Low G.I, Cheap, Old Style Meal Ideas??

JulieGeorgiana

I have been thinking about this since yesterday. I remember when I first found out and the panic took hold because it is such a huge life changing experience, and the money was an issue for us too.

I have 1 child (9) and 6 miscarriage (4 caused by my health conditions) and I am 37 weeks and classed as ‘Full Term’ with Baby Roo J

I had lost about 5 and a half stone in the two years before I was diagnosed and started low GI, and no matter how hard I tried it was a long and slow struggle.

I started low GI in February 2011 and lost 8.5lbs in the first 4 days!!!!!!

I had lost 21lbs within 6 weeks and fell pregnant with Baby Roo. As Low GI is allowed during pregnancy I have continued to eat this way to ensure the health of Roo and myself. Had I eaten Low Carb I would not have been allowed to continue during pregnancy.

Points to note: During pregnancy you should eat 185g carbs per day, this is possible without compromising the benefits of Low GI.
I have been monitored throughout my pregnancy, and after an initial weight loss I have only gained 1lb in the last 26 weeks of my pregnancy (even though I am eating 2300kcals as recommended). My Dr did worry about this, but the baby is growing perfectly and they after keeping a close eye on me she has no on-going worries because she knows I am eating my 185g carbs and eating very well… I also didn’t gain weight with DS(9) J

So Low GI isn’t so hard with that book you just bought, there is a second book with is harder to buy, and therefore costs more and only adds a little to the overall story (Collins Gem: GL) it’s best you read the first book and get the second only if you feel you need it. GI is tested in a lab, all food is tested at 50g of carbs to ensure all tests are equal. For some foods this is a much smaller or larger amount then a 'portion'. GL is the adjustment of the GI to take into consideration portion control. A High GI and Low GL food is better then Low GI and High GL. Food which is most effected by this is Pasta, Rice and Carrots!

The book you bought has all food listed, and they have a colour next to them (Green = Low, Orange = Medium and Red = High). The start of the book explains how high GI foods make your blood sugars spike and fall rapidly (and with this your insulin will react and raise too). So eating Green is best, Orange is okay and Red in moderation… no counting or worrying. It explains if a food group is affected by an alternative GL, and will suggest portion sizes and best food types to eat.

Eating Green with Red will make the overall ‘meal’ orange. Fat does have an effect on the GI rating, so adding spread to bread is a good idea. However, GI is about sensible eating, you should eat lean meats, and lower fat cheese and dairy products even though they have low/no GI ratings. If you eat Low GI and High Calories you will not loose weight, so it’s all about balance (not counting carbs/calories)

Your meals should be CPVV (Carb, Protein, Vegetable, Vegetable) making for a balance. Where you eat Carbs you should choose lower Gi versions to aid the slowing of digestion (all bread has the same carbs, but granary takes 2 hours to digest while white bread half an hour, therefore the blood sugar doesn’t spike, but raises and falls softly… reducing your need to eat again too).

High GI Bread: White/Brown (Brown has been over processed so breaks down as fast as white)
Medium GI Bread: Wholewheat Bread
Low GI Bread: Granary, Rye Bread

Granary Bread is more expensive, I use a Bread Machine because it lowers cost, and it means I can make Pizza Dough and Rolls too. I also use Granary flour to make Yorkshire puddings, pastry and even cheese sauce!!!

All pasta is Low GI, However it is high GL and therefore should be eaten in strict portion control (50g), while Rice is High GI and low GL (which is better) and again should be eaten in strict portion control (50g). The best pasta is wholewheat pasta, and the best rice is wholewheat basmati rice.

The above items are where you will see your food budget go up the most. But with strict portion control a bag of rice (1kg @ £1.68) will last you 20 portions!

Potatoes are High GI (some have a medium GL) so you should eat potatoes with skins on to slow digestion, and add margarine to lower the GI. Strict portion control means you can eat these in moderation.

Low GI is not about eating vast amounts of meat (which is where worries start about budget), eating lentils and beans, and tons of veg (careful of root veg such as parsnip and swede) are all really great on Low GI, I buy my veg frozen and bulk out all my meals with it.

Most veg is Low GI, however eating it ‘Al Dente’ slows the digestion and aids in lowering blood sugar levels (especially if you are eating carbs). Don’t puree fruit or veg because it releases natural sugars.

Keep Clear of processed foods, you don’t know what’s in them.

