• Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

Freezing Food problem

SJC

Well-Known Member
Messages
683
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
Diets!
Hi all
Just wanted to run this past you all.
I like my fresh made meals, but to make sure I have always got something to eat, I started to make double quantities of things and put them in the freezer. I am finding something rather strange happening. I have two solid examples:

I made double veg curry..had some and froze the rest. I did the same with a veg soup. On eating both the first time round when it had not been frozen, I got respectable BGs. On eating the frozen/defrosted ones I got considerably higher readings. Is something in these meals turning to sugar during the freezing process? I really don't think it's what I had eaten before eating these defrosted meals because both times my pre meal readings were quite low...in the 5s. Any ideas?
 
No idea on this one, I freeze all my left over meals when I cook extra :/
 
Ok, so I am really shakey on the science of this, but:

When you freeze things, all the water in them freezes into tiddly little ice crystals. Since ice is really hard, it can crack things (rocks, cell walls, pipes).

So, if the ice crystals are breaking down the structure of your food, then the sugars will be more available because the food is easier to digest.

The faster something freezes, the smaller the ice crystals are that form. So the less damage to the food.

Is your freezer turned up enough to freeze things quickly?

Did that make sense?

Of course, this theory may have absolutely nothing to do with your BG observations!
 

Worth noting though so thanks for that. I shall check my freezer is turned up enough.
 
I was always of the belief that freezing bread then defrosting at room temperature, and similarly toasting fresh bread, was more beneficial from a GI perspective as the structure changes and the GI reduces. Not sure if this applies to other foods though.
 

Ah yes, that links in with the Resistant starch thing, I think.
http://www.dietdoctor.com/potato-starch-lchf-resistant-starch

And you may be right!

But I was talking more about veg cell walls, and protein fibres...

But to be perfectly honest, I haven't got a clue what I am rambling about!
 
I just did a little Googling but couldn't find anything obvious about it. It may have been fluke both times with the readings.
 
Interesting. Font think I've noticed but will keep an eye out as my freezer is very well stocked at the mo!


Sent from the Diabetes Forum App

Diagnosed prediabetic Easter 2014. Just left to get on with it, no guidance or help from GP. Every day I'm learning something new.
 
I couldn't find anything either. I tried to compare frozen GIs with non frozen but could only find comparisons for starchy foods.
Resistant starch is dependent upon the amount of amylose so really only applies to things like grains, tubers and legumes.

Your idea of further breakdown of the cell wall makes perfect sense to me; frozen strawberries are a prime example. If you then reheat then it might be more susceptible to rapid digestion.
 
Interesting. I'm no scientist but perhaps someone may comment on my idea ... Do sugars increase on the second time of cooking? Maybe it's not the freezing ... I don't know, just a suggestion.


Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
 
peacetrain said:
Interesting. I'm no scientist but perhaps someone may comment on my idea ... Do sugars increase on the second time of cooking? Maybe it's not the freezing ... I don't know, just a suggestion.


Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
Click to expand...

Now there's a thought. That didn't cross my mind ..but could be right there.
 
My guess (and it would be a guess) would agree with the reheating being the potential here, but I think more testing would be required.

Did you reheat on the cooker top or oven, or in the microwave? Long, slow heat, breaking down ingredients further........?


Mind wandering, wondering.
 
Hi.
In the microwave.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register
Cookies are required to use this site. You must accept them to continue using the site. Learn More.…