Measuring the carb to protein ratio is important to ensure balanced blood sugar. This tool can be used to assess snacks and meals, and to help you make better choices for your health, and the health of your family.
Who is this for?
Balancing blood sugar is one of the foundations of health in terms of energy, metabolism, mental health, hormone balance, inflammation, burnout recovery, and longevity.
What does it mean?
Protein and carbohydrates and two of three macronutrients we consume, the third one being fats. When we eat carbohydrates, we will experience an increase in blood sugar (glucose), which will in turn result in the secretion of insulin in order for our cells to absorb the glucose that is not used and put it into storage. The rate at which this happens depends on many factors including genetics, stress, medications, other health conditions, and the type of foods we are eating. This is where the ratio of carbohydrates to protein we are eating comes into play.
How is it calculated?
This is a simple calculation that is as follows:
(Total Carbohydrates - Fibre) : Total Protein
See the example below for a store bought granola bar.
For 1 serving (24g) - one bar.
Total Carbohydrates = 14.4g
Fibre = 1.1g
Total Protein = 1.5g
(14.4 - 1.1) : 1.5 , which we can simplify to 13.3 : 1.5, which we can further simplify to 8.8 : 1.
So we can say that this granola bar has an approximately 8 : 1 carb to protein ratio, to keep things simple.
Nutrition facts of a store bought granola bar.
What is an ideal ratio?
An ideal ratio is 2:1 carb to protein. This makes an ideal meal or snack as there is protein and likely some fiber, which will keep our blood sugar stable.
A 4:1 or 5:1 ratio is considered dessert. This is ok to have, but in the same way we enjoy dessert - on occasion, not every day.
If we go back to our granola bar, which was at an 8:1 ratio, is double what a dessert should be, so the protein content for this bar is way too low to be considered a healthy snack option. An easy solution to this would be to add some nut butter to the granola bar!
What are some good snack options?
Nuts and fruit
Nut butter and fruit
Veggies and hummus
Boiled egg with some veggies
Protein-rich, low sugar muffin
Energy ball (bliss ball)