JulieGeorgiana

Okay so Meals I have (I don’t really like new potatoes so normally don’t add them):

Shepards Pie (I make the meat mixture with tons of veg and eat it with bread, or with new potatoes on the side. Or even serve with Yorkshire Puddings. Yes you can use sweet potato, but I HATE it!)

Spag Bol (Bulk it out with Lentils and Veg, I eat with pasta and have a large side salad… iceberg and carrot keeps costs down on salad)

Pizza (Made with Granary Flour, I top with meats/fish/cheese/veg and eat less but with a side salad)

Lasagne (I do use fresh lasagne sheets, but all the other ingredients are low GI and I add spinach, and make the cheese sauce with Granary Flour)

Sausage Casserole (Sausages, tomatoes, beans etc eaten with a salad or new potatoes)

Roast Dinner (Chicken/Beef/Pork, HM Granary Yorkshire Puddings, veg and new potatoes)

Curries (I have 4 I make and like, I am a bland Korma girl and hate spicy… but these are great Low GI and you can use chicken or beef and so much veg, a serving of rice and I use cauliflower/broccoli on the side too!)

Fish (Herrings on Toast, Any fish with stir fried with beansprouts and veg on Pitta Bread, just be careful with sauces used for stir frying, make your own)

Toad in the Hole (with Granary Flour and tons of veg)

Meatballs (and I use Cauliflower Cheese instead of potatoes as a side dish)

Butternut Squash Soup (there is controversy over butternut squash and it’s GI value, it was downgraded recently, and making a soup blends the veg and releases sugar. But I like it! I add cream to serve to lower the GI and eat with a roll)

http://ginews.blogspot.com/2007_04_01_archive.html (Use this website well... It’s one of your best places for up to date information)

Soup (any soup is great! Carrots are good, again there is controversy around carrots and Low GI)

http://ginews.blogspot.com/2008/02/food-for-thought.html

HM Chicken Kebabs (chicken, veg and Pitta Bread, BTW Pitta Bread is made with fat/oil and is a medium GI on the low end of the scale)

Beef/Chicken Burger (HM because you have to know what’s in them, serve in a Granary Bun, with salad)

Breaded Chicken with Tzaziki and Pitta Bread (Make your own Breadcrumbs with stale bread)

Spare Rib Pork Chops (this is a cheap cut), with Seasonal Greens and Rice

Pies (make meat and Veg fillings, only lid your pie with Thin Granary Pastry or Filo Pastry)

As you can see, there is so much you can make and do Low GI, just give me any recipe and I will be able to alter it and help you low GI it! I try not to have two carbs at one time (ie, pie has a pastry lid, so I eat with veg and no potatoes)
Its all about finding balance.

Breakfast Ideas:

Scrambled Eggs and Rye Bread, Pate and Rye Bread (I love Rye Bread), Porridge, Muesli, Beans on Toast, Omlette (Cooked Breakfast on the weekends)

Lunch Ideas:

Soup and Low GI Bread, Pate on Rye Bread, Low Gi Bread with meats/cheese and salad with side of yogurt.

Snack Ideas (you should snack to keep your blood sugars level):

Yogurt, Fruit, Veg and Hummous, Nuts.

Do note that you will miss sweet food, and get sugar withdrawal… but after a few weeks you find things with sugar in don’t taste nice because your pallet changes. I will eat a mouthful of anything I fancy (even High GI) and normally that’s enough for me… it so sweet!

Slinky_Malinky

JulieGeorgiana I wish I could thank your posts a hundred times! I do not have PCOS but am obese and recently diagnosed insulin resistant/diet controlled diabetic and am really struggling with what to eat. I have to say your posts have been far more helpful to me in suggestions of what meals you can actually eat than the meagre advice I have been given by my doctor and diabetic nurse. I know low carb/Dukan is popular but I just cannot stick to it or afford it tbh so I have just started investigating low GI/GL and I think this is way of eating I can keep up long term.

If you have a few spare minutes would be kind enough to share your curry recipes please? I do love a nice mild curry.

The only tiny bit of help I can offer the OP is I have found Burgen soya & linseed bread is low GI - it is expensive at £ 1.30 per loaf but I reckon if trying to lose weight I would not eat more than one or two slices per day so a loaf lasts a while. Plus dried pulses are cheap, go along way and keep you full up.

JulieGeorgiana

Slinky_Malinky it is so nice to hear I could help, I read many blogs and read a lot about how these different diets work. And the one thing I know is that the GI/GL really is the best because there is no counting and obsessing involved.

I can't understand how any diet which cuts out food groups could be healthly for you, and if you have to count constantly it's not sustainable.

