies, pastry products
- ice cream
- sweet drinks (Coca-Cola, Fanta)
- alcoholic drinks

If possible, this method of cooking should be avoided. frying.

Try to use cookware that allows you to cook food without adding fat.

* - vegetable oil is a necessary part of the daily diet, but it is enough to consume it in very small quantities.

Calculation of the amount of XE in the finished product:

Calculation of bread units of a product in factory packaging is very simple.

All factory products indicate the amount of carbohydrates in 100 g of products, which must be divided by 12 and adjusted according to the weight of the product.

To calculate bread units in a restaurant or at home kitchen Needed: a recipe for a prepared dish, a table of bread units, a calculator.

For example :

9 tablespoons of flour - 1 tablespoon = 1 bread unit, 9 in total,

1 glass of milk - 1 bread unit,

1 tablespoon sunflower oil - no XE,

1 egg - no HE.

We baked 10 pancakes. This means 1 pancake = 1 unit of bread.

Or, for example, one cutlet (70 g) consists of meat and bread, rolled in flour and sprinkled breadcrumbs. It turns out that one cutlet = 1 bread unit.

Thus, to summarize, we can draw the following conclusion that nutrition for diabetes mellitus is not the maximum restriction of everything edible, as it seems at first glance.

Such food can be not only healthy and dietary, but also tasty and varied!

Table of daily carbohydrate needs

Applicable only to adults with T1DM and DM receiving insulin*

Table of bread units

(1 XE = 10-12 g of carbohydrates. 1 XE increases blood sugar by 1.5-2 mmol/l.)

Cereals, cereals, flour products

Dairy products

Milk and dairy products are a source of calcium and animal protein.

In small quantities they contain almost all vitamins, and most of all vitamins A and B2.

But it’s better to avoid whole milk altogether. The saturated fat content in 200 ml of this drink is almost a third of the daily intake.

Drink skim milk or make a smoothie with it, adding berries or pieces of fruit to the drink.

Vegetables, legumes, nuts

Vegetables, legumes and nuts must be present in the diet of people with diabetes.

They help control blood glucose levels, reduce the risk of complications, in particular the development of cardiovascular diseases, and enrich the human body with microelements such as potassium, fiber, and protein.

Get into the habit of using raw vegetables as a snack.

Try to choose vegetables with a low glycemic index and significantly limit your intake of starchy vegetables, which are high in calories and carbohydrates.

Fruits and berries (with pit and peel)

The exceptions are bananas, grapes, melon, watermelon, pineapple and mango.

These fruits significantly increase blood glucose levels, so their quantity should be limited.

Berries can be an excellent substitute for sweet desserts.

Drinks

When choosing drinks, just like food, you should pay attention to their carbohydrate content.

You need to give up sugary drinks.

Considered especially useful green tea, which has a beneficial effect on blood pressure and lowering cholesterol and fat levels in the human body.

Sweets

Sugary foods typically contain sucrose (sugar) and are strongly discouraged for people with diabetes.

Currently, the choice of sweets based on sugar substitutes has increased significantly.

According to most diabetologists and nutritionists, it is also undesirable for people with diabetes to consume such products uncontrollably due to the property of some sugar substitutes to influence weight gain.

**Close to normal body weight indicates the adequacy of the relationship between the patient’s diet and energy expenditure, so these patients, as a rule, do not need recommendations on the amount of XE per day.

1 XE (bread unit) is the amount of product containing 10-12 g of carbohydrates.
1 XE increases blood sugar by 1.5 - 2 mmol/l
For 1 XE to enter a cell, 0.5 to 4 units of insulin are required.

Dairy products

Cereals, cereals, flour products

Potatoes and some vegetables

Fruits and berries

Dried fruits

Juices (100%)

Sweets and other products

McDonald's

Dishes homemade It’s better to calculate it yourself based on the number of carbohydrate-containing products it contains.

Contents:

What is worth knowing about bread units and what is the advantage of this system. The most popular products per 1 XE.

For diabetic patients, the main task is to normalize the diet and control the carbohydrates entering the body. The main thing is to follow a number of rules, because each product differs in three parameters:

• caloric content;
• properties;
• composition.

