What Are Net Carbs?
Net carbs estimate the portion of carbohydrates that your body can digest and convert into energy. If you’re following a low-carb or keto approach, net carbs are often the number you’re tracking day to day.
Net carbs vs. total carbs
Total carbohydrates include fiber, sugars, starches, and sugar alcohols. Some of these don’t significantly impact blood sugar. Net carbs aim to reflect the impactful portion by subtracting the parts that don’t contribute much.
The common formula
Many people use this simple rule of thumb:
net carbs = total carbohydrates − dietary fiber − (optional) sugar alcohols
Fiber is typically subtracted because it isn’t digested into glucose. Sugar alcohols are optional because different types are absorbed differently (see our sugar alcohols guide).
When is this useful?
- Keto & low-carb tracking: focusing on foods lower in net carbs helps many people stay within targets.
- Label comparisons: products with the same total carbs can have very different net carbs once fiber/sugar alcohols are considered.
- Recipe planning: subtract fiber from nuts, seeds, and vegetables to budget carbs more accurately.
Quick tip
Grab a package, enter totals into the Net Carbs Calculator, and you’ll get a rounded, one-decimal-place result. You can also embed the widget on your own site.