Hi Angela,
I can't help you with specific food info as I'm in the UK. But maybe I can help you with the carb question.
Carb content isn't usually listed on the can, so it's necessary to calculate it by using the percentages from the other elements listed on the can. If you add up the percentages for protein, fat, fibre, ash and moisture, and then deduct that total from 100%, that will give you the percentage of carbohydrate by
weight. But the figure we most often compare is the 'percentage of calories from carbs'. And when we talk here about diabetics needing foods that have less than 10% carbs we mean that the food should have less than
10% of it's calories from carbs.
Also, should I be looking at dry or wet matter carbohydrates?
It doesn't matter. If you're looking at the '
percentage of calories from carbs' the result will be the same whether you use wet or dry matter data for the calculation.
The way that US foods are labelled means that what is written on the can may not be an accurate description of what is actually inside the can at any given time. US food labelling uses a 'Guaranteed Analysis' of
minimum or maximum values for certain elements. So, if you want to know what's actually in the can at any given time it's necessary to contact the manufacturer and ask for the current 'as fed' values. Sometimes these will be shown on the manufacturer's website.
If you can't get the current 'as fed' values then you can still do a calculation using the GA analysis (albeit imperfect), and combine that with a thorough read through of the ingredients list (checking for carb sources); and that information, combined, may well give you enough information to enable you to decide whether you want to try that particular food. If you are hometesting you'll be able to
see the effects of any food that you try.
There is a nifty little online calculator that can help you work out the carb content here:
http://www.scheyderweb.com/cats/catfood.html
The Sheyderweb calculation doesn't do the whole calculation though. But the last bit is easy to do manually.
Using the results from the Sheyderweb calculation you grab a calculator and do this:
Divide the 'calories from carbs per 100g' by the 'total calories per 100g', and then multiply by 100. That should give you the 'percentage of calories from carbs'.
(Alternatively, I have a very basic Excel document that can do the whole calculation for you. If you'd like me to send it to you just pm me your email address.)
One of our members, Rhiannon, has put together a 'shortcut shopping list' of US foods that you may find useful:
Shortcut Shopping List - all 8% or less Updated
Eliz