To simplify the organizing process proper nutrition, a special term has been developed - “bread unit”, and a table of bread units in products, abbreviated as XE, has been drawn up.

Generally speaking, XE is a conventional unit used by nutritionists to calculate the carbohydrate content in various foods. The concept was developed for diabetics on insulin, who have to calculate the dose of the latter taking into account the carbohydrates consumed. Knowing the volume of XE in each specific product allows you to accurately create a diet and eliminate the risks associated with a jump in glucose.

What is worth knowing about bread units?

It was mentioned above that foods containing carbohydrates affect blood sugar levels. If you eat bread spread with butter, then after 35-40 minutes blood sugar rises. And the reason will not be the oil, but the bread. If you add a spoonful of honey to the food mentioned, the sugar will rise in two stages - first after 15-20 minutes (from honey), and then after 35-40 minutes (from bread). In the latter case, the level rises slowly, gradually reaching a peak point, and in the case of taking sugar or honey, the process occurs quickly. This is explained from the standpoint of digestibility. Bread is slowly digestible, and sugar and honey are fast carbohydrates.

The above example shows the importance of timely and accurate calculations. To implement the task, it is important to know the content of bread units in products. Without this, the check cannot be performed. Having the XE parameter at hand makes life easier for diabetics and allows them to choose the right foods for safe daily intake.

The name of the grain unit differs in different sources. The most common terms used are:

• "starch unit";
• “replacement of carbohydrates”;
• “carbohydrate unit” and others.

But whatever the name, we are talking about the same term with the abbreviation HE.

Without controlling carbohydrates in the diet, the risk of a spike in blood sugar increases due to the intake of a large amount of fast carbohydrates. The result of such changes is often disastrous for a diabetic, so having a special table is a chance to choose proper diet and avoid health risks.

XE is a “measuring spoon”, which is accepted as a conventional unit throughout the world. It helps to accurately calculate carbohydrates in food products. One XE equals 10-12 grams quickly digestible carbohydrates. Why did you choose the name “bread”? If you cut a piece of bread one centimeter thick and then divide it in half, then the resulting bread will contain about 25 grams of weight and 10-12 grams of carbohydrates.

In some books and magazines there are other XE indicators equal to 10-15 grams. Don't get confused. The term " grain units» does not require maximum precision of the value. Its function is to help in calculating carbohydrates with the subsequent exclusion (inclusion) of certain foods in the diet. After the calculation, it is possible to accurately select the portion of insulin for the injection.

System advantage XE is that with its help it is possible to get away from the annoying weighing of food intake and determine the amount of carbohydrates only by looking at the product. In this case, the role of measured portions is a piece, a spoon, a glass and a piece. Knowing how much XE enters the body and measuring the sugar level before a meal, you can calculate the required portion of insulin, and carry out a control check after finishing the meal. This approach relieves a number of problems for diabetics, primarily psychological ones. This saves personal time, which can be used to solve other problems.

The intake of one unit of XE, not covered by a portion of insulin, increases sugar levels by an average of 1.6-1.9 mmol/liter. With this volume, 1-2 units of insulin are required. A clear knowledge of XE indicators is important for people with stage 1 diabetes. For type 2 diabetes, the total caloric content of foods received during the day, as well as the distribution of carbohydrates consumed, are of greater importance. But in the second case, knowledge of XE indicators will be useful.

Table XE (bread units)

Now we move on to the next stage - considering the volume of grain units. Products table:

Flour products, cereals and grain crops

Products based on whole grain, wheat, barley or oats are distinguished by a large amount of carbohydrates in their composition. But this does not mean that such foods should be excluded from the diet - they are important for diabetics. The main thing is to control your glucose level and measure it before and after eating food. Exceeding the norm at one time is not recommended. The most popular products per 1 XE:

• Bran bread - one piece thick 13 mm, 30 g.
• Brown bread - one piece thick 10 mm, 25 g.
• Gray (white) bread - one piece thick 10 mm, 20 g.
• Breadcrumbs - 15 g.
• Crackers - 15 g.
• Borodino bread - one piece of thickness 6 mm, 15 g.
• Butter bun - 20 g.
• Frozen dumplings and dumplings with cottage cheese - 4 pieces, 50 grams.
• Big damn - one piece, 30 grams.
• Medium sized pancakes - one piece, 30 g.
• Cheesecake - 50 g.
• Waffles - 1.5 pcs.
• Raw pasta - 1-2 tablespoons, 15 g.
• Boiled pasta - 2-4 tablespoons, 50 g.
• Wheat bran - 12 tbsp. spoons, 50 g.
• Corn - half a cob, 100 g.
• Porridge - 2 tbsp. with mountain, 50 g.
• Any cereal (uncooked) - 1 tbsp, 15 g.
• Popcorn - 10 tbsp. spoons, 15 g.
• Canned corn - 3 tbsp, 60 g.

