Any information on quinoa?

[BillB]

I've heard that quinoa is good for diabetics so when I saw it on sale in our local supermarket I bought a packet. Doing some internet research I discovered that quinoa is a South American product that is a seed and not a grain which is a good substitute for rice or couscous. It is high in minerals, principally magnesium. However, the carb count is high, at 68 grams per 100 grams, though I read that it contains mostly non-digestible carbs so it's a low GI ingredient.
Does anyone on the forum have experience with quinoa? I'm interested if it is truly low GI and thus safe for us diabetics.
In the meantime I'm cooking chili con carne tonight so I'll try serving it with quinoa. I'll take my blood sugar at 1 and 2 hour intervals and post it here.
I'm looking forward to any responses from others on here.

 

[suzi]

Hi Bill,
Looks like there were no takers to offer any suggestions or information on Quinoa,sorry. How did yours turn out, did you have it with chilli and what effect did it have on your bs?
Unfortunately i'm not as adventurous in the kitchen and only do the basic baking when doing it for Andrews gluten free stuff, because you really do need a bio chemistry degree to achieve the right results!!! and i am a little short on patience. Hope yours turned out edible
Take care,
Suzi x

 

[BillB]

Hi Suzi - Yes, I cooked it as instructed on the packet and I was quite impressed. It's tasty with a slightly nutty taste and makes a good substitute for rice. The chili con carne was very low carb - its ingredients are onions, garlic, minced beef, paprika, cumin, a teaspoon of tomato paste. a can of tomatoes, a green pepper and a can of kidney beans. The quinoa I cooked by first washing it thoroughly in a strainer, then putting it with twice its volume of water in a pan, bringing it to the boil, reducing the heat and letting it simmer for 15 minutes. I added a little salt before serving. I took my bs before eating and it was 4.9; an hour later I took it again and it was still 4.9; an hour later it was 5.3, and just out of curiosity I took it again an hour after that and it was 6.6. I would have continued to take my bs but by then it was bedtime so I toddled off to bed.
Does anybody have any comments or conclusions to draw?

 

[Synonym]

When I had digestive problems I was recommended to eat quinoa and it was very tasty but I have found that it plays havoc with my BG levels. It is obviously low gi and my levels stayed up for ages so you will need to test to see what it does to you - as always.
Could be good for marathon running! :lol:

 

[BillB]

Obviously my BGs were climbing slowly over the 4 hour period but I don't know what happened after that as I went to bed. We almost always have our main meal in the evening, but I'll try the same dish for lunch soon and continue to test for the next six hours. I hope that'll give me a more accurate picture. I'll post the results here, in the hope that somebody can give some comments.

 

[hanadr]

Hi Bill
I didn't see your post until I got back from the gym this lunchtime
I've tried Quinoa too and quite liked it, but not the effect on BG. given a choice now, I think I'd have a very small portion of Pearl barley instead. If I ate any grain that is.
Low GI can be a problem, You can't always predict how long it will be in putting the BG up. You can only try it and see if it suits.
Hana

 

[BillB]

So quinoa affected your bg levels drastically, did it, Hana? I'm not sure how significant the following is but I did the experiment again, using exactly the same recipe and the quinoa was cooked in exactly the same way. The only difference was that we had it for lunch, instead of dinner in the evening.
Usually I take 1 Metformin after each meal and 1 Januvia after the main meal of the day. So I took the Metformin and Januvia after the meal with my usual cup of coffee. The results were as follows:
Before the meal 5.7
Took the meds immediately after the meal.
1 hour after eating bg was 5.7, then subsequently every hour: 4.8, 5.3, 5.0.
So I'm leaning towards thinking that I can eat quinoa in reasonable portions and as long as I stay with my normal meds, my bg level stays within bounds.
I'll try it again the next time we have chili to see if there are any significant differences.

 

[Synonym]

Now that my BG levels are pretty much under control I am going to try quinoa again tonight for dinner.

I am hoping that it will be a different story now and that I can tolerate It better. Sometimes you want a change and need something different. Will let you know.....

 

[hanadr]

People vary a lot in their response to carbs.I know I'm VERY sensitive in the evenings and much less so for breakfast.
Hana