How to reduce the glycemic index of the meal?

Bealer

Hi, I have cut down on meat eating quite substantially, as it is neither wholesome, good for the environment nor for the wallet.

But if I make soups, and eat rice or some type of bread like naan as a side, the GI of the meal seems to be too high, and even though I feel full for some time, it quickly subsides and I need to eat more after a few hours, even though the meal has just as much or more calories than a typical English dinner.

Do I have to add more fat or protein to the meal to reduce the GI? How do you vegetarians do it with dinners to make you feel full for a long time? I eat both eggs and fish but not for dinners.

NaughtySpot

Meat in an unprocessed form is very good for you generally.

Soup is just wet veg really with nothing in it to keep you fuller longer. GI only plays a part if you are including carbs in your soup. Naan bread is very processed, as a rule of thumb the whiter the bread the higher the GI. Rice (apart from basmati) is also high GI. Try eating granary bread with it with a thick layer of butter! Or put double cream in your soup.

Increasing the protein you eat will make you fuller for longer, as will increasing the saturated fat content.

Research is starting to show that a "low GI diet" doesn't really work, as it doesn't take into account portion size and the effects of other foods in that meal.

Are you trying to lose weight?

Soworried

Can you add cauliflower or cheese? Both would help although cheese is better.

Butterfly_Brain

You can reduce the GI of a meal. by leaving out sugar, having everything wholegrain such as bread, rice, pasta and cereal, cut out starchy food such as potatoes - the only exception is new potatoes because they haven't developed their sugars.
This site has more ideas:
http://www.besthealthmag.ca/eat-well/healthy-eating/14-ways-to-reduce-the-glycemic-impact-of-your-meal

Bealer

NaughtySpot wrote: »

Meat in an unprocessed form is very good for you generally.

Soup is just wet veg really with nothing in it to keep you fuller longer. GI only plays a part if you are including carbs in your soup. Naan bread is very processed, as a rule of thumb the whiter the bread the higher the GI. Rice (apart from basmati) is also high GI. Try eating granary bread with it with a thick layer of butter! Or put double cream in your soup.

Increasing the protein you eat will make you fuller for longer, as will increasing the saturated fat content.

Research is starting to show that a "low GI diet" doesn't really work, as it doesn't take into account portion size and the effects of other foods in that meal.

Are you trying to lose weight?

No I am not trying to lose weight. I just want to eat less red meat. I eat alot of white basmati rice as a side with soup. Overall, the dinner is around 1000 calories I think. I add about half a cup of lentils in the soup plus olive oil.

I still feel far more hungry after a few hours eating this than after a typical English dinner which has less calories or a couple of hamburgers.

NaughtySpot

I think you've answered your own original question there Bealer!

Reduce your carbs, increase protein and saturated fat. :j

Seakay

You could substitute brown basmati for the white - it will have more nutrients and be more filling.
THe low Gi diet was originally researched by people who specialised in tackling diabetes, weight loss for some is a sort of side effect. I recommend getting the following book from the library and having a read to find ways of eating which will allow a slow release of sugars resulting in feeling fuller for longer. The review is by Dr Dukkan who is French, so I assume some of the slightly strange sentences are the result of translation!

The Low GI Diet Revolution: The Definitive Science-Based Weight Loss Plan


Jennie Brand-Miller, the author, is chair of the Nutrition Society of Australia and of all the experts in the world is the most involved with the concept of glycemic index control. The two other authors are very highly respected specialists in diabetes nutrition. The concept is established scientifically and is based on the fat that the speed at which sugars are assimilated into the bloodstream varies greatly for different foods. However, they all have an effect on glycaemia, the level of glucose present in the blood. The quicker and more substantial the sugar assimilation, the higher the blood glucose level, glycaemia, rises and the pancreas then secretes more insulin to bring it down. To avoid the risk of hyperglycaemia, another danger arises, an excess of insulin which encourages appetite and fat storage. This gives rise to the logical idea of acting beforehand by choosing sugars with the lowest Glycemic Index which are absorbed into the blood the most gradually. And taking extra exercise also reduces the glucose in the blood by burning it up. This rational approach is impeccable for the diabetic with a faulty pancreas who has to avoid the shock of rich meals with fast release simple sugars. But if you are eating to achieve weight loss it is not quite so useful. The person seeking to lose weight experiences learning all about low GI foods as an obstacle to their diet project that puts a stop to their enthusiasm and motivation. What is more, the method spreads confusion between what is a food's glycaemic interest and its calorific value. Low GI goods with a lot of fat or calories are inevitably hypercaloric, i.e. very high in calories, this is true for chocolate, legumes, lentils and chick peas and we know that if you cook or eat a food with some fat you'll see its glycemic index drop. For the protection of overweight or obese diabetics this method is essential as it gets to the heart of what is causing their illness. It can nevertheless prove to be useful as an add-on to a weight loss diet or during stabilization for those who are sufficiently committed and who genuinely want to find the right nutitional culture.