Dairy products and milk

This element of the diet is considered the main supplier of protein and calcium. In addition, together with dairy products, the body receives vital important vitamins B2 and retinol.

If a diabetic adheres to dietary nutrition, then preference should be given to products with a minimum amount of fat. As for whole milk, you should avoid it completely. The reason is the high fat content in this drink. 200 ml of whole milk accounts for a third of the daily requirement. So if you add a product to your diet, it should be low-fat. As an option, it is possible to prepare a cocktail with pieces of fruit or berries.

The most popular elements of the diet include (per 1 XE):

• Milk, fermented baked milk, baked milk and cream - 1 glass, 0.2 liters.
• Kefir - 1 glass, 0.25 liters.
• Ice cream with milk (without waffles and icing) - 65 g.
• Creamy ice cream (with waffles and icing) - 50 g.
• Curd mass (sweet, without additives) - 100 g.
• Medium sized cheesecake with added sugar - 75 g, 1 piece.
• Curd mass with raisins - 40 g.

Vegetables, nuts and legumes

These are foods that should be in the diet of people with diabetes. With their help, it is possible to level out glucose levels and reduce the likelihood of complications of heart and vascular diseases. Together with raw vegetables and legumes, the body receives other useful elements- protein, fiber and potassium.

The best option is to give preference to foods that have a low glycemic index. As for vegetables high level starch, it is recommended to minimize their consumption. This is especially true if you have stage 1 or 2 diabetes.

The list of products per 1 XE looks like this:

2 tbsp. spoons, 90 g.
• Raw potatoes - 1 piece, 75 g.
• Fried potatoes - 35 g, 2 tbsp. spoons.
• Medium sized carrots - three pieces, 0.2 kg.
• Chips - 25 g.
• Medium size beets - one piece, 0.15 kg.
• Fresh peas - 7 tablespoons, 100 g.
• Boiled beans - 3 tablespoons, 50 g.
• Boiled beans - 3 tablespoons, 50 g.
• Pumpkin - 0.2 kg.
• Nuts - 80-100 g(depending on the type);
• Jerusalem artichoke - 70 g.

Fruits and berries

Most fruits are allowed for diabetes. Exceptions are pineapple, watermelon, cantaloupe, grapes, bananas or mangoes. But fruit consumption increases blood glucose levels, so it is recommended to limit the amount of fruit intake. At the same time, sweet and unhealthy desserts can be replaced with berries.

Preference should be given to the following products - black currants, strawberries, gooseberries and cherries. The list of fruits and berries in terms of product volume per 1 XE is as follows:

1 piece, 150 g.
• Lemon - 3 pieces, 0.27 kg.
• Watermelon - 1 piece, 0.27 kg.
• Pineapple - 1 piece, 0.14 kg.
• Large quince - 1 piece, 140 g.
• Apricots - 2-3 pieces, 110 g.
• Cowberry - 1 tablespoons, 140 g.
• Medium sized banana - half, 70 g.
• Cherry - 15 pcs., 90 g.
• Grape - 12 pieces, 70 g.
• Melon - 1 piece, 100 g.
• Medium garnet - 1 piece, 170 g.
• Kiwi - 1 piece, 110 g.
• Gooseberry - 6 tbsp. spoons, 120 g.
• Raspberry - 8 tbsp, 160 g.
• Cherry - 10 pcs., 100 g.
• Small apple - one piece, 90 g.

Dried fruits

If you have diabetes, you are allowed to take a whole group of dried fruits, except cherries, pineapple and dried bananas. It is allowed (with caution) to combine dried fruits and antibiotics. As for dried melon, its use is not prohibited, but mixing it with other products is not recommended. In case of diabetes of 1st and 2nd degree, the consumption of dried exotic fruits is prohibited. In particular, avocado, guava or papaya are contraindicated.

