What is an example of a 50g carbohydrate? A practical guide

December 25, 2025 •

4 min read

Did you know that 50 grams of carbohydrates is roughly the amount found in one cup of cooked brown rice? Understanding what is an example of a 50g carbohydrate can be crucial for managing daily energy levels and dietary goals, providing a tangible benchmark for portion control.

Quick Summary

Find out what a 50-gram serving of carbohydrates looks like across various food groups, including grains, fruits, starches, and processed snacks.

Key Points

Reference Points: One cup of cooked brown rice is a practical reference for visualizing 50g of carbohydrates.
Fruits and Starches: You can reach 50g with approximately two medium bananas or one medium baked sweet potato.
Combination Meals: Combining smaller portions, like oats, fruit, and seeds, can help achieve a 50g carbohydrate serving.
Nutrient Density Matters: A 50g serving can vary greatly in nutritional quality, with whole foods offering more benefits than processed options.
Dietary Context: The significance of a 50g serving depends on total daily intake goals, especially for low-carb or ketogenic diets.
Portion Control: Using a food scale or measuring cups is the most accurate way to measure precise 50g servings for dietary management.
Fiber Impact: For net carb counting, remember to subtract fiber from the total carb count, which is significant in foods like chia seeds.

Grains and Starches

When you think of carbohydrates, grains and starchy vegetables are often the first foods that come to mind. They are a primary source of energy and can contribute significantly to your daily carb intake. A standard 50-gram portion of carbohydrates can be easily visualized using these staple foods.

Examples from Grains

Brown Rice: A single cup of cooked brown rice contains approximately 50 grams of carbohydrates, making it a perfect benchmark.
Oats: About ½ cup of dry oats, combined with a medium banana, provides a combined carbohydrate count of around 50 grams, a popular breakfast choice.
Bread: Two slices of whole wheat bread or one medium-sized bagel can offer a carbohydrate count in the 50-gram range.
Couscous: Two-thirds of a cup of cooked couscous provides roughly 30 grams of carbs, so a larger portion or combination with other foods would be needed to reach 50g.

Examples from Starchy Vegetables

Mashed Potatoes: Approximately 1.5 cups of mashed potatoes will give you about 50 grams of carbs.
Baked Sweet Potato: A single medium-sized baked sweet potato contains close to 50 grams of carbohydrates, along with a significant amount of dietary fiber.
Lentils and Beans: A single cup of cooked lentils or black beans contains approximately 40 grams of carbs. Combining them with other foods is an easy way to reach 50g.

Fruits and Snacks

While often perceived as lighter, fruits and certain snacks can also quickly add up to a 50-gram carbohydrate serving. Understanding these portion sizes is essential, especially when managing blood sugar levels or following a macro-focused diet.

Examples from Fruits

Banana: A medium-sized banana contains about 23-27 grams of carbs, so two of them would put you in the ballpark of 50 grams.
Apple: Similar to bananas, two medium-sized apples contain approximately 50 grams of carbs combined.
Dried Fruit: Since dried fruit is more concentrated, a smaller serving is needed. A small box of raisins can contain around 30-40g of carbs, so a slightly larger portion would reach 50g.

Examples from Combination Snacks

Toast and Jam: Two slices of toast with a liberal amount of jam can provide a 50g carbohydrate snack.
Greek Yogurt and Berries: Combine ½ cup of plain Greek yogurt with 1 cup of sliced strawberries and a sprinkle of chia seeds. This nutrient-dense snack can easily add up to 50g.

Combining Foods for a 50g Meal

Often, a 50-gram carbohydrate serving is achieved not through a single food but through a combination of ingredients in a balanced meal. Here are some ideas for putting a 50g meal together:

Breakfast Bowl: Combine ½ cup dry oats (27g), a medium banana (23g), and a handful of berries for a complete 50g carbohydrate meal.
Grain and Legume Plate: Half a cup of black beans (20g) and ¼ cup of cooked brown rice (11g) can be paired with mixed greens and veggies to create a carb-controlled side dish. The grains and beans alone contribute a significant portion of your 50g target.
Tortilla Wrap: Use one small whole-grain tortilla (20g) with half a cup of black beans (20g) and some vegetables for a satisfying wrap that gets you close to your 50g goal.

Comparison of 50g Carbohydrate Sources


Food Item	Approximate Serving Size for 50g Carbs	Additional Nutritional Benefit
Cooked Brown Rice	1 cup	Whole grains, fiber, manganese
Medium Baked Sweet Potato	1 large potato	High in Vitamin A, fiber, potassium
Bananas	2 medium bananas	Potassium, Vitamin C, natural sugars
Mashed Potatoes	1.5 cups	Potassium, Vitamin C, less fiber
Greek Yogurt & Berries	½ cup yogurt, 1 cup strawberries	Protein, probiotics, antioxidants
Toast and Jam	2 slices toast, 2 tbsp jam	Quick energy, simple sugars

Understanding the Context of 50g Carbs

The nutritional impact of 50 grams of carbohydrates is not universal; it depends heavily on the food source and the individual's overall dietary needs. The concept of net carbs, which subtracts fiber from the total carbohydrate count, is particularly relevant when evaluating different food choices, especially for those on low-carb diets. For example, chia seeds have 12 grams of total carbs per two tablespoons but 10 grams of fiber, resulting in only 2 grams of net carbs.

Quality over Quantity

Focusing on whole, unprocessed foods to meet your carbohydrate targets is a key strategy for a healthier diet. Choosing complex carbs from grains, legumes, and vegetables provides sustained energy and essential nutrients, unlike the quick energy spike and crash from processed, sugary snacks. A food's nutritional density is more important than simply meeting a macro number.

Conclusion

Identifying what constitutes 50 grams of carbohydrates is a foundational skill for managing a healthy diet. From a single serving of cooked brown rice to a combination of fruits and oats, the examples are diverse and vary greatly in their nutritional profile. By using practical benchmarks and focusing on nutrient-dense, whole food sources, you can effectively plan meals and snacks to meet your dietary goals while ensuring sustained energy and overall health.

Learn more about different carbohydrate types and their impact on health from authoritative sources like Healthline.

Frequently Asked Questions

For fruits, a 50g carbohydrate serving can be found in approximately two medium bananas or two medium apples. A single large banana alone can contain up to 27g of carbs, so portion size is key.

A simple way is to use one cup of cooked brown rice, which has about 50 grams of carbs. Alternatively, you could use about half a cup of dry oats combined with a medium banana to reach a similar total.

No. The nutritional quality varies significantly. For example, 50g from a whole food like a sweet potato also provides fiber and vitamins, whereas 50g from a sugary drink is much less nutritious.

A quick snack example is two slices of toast with a couple of spoonfuls of jam or marmalade. Another option is a rice cake with a tablespoon of peanut butter and a cup of sliced strawberries.

Yes, a daily intake of 50 grams of carbs or less is typically considered a low-carb or ketogenic diet. This level of carbohydrate restriction is designed to shift the body into a state of ketosis.

Using standard measuring cups for grains and starches is a good start. For more precision, a small digital food scale is the most accurate method to measure food portions and track your intake correctly.

For net carbs (often counted in low-carb diets), fiber is typically subtracted from the total carbohydrates. For total carbohydrates, however, fiber is included in the count. This is an important distinction, especially with high-fiber foods like chia seeds.

A single bagel contains approximately 50 grams of net carbs, making it a simple, direct example of a concentrated carbohydrate source.