Carb Calculator: How Many Carbs Do You Need Daily?

Between 45% and 65% of your daily calories should come from carbohydrates, according to current dietary guidelines set forth by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). However, if you have diabetes, you may want to consume less than 50% of your calories from carbohydrates and be cautious about your total intake.

If you're performing cardio for 3 to 4 hours daily, your carbohydrate intake should be closer to 70% or more. Some sources of carbohydrates are better for you than others, and the amount of carbs a person needs depends greatly on factors like age, weight, height, and activity level.

Understanding Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are one of the three macronutrients in foods that provide your body with energy. Carbs, protein, and fats provide your dietary calories.

Carbs are mostly found in plants where they provide energy and structure. Sugars, starches, and fibers fall into this category. And although animals need and consume carbohydrates, you won't find carbs in meat, fish, or poultry. There are carbs in milk and other dairy products due to lactose, a type of sugar.

Calculating Your Goal

Your carbohydrate needs can be based on your caloric intake. If you know how many calories you need each day, you can figure out how many grams of carbs you need:

1. Start by determining your daily calorie need and divide that number in half. That's how many calories should come from carbohydrates.
2. Each gram of carbohydrate has four calories. Divide the number you got from the first step by four.
3. The final number is the carbohydrates in grams you need daily.

For example, a person who eats approximately 2,000 calories per day should take in about 250 grams of carbohydrates (2,000 divided by 2 = 1,000 and 1,000 divided by 4 = 250).

Determining Your Carb Intake

Eliminating an entire macronutrient such as carbohydrates can lead to nutritional deficiencies. Carbohydrates are rich in B vitamins, iron, and fiber, to name a few. It can also result in excess intake of other less-healthy nutrients such as saturated fat in fatty meats.

You may also be getting too few carbs relative to your activity levels, leaving you depleted of energy and unable to keep up with your fitness goals. If that's the case, look for post-workout supplements with a good mix of carbs, fat, and protein to refuel your body.

Follow these simple steps to track your intake:

Read Food Labels

You can find the carbohydrate grams and calorie information on the Nutrition Facts labels on packaged foods. but double-check the serving size and number of servings per package.

Carb Calculator for Fresh Foods

Use "FoodData Central," the USDA's National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, to calculate carbohydrate amounts for fresh foods. It's a large database that's regularly updated.

Keep a Food Diary

Keep a food diary to track your information. You can use a journal or a free online food tracker and calorie counter. Also keep track of your mood, sleep patterns, and activity levels. Down the road, you may be able to make some associations between food choices and their effect on your daily mood and energy.

The Healthiest Carbs

Carbohydrates include complex carbohydrates like starches and simple sugars—white sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, and honey.

The standard tip is to "make half of your grains whole." The USDA recommends half of your daily grains come from whole grains like 100% whole-grain bread, whole-grain oats, quinoa, farro, brown rice, and popcorn. Eating six servings of grains a day? Aim to make at least half of those servings of whole-grain foods.

Refined grains such as white rice, pasta, and bagels contain less fiber than whole grains and should be consumed less often. You'll also want to include fruits and vegetables in your carbohydrate intake. You may eat more refined grains before and after heavy workouts to restore glycogen levels. Before workouts to prevent indigestion and after workouts because your stomach may be too sensitive to a high fiber intake.

Plant-based options include 100% whole grains, and fruits and vegetables for most carbohydrates. You'll add substantial fiber to your diet when you eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables daily.

Of course, you need protein and fat, just not as much. Balance your carbohydrate choices with protein sources such as lean red meat, poultry, eggs, fish, and healthy fats such as olive oil, avocado, or nuts and seeds. Besides the nutritional benefits these can bring, protein combined with high-fiber carbs helps promote satiety to keep you feeling full between meals.

Watch Out for Sugars

Aim to eat sugary foods less often. Foods with added sugars like table sugar, honey, corn syrup, or maple syrup lack vitamins, minerals, and filling fiber. They can leave you feeling lethargic and hungry for more sugar shortly after eating. There are also hidden sugars in sauces and even sometimes soups.

Excess calorie intake from sugary foods has been associated with obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. For this reason, the USDA recommends that Americans consume less than 10% of calories daily from added sugars. Other expert groups recommend a lower limit; for instance, the American Heart Association (AHA) suggests no more than 6% of daily calories.

Limit sugary snacks, pastries, sugar-sweetened soft drinks, candy, and cookies. Be mindful of heavily processed foods such as packaged snacks and boxed meals with added sugars. Find added sugars by reading the ingredient list and looking for words ending in "ose." You can also check for "added sugar" on the nutrition facts label. Low-carb packaged snacks tend to be lower in added sugar.