I find with this way of eating it's second nature now (I've been doing it 10 months) and it's only when the Dr asks me too that I take a 'sample' of my diet and work out the carbs/calories to see if I am doing okay. And I just follow my bodies instinct. It's easy to say no to food now, because low GI/GL does make you feel satisfied.

I also understand the frustration with regards to getting help and information with regards to how to control blood sugar. I have a friend who is worried about diabeties and the advice on what she can and can't eat amazes me. It's so backwards... she can eat carbs, ready meals and large bars of chocolate (?!?!?!?!) but not crisps because it's too high in fat!!!! She got no advice as to how to control and steady her blood sugar to prevent diabetes.

One of the forums I read regularly talks about this bad management of people with pre-diabetes (Insulin Resistant) and diabeties and how most of the advice is very odd, and hard to follow and many give up...!

I am no longer 'Insulin Resistant' as it can be reversed in 3-6 months. However, going back to a normal diet isn't the best course of action because it won't take long to become 'Insulin Resistant' yet again. I am no longer 'Pre-Diabetic' and my risk of diabeties and heart desease have dropped considerably.

I agree that you don't need as much bread in your diet with Low GI (I ate tons when I had morning sickness though, and boy did it get expensive!) and Lentils and Pulses are great... I love a lentil and ham soup in the Pressure Cooker (using a Ham Hock!).

Also there is a white bean you can use to make a 'mash' with... wish I could remember which one...!

I use the Pressure Cooker to turn dried beans into edable ones, and freeze and use to bulk out everything! Also I LOVE hummous (I might be naughtie and make onion chutney, and make a caramalised onion hummous), and it's yummy on toast

I don't feel like I am missing much from my diet but biscuits, sweets, crisps and cake! And even then I have found that the lowest GI of these are 2 Digestives, Mini Snickers, 25g Plain crisps... and eaten in very small amounts maybe once in a blue moon doesn't cause too much trouble, just a one off blood sugar spike!

I always have it with a glass of milk to lower the blood sugar spike with a Low GI Drink!

The problem I found with diets is you can't follow them, you 'slip' and then you binge eat the stuff you shouldn't because you feel guilty. With Low GI/GL nothing is terrible, and you don't have to feel guilty because it's a diet for life... so there is nothing to 'slip' from. One white roll, or one chocolate bar is OK!

I wish you luck with your ongoing endevours to control your diabeties, and I hope you do so, avoiding the needs to controlling it with drugs.

Ps. I will dig out those Recipes next

JulieGeorgiana

Curry Sauce (6 bases)

1 kg onions
50g ginger
50g garlic (you can buy peeled garlic in a jar for 52p from MrT)
1.5 litres water
1 tsp salt
225g tinned tomatoes (or passata)
8 tbsp veg oil
1 tsp tomato puree
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp paprika

Method

Stage 1
Peel and slice onions, garlic and ginger and put chopped ginger and garlic in a blender with half a pint of the water, and blend till smooth.

Place onions, blended ginger/garlic and the rest of water into a large saucepan.

Add salt and bring to boil. Turn heat down and simmer on very low, with lid on, for 45 mins. Leave to cool.

Stage 2
Once cooled, blend onion mixture until perfectly smooth (this is important).

Stage 3
If using tinned tomatoes give them a blast in a blender until smooth.
Heat up oil in a large clean pan then add the tomato puree, turmeric and paprika. Stir in blended tomatoes and bring to boil. Turn down heat and cook for 10 mins, stirring occassionally.

Add onion mixture to saucepan and bring back to the boil. Turn down again to very low and simmer for 20-25 mins, stirring occassionally. During the cooking process a froth will appear on the surface which needs to be skimmed off.

The sauce is now ready to use or can be refigerated for up to 4 days. I've also frozen it at this stage and it's been absolutely fine.


Chicken Korma (serve 6)

1 Base
1 Chicken
6 tbsp veg oil
3 tbsp cashew nuts, roughly chopped
1.5 tsp salt
1/2 tsp turmeric
1.5 tsp ground cumin
1tsp garam masala
200ml coconut cream

Tikka Masala (serve 6)

Marinade
150ml plain yoghurt (sm carton) 2 tbsp tandoori paste/powder
2 tbsp lime juice, freshly squeezed
2 tsp ground garam masala
1/2 tsp salt

Curry
1 Base
1 Marinaded Chicken
120g oil
3 tbsp tomato puree 1.5 tsp paprika powder
1.5 tsp garam masala
1 tsp salt
150ml single cream

Murgh Makhani (Butter Chicken) (serve 6)

Marinade
150ml plain yoghurt (sm carton)
11/2 tbsp tandoori paste/powder
2 tbsp lime juice, freshly squeezed
2 tsp ground garam masala
1/2 tsp salt

Curry
1 Base
1 Marinaded Chicken
100g butter
3 tbsp tomato puree
75g ground almonds
1.5 tsp chilli powder
1.5 tsp garam masala
150ml single cream

With all the curries above you can marinade raw chicken (12 hours I guess!), fry is up, add the 'curry base' the ingredients listed plus veg and you have dinner in about 20 minutes! I use leftover chicken/beef a lot and instead of marinading I just add the ingredients into the pan instead.