When planning a diet, the amount of product per 1 XE should be taken into account. The following dried fruits are worth highlighting:

• Figs - one piece 15 g.
• Dates - 2 pcs., 15 g.
• Apples - 2 tbsp, 20 g.
• Dried apricots - 3 pcs., 15 g.
• Prunes - 3 pcs., 20 g.

Drinks

If you have diabetes, you should also remember about the choice of drinks for daily intake. Here it is also worth considering the amount of carbohydrates in the composition. You should avoid sweet juices, giving preference clean water. It is allowed to take vegetable and fruit juices, milk or tea, but taking into account the glycemic index of the products. Green tea is most beneficial for diabetics, as it has a beneficial effect on the circulatory system and reduces cholesterol and fat levels in the body.


The most popular drinks (taking into account the amount of product per 1 XE) include:

• Cherry - 0.4 cups, 90 g.
• Orange - half a glass, 110 g.
• Cabbage - 2.5 cups, 0.5 liters.
• Beetroot - 2/3 cup, 125 g.
• Grape - 1/3 cup, 70 g.
• Tomato - 1.5 cups, 0.3 liters.
• Pear - ½ cup, 100 g.
• Grapefruit - 1.5 cups, 140 g.
• Kvass - 1 glass, 0.25 liters.
• Apple and gooseberry - ½ cup, 100 grams.

Desserts and sweets

As for sweet foods, you should be careful with them because high content sucrose and sugar. If you really want it, you should buy products with sweeteners. But even they should not be used uncontrollably, because many substitutes lead to weight gain. Popular products (with quantity per 1 XE):

• Honey - 12 g.
• Chocolate - 20 g.
• Sugar (pieces) - 2 pieces, 10 g.
• Sugar (sand) - 2 tsp, 10 g.

Every diabetic should have a diet of bread units on hand (a table or list of the most important products). Over time, the key points are remembered and it is easy to choose a safe and rich diet.

According to modern statistics, more than three million people in Russian Federation suffer from diabetes different stages. For such people, in addition to taking the necessary medications, it is very important to plan their diet.

Typically, this is not the easiest process and involves a lot of calculations. Therefore, here we present how many units of bread to consume per day for type 2 and type 1 diabetes. Will be compiled.

The very concept of grain units

To begin with, “bread units” (sometimes abbreviated to “XE”) are conventional carbohydrate units that were developed by nutritionists from Germany. Bread units are used to estimate approximate content.

For example, one bread unit is equal to ten (only when dietary fiber is not taken into account) and thirteen (when all ballast substances are taken into account) grams of carbohydrate, and this is equal to 20-25 grams of ordinary bread.

Why do you need to know how many carbohydrates you can eat per day if you have diabetes? The main task of bread units is to provide glycemic control in diabetes. The thing is that a correctly calculated number of bread units in a diabetic’s diet improves carbohydrate metabolism in the body.

Amount of XE in food

The volume of XE may vary. It all depends on the food you eat.

For convenience, below is a list of different food products containing XE.

Today, each product has a pre-calculated XE content. The list above shows only basic food products.

How to correctly count the amount of XE?

Understanding what one unit of bread represents is quite simple.

If you take an average loaf of rye bread, dividing it into slices of 10 millimeters each, then one unit of bread will be exactly equal to half of one slice obtained.

As mentioned, one XE can contain either 10 (only without dietary fiber) or 13 (with dietary fiber) grams of carbohydrates. By assimilating one XE, the human body spends 1.4 units of insulin. In addition to this, one XE increases glycemia by 2.77 mmol/l.

A very important step is the distribution of XE for the day, or more precisely, for breakfast, lunch and dinner. What amount of carbohydrates per day is considered acceptable for type 2 diabetes and how to properly create a menu will be discussed.

Diet and diet menu for diabetics

There are certain groups of foods that not only will not harm the body with diabetes, but will also help it maintain insulin at the proper level.

One of the healthy food groups for diabetics is dairy products. It is best to have a low fat content, so whole milk should be excluded from the diet.

