Learning About Your Health
Carbohydrate (CHO) Food Choices

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The food choices listed below contain carbohydrate that turns into sugar during digestion. Foods with carbohydrate should be eaten in appropriate amounts and distributed throughout the day. Be sure to check the specific food labels as individual brands vary.
- Fruits (15g CHO)
- Vegetables/Beans (15g CHO)
- Breads (15g CHO)
- Crackers/Snacks (15g CHO)
- Cereals (15g CHO)
- Soups (15g CHO)
- Pasta/Grains (15g CHO)
- Milk/Yogurt (13-17g CHO)
- Other Carbohydrates (15g CHO)
Fruits (15g CHO)
Apple, orange, tangerine, pear, peach (small) - 1
Fruit Juice (unsweetened) - 1/2 cup
Applesauce (unsweetened) - 1/2 cup
Apricots (medium, fresh) - 4
Apricot (dried halves) - 7
Banana - 4 inches
Blackberries, blueberries - 3/4 cup
Cantaloupe (small) - 1/3 melon
Honeydew (small) - 1/6 melon
Watermelon - 1-1/4 cup
Cherries (fresh) - 14
Figs - 2
Plums - 2
Canned fruit (unsweetened) - 1/2 cup
Grapefruit (large) - 1/2
Grapes - 15
Kiwi (large) - 1
Pineapple (fresh) - 3/4 cup
Mango/papaya (small) - 1/2
Prunes (medium) - 3
Raisins - 2 Tbsp
Strawberries - 1-1/4 cup
Persimmon (medium) - 1/2
Pomegranate (medium) - 2/3
Cherimoya - 1/8
Plantain - 1
Guava (medium) - 1
Cactus fruit - 1
Raspberry - 1 cup
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Vegetables/Beans (15g CHO)
Yams/sweet potatoes (fresh) - 1/2 cup
Beans (kidney, pinto, black eyed peas, cooked) - 1/2 cup
Baked beans (canned) - 1/3 cup (Read food label and check sodium content)
Corn, hominy, peas - 1/2 cup
Potato (small) - 1
Mashed potato - 1/2 cup
Hash brown - 1/2 cup
Winter squash - 1 cup
Butternut squash - 1/2 med.
Lima beans - 1/2 cup
Taro/lotus root - 1/3 cup
Hummus - 1/3 cup
Mung beans - 1/2 cup
Edamame (soybeans) - 2/3 cup
Miso - 3 Tbsp (Read food label and check sodium content)
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Breads (15g CHO)
French bread - 1 oz
Matzo - 3/4 oz
White, whole wheat, rye (1 oz) - 1 slice
Bread sticks (4 inch) - 2
Bagel, English muffin (small) - 1/2
Hot dog or hamburger bun - 1/2
Croissant (small) - 1
Muffin (small) - 1/2
Pancake/waffle (4 inch) - 1
Pita - 1/2
Roll (plain) - 1
Fruit breads (e.g., banana) - 1 oz slice
Tortilla (6 inch) - 1
Stuffing - 1/3 cup
Croutons - 1 cup
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Crackers/Snacks (15g CHO)
Animal crackers - 8
Graham cracker squares - 3
Popcorn - 3 cups (Read food label and check sodium content)
Round crackers - 4-6 (Read food label and check sodium content)
Pretzels - 3/4 oz (Read food label and check sodium content)
Snack chips (~11 chips) - 1 oz (Read food label and check sodium content)
Saltine type crackers - 6 (Read food label and check sodium content)
Rice cakes (4 inch) - 2
Sandwich crackers (cheese/peanut butter) - 3
Fortune cookies (small) - 2
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Cereals (15g CHO)
Bran cereal - 1/2 cup
Granola - 1/4 cup
Cooked cereal - 1/2 cup
Other unsweetened dry cereals - 3/4 cup
Sugar frosted cereal - 1/2 cup
Puffed cereal - 1-1/2 cup
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Soups (15g CHO)
Rice soup - 3/4 cup
Beef barley - 3/4 cup
Chicken & rice/noodle - 1 cup
Bean, lentil, chickpeas - 1/2 cup
Cream (with milk) - 1 cup
Minestrone - 1/2 cup
Tomato - 1/2 cup
Pelmini - 1/3 cup
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Pasta/Grains (15g CHO)
Cellophane noodles - 1/2 cup
Sushi (California Roll) - 4 pieces
Polenta - 1/2 cup
Grits - 1/2 cup
Gnocchi - 2 small
Couscous - 1/2 cup
Wonton - 5
Pasta, macaroni - 1/3 cup
Rice - 1/3 cup
Millet, buckwheat, bulgar - 1/3 cup
Udon - 1/3 cup
Tortellini - 1/3 cup
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Milk/Yogurt (13-17g CHO)
Skim, 2%, whole, buttermilk - 1 cup
Evaporated skim milk - 1/2 cup
Dry milk, nonfat powder - 1/2 cup
Yogurt (plain) - 1 cup
Yogurt (artificially sweetened) - 1 cup
Sweetened soy milk (with calcium) - 1 cup
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Other Carbohydrates (15g CHO)
Cake (no icing), 2 in. square - 1 slice
Cookies (small) - 2
Custard - 1/2 cup
Doughnut (plain) - 1
Frozen fruit yogurt (fat free) - 1/3 cup
Energy bar (medium) - 1/2
Ice cream/ice milk - 1/2 cup
Fudgsicle - 1
Fruit spread (100% fruit) - 1 Tbsp
Gelatin (regular) - 1/2 cup
Pudding (regular) - 1/3 cup
Pudding (sugar-free) - 1/2 cup
Spaghetti sauce (canned) - 1/2 cup (Read food label and check sodium content)
Sugar/honey - 1 Tbsp
NOTE: For canned or boxed foods, read all food labels and check sodium content.
Note: This handout is also available in Chinese, Russian, and Spanish.
Produced by the Center for Patient and Community Education in association with the staff and physicians at California Pacific Medical Center. Last updated: 10/04
Funded by: A generous donation from the Mr. and Mrs. Arthur A. Ciocca Foundation.
Note: This information is not meant to replace any information or personal medical advice which you get directly from your doctor(s). If you have any questions about this information, such as the risks or benefits of the treatment listed, please ask your doctor(s).
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