Algebra for Diabetics (and the people who feed them)

I have this formula written in permanent marker on the whiteboard in my kitchen.

Here’s how it works. Carbs-per-serving information on food labels is terrific and I am grateful for it. But sometimes The Kid isn’t hungry enough for a whole serving. And sometimes he wants more than one serving. And sometimes what he’s having isn’t exactly HALF or DOUBLE the original serving size.

That’s when we have to use Higher Math.

Let’s pretend the original serving is 10 ounces, and there are 50 carbs in one 10-ounce serving.

But The Kid wants 18 ounces of that food.

So this is how we do the math: carbs per 18 ounces = (18/10) X 50

18/10 = 1.8

1.8 x 50 = 90

So there are 90 carbs in that serving of food.

I hope that this formula will help other families who are feeding insulin-dependent diabetics.