How ESHA calculates food exchanges

An exchange is a food substitution, choice, or serving. Each list in this topic is a group of measured or weighed foods with about the same nutritional value. Within each food list, one exchange is approximately equal to another in Calories, carbohydrate, protein, and fat.

The following table shows the amount of nutrients in one exchange from each exchange category:

 

 Carbohydrate
(grams) 		Protein
(grams) 		Fat
(grams) 		Calories
Carbohydrate group
1 starch exchange 15 3 =>1 80
1 fruit exchange 15 -- -- 60
1 milk exchange 12 8 0-3 90
1 vegetable exchange 5 -- -- 25
Meat and meat substitutes group
1 very lean meat exchange -- 7 0-1 35
1 lean meat exchange -- 7 3 55
Fats group
1 fat exchange -- -- 5 45

Food exchange examples

Starch Exchange: Long Grain Brown Rice – Cooked

  • Amount Consumed = 1 Cup (195 g)
  • Calories = 216
  • Carbohydrate = 44.9 g

Determine the number of starch exchanges:

  1. Either use the Calorie value per starch exchange:

    2. Divide total Calories by 80 (216 / 80 = 2.7)

    Result: 2.7 starch exchanges

  2. Or use the carbohydrate value per starch exchange:

    3. Divide total carbohydrate grams by 15 g per starch exchange (44.9 g / 15 g = 2.99)

    Adjust the starch exchange to match the Calorie value: (216 / 239) x 2.99 = 2.7

    Result: 2.7 starch exchanges

Fruit Exchange example: Blueberries

  • Amount consumed = 1 cup (145 g)
  • Calories = 81
  • Carbohydrate = 20 g

Determine the number of fruit exchanges:

  1. Divide total carbohydrate grams by 15 g per fruit exchange: 20 g / 15 g = 1.33
  2. Test for Calorie value by multiplying each fruit exchange by 60: 1.33 x 60 = 80 Calories

Result: 1.33 fruit exchanges

Milk exchange example

  • Low fat milk-dry + water
  • Amount consumed = 1 Cup (245 g)
  • Calories = 84
  • Carbohydrate = 11.9 g

Determine the number of milk exchanges:

  1. Divide total carbohydrate grams by 12 g per milk exchange: 11.9 g / 12 g = 0.991
  2. Calculate Calorie value by multiplying milk exchanges by 90: 0.991 x 90 = 89 Calories
  3. Adjust the calculation to match the Calorie level: (84 / 89) x 0.991 = 0.935

Result: 0.935 milk exchanges

Other carbohydrates exchange example

Chocolate Coated Ice Cream Bar With Nuts

  • Amount Consumed = 1 bar (54 g)
  • Calories = 171
  • Carbohydrate = 16.7 g
  • Fat = 10.9 g

Use the carbohydrate value based on "other carbohydrate" exchange numbers, because the Calorie value varies.

  1. Determine other carbohydrate exchange by dividing total carbohydrate grams by 15 g per other carb exchange: 16.7 g / 15 g = 1.11
  2. Calculate Calorie value by multiplying by 70 per other carb exchange: 1.11 x 70 = 78 Calories
  3. Determine fat exchanges by dividing total fat grams by 5 g per fat exchange: 10.9 g / 5 g = 2.18
  4. Adjust calculation to account for fat by multiplying each fat exchange by 45 Calories: 2.18 x 45 = 98.1 Calories
  5. Add starch and fat Calorie values: 78 + 98 = 176 total Calories
  6. Because the calculated value exceeds total Calories, adjust the fat exchange value to match the Calorie level: (171 / 176) x 2.18 = 2.1

Result: 1.11 other carbohydrates exchanges and 2.1 fat exchanges

Vegetable Exchange example

  • Cauliflower – raw, chopped
  • Amount consumed = 1/2 cup (50 g)
  • Calories = 12.5
  • Carbohydrate = 2.61 g

To determine vegetable exchange:

  1. Divide total carbohydrate grams by 5 g per vegetable exchange: 2.61 g / 5 g = 0.5
  2. Test for Calorie value by multiplying by 25 per vegetable exchange: 0.5 x 25 = 12.5 Calories

Result: 0.5 Vegetable Exchanges

Very lean meat exchange: Skinless chicken thigh – fried

  • Amount Consumed = 1 (52 g)
  • Calories = 113
  • Carbohydrate = 14.7 g
  • Fat = 5 g

Very lean meat exchange example

  1. Divide total protein grams by 7 g per very lean meat exchange: 14.7 g / 7 g = 2.1
  2. Test for Calorie value by multiplying by 35 per very lean meat exchange: 2.1 x 35 = 74 Calories
  3. To determine fat exchange, divide total fat grams by 5 g per fat exchange: 5 g / 5 g = 1
  4. Test for Calorie value by multiplying by 45 per fat exchange: 1 x 45 = 45 Calories
  5. Add protein and fat Calorie values: 74 + 45 = 119 total Calories
  6. Because the value exceeds total Calories, adjust the fat exchange value to reach the Calorie level: (113 / 119) x 1 = 0.9

Result: 2.1 very lean meat exchanges and 0.9 fat exchanges

Lean meat exchange example

  • Ground beef-regular, baked, medium done
  • Amount consumed = 3.5 oz
  • Calories = 287
  • Carbohydrate = 23 g
  • Fat = 20.9 g

To determine lean meat exchange:

  1. Divide total protein grams by 7 g per lean meat exchange: 23 g / 7 g = 3.29
  2. Test for Calorie value by multiplying lean meat exchanges x 55: 3.29 x 55 = 181 Calories
  3. Because lean meat includes 3 g of fat per exchange, multiply lean meat exchanges by 3 g of fat: 3.29 x 3 g = 9.87 g
  4. Subtract lean meat exchange fat grams from total fat grams: 20.9 g - 9.87 g = 11.03 g
  5. To determine fat exchanges, divide remaining fat grams by 5 g per fat exchange: 11.03 g / 5 g = 2.21
  6. Test for Calorie value by multiplying by 45 Calories per fat exchange: 2.21 x 45 = 99.45 Calories
  7. Add protein and fat Calorie values: 182 + 99.45 = 281.45 total Calories
  8. Because the calculation exceeds total Calories, adjust the fat exchange value to match the Calorie level: (287 / 281.45) x 2.21 = 2.3

Result: 3.3 lean meat exchanges and 2.3 fat exchanges

Fat exchange example

Margarine, stick style

Amount consumed = 1 tablespoon

Calories = 102.13

Fat = 11.4 g

To determine fat exchange:

  1. Divide total fat grams by 5 g per fat exchange: 11.4 g / 5 g = 2.28
  2. Test for Calorie value by multiplying by 45 per fat exchange: 2.28 x 45 = 102.6 Calories

Result: 2.28 Fat Exchanges