Though Atkins
went belly up, the diet that inspired millions to cut back on their intake
of carbohydrates (bread, rice, pasta) lives on. On a regular basis, visitors
ask about the carb count in rice paper. But the question just isn't for
dieters. Marilynn, a visitor in October 2006, pointed this out:
"Carb
counting is required for all diabetics who strive for tight glucose
control which prevents ghastly diabetic complications, I.e. kidney failure,
amputation of limbs, blindness, etc. Atkins and the non-diabetic carb
counters are not interested in this information for their life, they
are merely use it for weight control. For us 13,000,000+ diabetics in
the US, this information is vital."
People have
also inquired about the calories in rice paper too. Here are transcripts
of a typical email exchanges on these subjects:
Carbohydrate
Question:
I found
your site on Google while searching for information regarding tapioca
paper. My favorite sushi from the grocery store is made from tapioca
paper, according to the nutritional label, and I'm trying to find out
how many carbs it contains. Any idea how many carbs in a spicy salmon
roll wrapped in tapioca paper? How about versus rice paper? Rice paper
sounds like it would contain more carbs, but how could we know?
Your expertise would be greatly appreciated.
My
response:
This is
a hard question to answer, and you're not the first to wonder about
it. In general, the thinner the rice papers are, the lower the carbs.
The 100% tapioca papers are lighter in weight so they're lower than
ones made from 100% rice and those made from a combination of rice and
tapioca flour. The numbers on the packaging are somewhat confusing because
they're all the same, regardless of type. What the numbers indicate
is that for a 2-ounce serving, there are 45 grams of carbs.
But how
many rice or tapioca papers are there in 2 ounces? I just did a quick
weighing for you and 9 super-duper thin ones made from all tapioca weighed
2 ounces; 5 to 6 papers made from a blend of tapioca and rice weighed
2 ounces. So the carb count can range between 5 and 9 grams for each
paper. My guess is that your rolls are closer to 9 grams of carbs. (I'm
not figuring in any vegetables here.) Not many people use the 100% tapioca
papers because they're a little harder to work with. If the rolls are
very thin, almost clear like plastic wrap, then it's 100% tapioca.
These calculations
are based on the assumption that the numbers on the packaging is relatively
correct. The papers are made in Vietnam and frankly, calories and carb
counts aren't yet a major thing for them. It's a poor country and people
aren't as well fed as we are here in the States.
I imagine
that the Vietnamese rice paper producers try to get at the numbers but
there may not be as much accuracy as we'd like. They may be just copying
what's on one packaging and slapping it on their own.
Hope I'm
of help!
Andrea
Calorie
Question:
How many
calories in one rice paper...? Wonderful to work with and make different
thing without bread, so versatile. Hope to hear back soon. :)
Thank-you
My
response:
According
to the packaging, there are roughly 200 calories in a 2-ounce serving
of rice paper. The count per rice paper depends on the type of rice
paper you have. For super super-duper thin ones made from all tapioca,
you're looking at about 9 papers in one serving so that's roughly 22
calories each. A blend of tapioca and rice yields papers that are heavier.
For a 2-ounce serving of those, there are 5 or 6 papers, which makes
the calorie count between 33 and 40 calories each. At the end of the
day, there can be 22 to 40 calories per paper, depending on what it's
made of.
