Hosting Thanksgiving? Get the free keto game plan.

Hidden carbs

Read the label like a pro.

The hidden-carb dictionary: 54 label ingredients, and 483 ways they are spelled on a package, explained in plain English with how to count each one.

Paste a label to decode it Net carb calculator

1. Read the list, not the front

“Keto,” “low sugar” and “natural” are marketing. The ingredient list is regulated.

2. Check the first three

Ingredients are listed by weight. A sugar or starch near the top means a lot of it.

3. Count the sugar names

Three different sweeteners can each sit lower on the list and still add up to the biggest ingredient.

24 ingredients

Sugar & syrup

Sugar under another name. Count every gram.

Agave nectar

Full nutrition facts and swaps..

AvoidCounts in full

Barley malt and malt extract

Sugars (mostly maltose) made from sprouted barley.

AvoidCounts in full

Brown rice syrup

A syrup made from rice starch, mostly maltose and glucose.

AvoidCounts in full

Brown sugar

Full nutrition facts and swaps..

AvoidCounts in full

Coconut sugar

Full nutrition facts and swaps..

AvoidCounts in full

Corn syrup and glucose syrup

Liquid sugar made from starch, mostly glucose.

AvoidCounts in full

Dates

Full nutrition facts and swaps..

AvoidCounts in full

Dextrose

Dextrose is glucose, the sugar your blood carries.

AvoidCounts in full

Evaporated cane juice

A label name for sugar made from sugarcane.

AvoidCounts in full

Fructose

Fruit sugar.

AvoidCounts in full

Fruit juice concentrate

Juice with the water taken out.

AvoidCounts in full

High-fructose corn syrup

Corn syrup with part of its glucose converted to fructose.

AvoidCounts in full

Honey

Full nutrition facts and swaps..

AvoidCounts in full

Isomalto-oligosaccharides (IMO)

Sold for years as a fiber in low-carb bars, but research shows most of it is digested like starch.

AvoidCounts in full

Isomaltulose (Palatinose)

A slow-digesting sugar marketed for steady energy.

AvoidCounts in full

Lactose and milk powder

The natural sugar in milk.

LimitCounts in full

Maltodextrin

Maltodextrin barely tastes sweet, but it is digested into glucose very quickly.

AvoidCounts in full

Maltose

Malt sugar: two glucose molecules joined together.

AvoidCounts in full

Maple syrup

Full nutrition facts and swaps..

AvoidCounts in full

Molasses

Full nutrition facts and swaps..

AvoidCounts in full

Raisins

Full nutrition facts and swaps..

AvoidCounts in full

Table sugar

Full nutrition facts and swaps..

AvoidCounts in full

Tapioca syrup

A syrup made from cassava starch, chemically similar to corn syrup.

AvoidCounts in full

Trehalose

A sugar made of two glucose molecules, used to keep foods moist.

AvoidCounts in full

21 ingredients

Starch & flour

Digested into glucose. Gluten-free and paleo flours included.

All-purpose flour

Full nutrition facts and swaps..

AvoidCounts in full

Almond flour

Full nutrition facts and swaps..

YesLow-carb: count net

Arrowroot

A starch used in paleo recipes in place of cornstarch.

AvoidCounts in full

Brown rice (cooked)

Full nutrition facts and swaps..

AvoidCounts in full

Cassava flour

Flour from the whole cassava root.

AvoidCounts in full

Chickpeas

Full nutrition facts and swaps..

AvoidCounts in full

Coconut flour

Full nutrition facts and swaps..

YesLow-carb: count net

Cornmeal and masa

Ground dried corn: tortillas, chips, polenta and grits.

AvoidCounts in full

Cornstarch

Pure starch from corn.

AvoidCounts in full

Lupin flour

A legume flour high in protein and fiber and low in net carbs.

YesLow-carb: count net

Modified food starch

Starch treated to hold up to heat, freezing or acid.

AvoidCounts in full

Oats (dry rolled)

Full nutrition facts and swaps..

AvoidCounts in full

Potato (baked)

Full nutrition facts and swaps..

AvoidCounts in full

Potato starch

The starch from potatoes, used in gluten-free baking, coatings and shredded cheese.

AvoidCounts in full

Quinoa (cooked)

Full nutrition facts and swaps..

AvoidCounts in full

Resistant wheat starch

Starch modified to resist digestion, used in many low-carb tortillas and breads.

LimitDebated: count some

Rice flour

Finely milled rice, the base of many gluten-free products and cauliflower pizza crusts.

AvoidCounts in full

Sweet potato (baked)

Full nutrition facts and swaps..

AvoidCounts in full

Tapioca starch

Starch from the cassava root.

AvoidCounts in full

Vital wheat gluten

The protein in wheat with most of the starch washed away.

YesLow-carb: count net

White rice (cooked)

Full nutrition facts and swaps..

AvoidCounts in full

9 ingredients

Sugar alcohol

Partly absorbed. Some count as zero, others count about half.