Dairy products

And the second group includes cereal products. Since they contain a lot of carbohydrates, it is worth calculating their XE. Various vegetables, nuts and legumes also have a positive effect.

They reduce the risk of diabetes complications. As for vegetables, it is better to eat those that have the least starch and the lowest glycemic index.

For dessert you can try fresh berries (and best of all - cherries, gooseberries, black currant or strawberries).

For diabetes, the diet always includes fresh fruits, with the exception of a few: watermelon, bananas, and mangoes (due to their high sugar content).

Speaking of drinks, you should give preference to unsweetened drinks, plain water, milk and fruit juices. Vegetable juices are also allowed, if you don’t forget about them. Applying all this knowledge in practice, it is worth creating the food menu mentioned above.

To create a balanced menu for diabetes, you need to follow certain rules:

• the XE content in one meal should not exceed seven units. It is at this indicator that the rate of insulin production will be the most balanced;
• one XE increases the sugar concentration level by 2.5 mmol/l (on average);
• one unit of insulin lowers glucose levels by 2.2 mmol/l.

Now, regarding the menu for the day:

• breakfast. Must contain no more than 6 XE. This could be, for example, a sandwich with meat and not very fatty cheese (1 XE), regular oatmeal(ten tablespoons = 5 XE), plus coffee or tea (without sugar);
• dinner. Also, it should not cross the 6 XE mark. Cabbage soup is suitable (here XE does not count, cabbage does not increase glucose levels) with one tablespoon of sour cream; two slices of black bread (this is 2 XE), meat or fish (XE are not taken into account), mashed potatoes (four spoons = 2 XE), fresh and natural juice;
• finally dinner. No more than 5 HE. You can make an omelette (from three eggs and two tomatoes, XE do not count), eat 2 slices of bread (that's 2 XE), 1 tablespoon of yogurt (again, 2 XE) and a kiwi fruit (1 XE)

If you add everything up, then 17 units of bread will come out per day. We must not forget that the daily norm of XE should never exceed 18-24 units. The remaining XE units (from the menu proposed above) can be distributed among different snacks. For example, one banana after breakfast, one apple after lunch and another before bed.

It is worth remembering that you should not take a break of more than five hours between main meals. It’s better to have small snacks about 2-3 hours after eating the same main meal.

What should not be included in the diet?

In no case should we forget that there are foods whose consumption in diabetes is strictly prohibited (or maximally limited).

• both creamy and vegetable oils;
• milk cream, sour cream;
• fatty fish or meat, lard and smoked meats;
• cheeses with fat content more than 30%;
• cottage cheese with a fat content of more than 5%;
• bird skin;
• various sausages;
• canned food;
• nuts or seeds;
• all sorts of sweets, be it jam, chocolate, cakes, various cookies, ice cream and so on. These include sweet drinks;
• and alcohol.

Video on the topic

How many XE can you have per day for type 2 diabetes and how to count them correctly:

To summarize, we can say that eating with diabetes cannot be called a strict restriction, as it may seem at first. This food can and should be made not only healthy for the body, but also very tasty and varied!

Bread units - These are units of measurement of carbohydrate intake for diabetic patients. What are grain units and why are they needed? Let's close another one white spot in our knowledge about diabetes in this article. Good health to everyone! Today I decided to talk about the mysterious bread units, which many have heard about, but not everyone has any idea what they are. I won’t lie, before even for me it was a real dense forest. But everything fell into place over time. Once again I am convinced that everything comes with experience.

So, bread units are mainly used by patients with type 1 diabetes, but this does not mean that they cannot be used by patients with type 2. In simple terms, a bread unit is the standard for measuring the amount of carbohydrates consumed. In short, this indicator is also called XE.

Let me start with the fact that each product consists of fats, proteins, carbohydrates and ballast substances, which can, for example, include fiber. For a patient with diabetes, one component is important - carbohydrates, which directly increase blood sugar levels. Proteins and fats can also increase sugar levels, since they are substrates for the synthesis of carbohydrates already inside the body. But this process is long and in some patients it does not matter, especially in children. Although not everyone thinks so, and I will tell you about it someday, so

Why are grain units grain

This unit is called a bread unit because it is measured by a certain volume of bread. 1 XE contains 10-12 g of carbohydrates. Exactly 10-12 g of carbohydrates are contained in half a piece of bread, cut 1 cm wide from a standard loaf. If you start using bread units, I advise you to decide on the amount of carbohydrates: 10 or 12 grams. I took 10 grams in 1 XE, it seems to me that it’s easier to count. Thus, any product containing carbohydrates can be measured in bread units. For example, 15 g of any cereal is 1 XE, or 100 g of an apple is also 1 XE.

