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Net carbs vs. total carbs: what's the difference?
"Net carbs" shows up on every keto-marketed food label. It isn't an official nutrition term, and calculating it wrong can throw off your whole day.
What "net carbs" means
Net carbs is calculated as total carbohydrate minus fiber (and sometimes minus sugar alcohols), based on the idea that fiber isn't digested and absorbed the way other carbs are, so it shouldn't count toward the carb total that affects blood sugar.[1] For example, a food with 20g total carbs and 8g fiber would be marketed as "12g net carbs."
Why it's not perfectly standardized
Unlike "Calories" or "grams of protein," net carbs is not an FDA-regulated term with one fixed formula — different brands calculate it differently, and some sugar alcohols (like maltitol) are only partially unabsorbed, so subtracting them in full can understate the real carb impact.[2] If you're tracking macros for a medical reason (like diabetes) rather than general dieting, total carbohydrate — not the marketing number — is what your calculations should be based on.
For everyday macro tracking, total carbs is simpler and more consistent. Use net carbs only as a rough guide on packaged low-carb products, not as your primary tracking number.
Keep reading: Fiber benefits · The ketogenic diet explained · How to read a nutrition label