NB. Add Sugar to taste (Sugar is Medium GI when used in moderation it's okay).

JulieGeorgiana

Okay, now for my families alltime favourate curry (I know this sounds very odd BUT give it a try and you'll be surprised at just how nice it is!)

Nutty Chicken Curry (Serves 4)

1 large Red Chilli (Deseeded) - I have used dried, it works ok
1/2 Finger Length piece of Fresh Root Ginger - I have used dried, it works ok
1 Fat Garlic Clove
1/2 Jar of Basic Peanut Butter (apx 170g)
150ml Chicken Stock
200g Greek Yogurt
Chicken
Mixed Veg (Any you fancy, I used mixed veg, broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms and peppers)

Method

1. Blend Chilli, Ginger and garlic to a paste

2. Cook your chicken (Unless using leftovers) and add paste.

3. Add your veg (Mine is usually frozen so this takes time)

4. Add the Peanut Butter, Stock and Yogurt and simmer until the whole thing thickens (10 - 15 minutes)

5. Serve with Rice and More Veg

Slinky_Malinky

Thank you so much for sharing your recipes, I am drooling all over the keyboard. I must buy a ham hock to make some lentil and ham soup too, just the job for these cold winter days.

It is ironic that the foods you have been eating are the kind of things I love to eat but have been feeling were forbidden while following the various diets I have tried (Dukan/Harcombe/low carb/Exante/Lipotrim...you get the picture lol). You are so right about a slip leading to a guilt binge - I am also an emotional eater.

I am very impressed with your 8 1/2 stone weight loss - and huge congratulations on your nearly due bundle of joy. I had fertility issues too and I remember how grateful I was to suffer all-day sickness as I was sooo happy to be pregnant.

I hope you and your family have a great Christmas - I shall be keeping an eye out for you announcing the safe arrival of little Roo.

Take care,
SM

slummymummyof3

Some other useful ideas include grated cauliflower and microwaving it for a couple of minutes (no water, just cover with cling film and puncture a few holes in it) this is an excellent substitute for rice if you are a curry lover. It sounds very bizarre but honestly tastes excellent and fluffs up just like rice - honest :-)

You can lower the GI of something like a jacket potatoe by adding baked beans and cheese. New salad potatoes with their skins on are the lowest GI form of potatoe. If you like mashed potatoe, try mixing sweet potatoe and mashed celeriac instead.

Try roasting chunks of butternut squash, sweet potatoe, onions, carrots etc with some mixed herbs and some olive oil - yum!

JulieGeorgiana

Slinky_Malinky wrote: »

Thank you so much for sharing your recipes, I am drooling all over the keyboard. I must buy a ham hock to make some lentil and ham soup too, just the job for these cold winter days.

If you add carrots it'll thicken up a lot better without the use of potatoes

It is ironic that the foods you have been eating are the kind of things I love to eat but have been feeling were forbidden while following the various diets I have tried (Dukan/Harcombe/low carb/Exante/Lipotrim...you get the picture lol). You are so right about a slip leading to a guilt binge - I am also an emotional eater.

Yes I get the picture, and it's not a surprise that so many people have trouble (I've done low carb 10 years ago... it's impossible to keep up!)

I am very impressed with your 8 1/2 stone weight loss.

Thank You

...huge congratulations on your nearly due bundle of joy. I had fertility issues too and I remember how grateful I was to suffer all-day sickness as I was sooo happy to be pregnant.

I had all day sickness for 9 months with DS, I am much more poorly this time and have been pretty much on bed rest most of the last 9 months... and every second is worth it

I hope you and your family have a great Christmas - I shall be keeping an eye out for you announcing the safe arrival of little Roo.

Take care,
SM

Thank You... and GOOD LUCK xxx

JulieGeorgiana

I forgot Low GI 101... Lemon and Vinager lower the GI of any food as the acidity means the body works harder to digest your food...!