How to calculate how much XE is in a certain product? Very simple. Each product package contains information on the composition. It indicates how many carbohydrates, fats and proteins are contained in 100 g of this product. For example, we take a package of bread, it states that 100 g contains 51.9 carbohydrates. Let's make a proportion:

100 g of product - 51.9 g of carbohydrates

X gr. product - 10 g carbohydrates (i.e. 1 XE)

It turns out that (100*10)/51.9 = 19.2, i.e. 19.2 g of bread contains 10 grams. carbohydrates or 1 XE. I’m already used to counting like this: I divide 1000 by the amount of carbohydrates of a given product in 100 g, and it turns out as much as you need to take the product so that it contains 1 XE.

There are various ready-made tables that indicate the volume of food in spoons, glasses, pieces, etc., containing 1 XE. But these numbers are imprecise and approximate. So I calculate the number of units for each product. I calculate how much product you need to take, and then weigh it on a culinary scale. I need to give my child 0.5 XE of an apple, for example, I measure 50 g on the scales. You can find a lot of such tables, but I liked this one, and I suggest you download it.

TABLE OF COUNTING BREAD UNITS (XE)

1 BREAD UNIT = 10–12 g carbohydrates

* Raw. Boiled 1 XE = 2-4 tbsp. spoons of product (50 g) depending on the shape of the product.

* 1 tbsp. spoon of raw cereal. Boiled 1 XE = 2 tbsp. spoons of product (50 g).

* 6-8 tbsp. spoons of berries, such as raspberries, currants, etc., correspond to approximately 1 glass (1 tea cup) of these berries. About 100 ml of juice (no added sugar, 100% natural juice) contains approximately 10 g of carbohydrates.

You will find it tedious and difficult. This is true at first, but after a few days of constant training you begin to remember, and you no longer need to count, but only weigh a certain amount of food on the scales. After all, we basically consume the same set of products. You can even create such a table of constant products yourself.

What are bread units for?

Therefore, it turns out that everyone has their own dose of insulin, but an approximate coefficient can be calculated. What kind of coefficient this is and how to calculate it, I will tell you in another article, which will be devoted to selecting the dose of insulin. Bread units also allow us to estimate how many carbohydrates we consume per meal and throughout the day.

If you have diabetes, this does not mean that you need to completely deprive yourself of carbohydrates, because we need them so that the body receives energy to survive. If, on the contrary, we overeat carbohydrates, then knowledge about XE will not harm us at all. Each age has its own norm for carbohydrate consumption.

Below I provide a table that shows at what age how much carbohydrates should be consumed in bread units.

So, for adults with type 2 diabetes who are not taking insulin, counting bread units is also needed to know if you are overeating carbohydrates. And if this is so, then consumption should be reduced to the age norm, taking into account body weight.

Let's say everything is clear with type 1 diabetes. What about type 2 diabetics? Suppose you have already calculated how much you eat at each meal during the day, and this number is more than normal, and then the sugars are not very good. How to apply this knowledge in practice? This is where you can “play” with the amount of carbohydrates by starting to reduce them or replace them with foods with a low glycemic index. By the way, I already wrote about the glycemic index and even gave you a table to download in the article. You can, of course, count with spoons, cut bread by eye, etc., but the result will be inaccurate, today they cut so much, and tomorrow it will be different.

Everything is clear here. You had 25 XE per day, remove 5 XE and see what happens, not right away, but over several days. However, do not change the mode physical activity and taking medications.

It seems that this is all I wanted to say about bread units. I tried to explain to you about them, but if you don’t understand something, then ask in the comments. I would like to know your opinion about the article, was this knowledge useful to you? Will you use them in the future?

With warmth and care, endocrinologist Lebedeva Dilyara Ilgizovna