Erythritol

Full nutrition facts and swaps..

Glycerin

Keeps protein bars soft.

LimitDebated: count some

Hydrogenated starch hydrolysates

A blend of sugar alcohols similar to maltitol syrup.

LimitCount most of it

Isomalt

The sugar alcohol in sugar-free hard candy.

LimitCount about half

Lactitol

A sugar alcohol made from lactose, used in sugar-free chocolate and ice cream.

LimitCount about half

Maltitol

Full nutrition facts and swaps..

LimitCount about half

Mannitol

A sugar alcohol used as a dusting on gum and in some candy.

LimitCount about half

Sorbitol

A sugar alcohol in sugar-free gum and candy.

LimitCount about half

Xylitol

Full nutrition facts and swaps..

LimitCount about half

16 ingredients

Fiber & gum

Mostly not digested, so they are subtracted from total carbs. A couple are debated.

Acacia gum (gum arabic)

A tree-sap fiber used to stabilize drinks and candy.

YesFiber: subtract it

Agar

A seaweed gelatin that sets desserts.

YesFiber: subtract it

Carrageenan

A seaweed thickener in dairy and plant milks.

YesFiber: subtract it

Cellulose

Plant fiber used to stop shredded cheese clumping and to thicken sauces.

YesFiber: subtract it

Chia seeds

Full nutrition facts and swaps..

YesLow-carb: count net

Glucomannan (konjac)

The fiber from konjac root that makes shirataki noodles.

YesFiber: subtract it

Ground flaxseed

Full nutrition facts and swaps..

YesLow-carb: count net

Guar gum

A bean fiber that thickens ice cream and sauces.

YesFiber: subtract it

Inulin and chicory root fiber

A fiber from chicory root or agave that feeds gut bacteria and has little effect on blood sugar.

YesFiber: subtract it

Oat fiber

Ground oat hulls: almost pure insoluble fiber.

YesFiber: subtract it

Pectin

A fruit fiber that sets jam.

YesFiber: subtract it

Polydextrose

A bulking fiber made from glucose and sorbitol.

YesFiber: subtract it

Psyllium husk

A soluble fiber that gives keto bread its chew and binds doughs without gluten.

YesFiber: subtract it

Soluble corn fiber

A corn-based fiber, also listed as resistant dextrin or resistant maltodextrin.

YesFiber: subtract it

Tapioca fiber

Can mean a true resistant fiber or IMO.

LimitDebated: count some

Xanthan gum

A thickener used in tiny amounts.

YesFiber: subtract it

7 ingredients

Zero-carb sweetener

No carbs themselves, though packets are often bulked with dextrose.

Acesulfame potassium

Ace-K is a zero-calorie sweetener, usually paired with sucralose or aspartame.

Allulose

Full nutrition facts and swaps..

Aspartame

A low-calorie sweetener about 200 times sweeter than sugar, mostly in diet sodas.

Monk fruit sweetener

Full nutrition facts and swaps..

Saccharin

The oldest artificial sweetener, in the pink packets.

Stevia

Full nutrition facts and swaps..

Sucralose

A zero-calorie sweetener about 600 times sweeter than sugar.

4 ingredients

Protein & other

Not a carb concern.

Gelatin and collagen

Protein from collagen.

Natural and artificial flavors

Used in tiny amounts and adds no meaningful carbs.

Soy and sunflower lecithin

An emulsifier that keeps chocolate and dressings smooth.

Whey and other protein isolates

Mostly protein with very few carbs.

YesLow-carb: count net

Reading labels on keto

How do I spot hidden sugar on a label?

Read the ingredients, not just the front of the box. Anything ending in “-ose” (dextrose, maltose, sucrose), any syrup, any juice concentrate and any malt is a sugar. Ingredients are listed by weight, so a sugar in the first three means there is a lot of it.

Do sugar alcohols count on keto?

It depends on which one. Erythritol and allulose are generally treated as zero. Xylitol, sorbitol, isomalt and lactitol are partly absorbed, so many people count about half. Maltitol and HSH have the biggest effect and are best counted at least half or more.

Why does a “zero sugar” product still have carbs?

Sugar is only one kind of carbohydrate. Starches, maltodextrin and some sugar alcohols are not sugar but still count. US labels can also round anything under half a gram per serving down to zero.

General nutrition information, not medical advice. If you manage diabetes or take medication that affects blood sugar, ask your doctor how to count these ingredients.

The Keto Tuxedo letter

One great recipe a week

Plus new tools and guides as they launch, and the free Keto Dress Code.

The libraries

Keto for real life

Every occasion

From black tie to the gas station: airports, road trips, game day, first dates and the office party.

Explore →22 cuisines

Dining out

What to order, what to skip and exactly what to say, from sushi to the sports bar.

Explore →85 drinks

The bar

Carbs in every cocktail, wine and beer, and how to order each one lower-carb.

Explore →30 swaps

The swap library

The best keto stand-ins for rice, pasta, bread, flour, sugar and more, with the carbs compared.