QUINOA

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A quick Google is telling me quinoa is high carb at 21g per 100g (nearly the same as potatoes) so it wouldn't be something I would eat at the moment but everyone would react differently so you could test to see how your BG reacts to it.
 
I wouldn't know, never yet tried it, why/when would I !
 
I experimented when I was getting a handle on my T2D and was still carb-sensitive. It had generally the same BG impact on me as grains but it's one of those everybody-is-different things.

I think I gave up on it before learning how to pronounce it properly.
 
saronie said:
Comments about eating Quinoa to replace potatoes, pasta and rice
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I find quinoa seems to be absorbed slowly. I’m Type 1 so I can take insulin, but quinoa swells up a lot and if you thin it out with veg, as I do to make a salad, you might find it’s ok. I find it lower GI than rice. Portion size matters though, of course. Quinoa is tasty - quite nutty. Don’t overcook it. It needs watching for the last few minutes so it doesn’t go soggy.
 
For me quinoa is as bad as white carbs, so think it varies from person to person.
 
I always associate it with Gillian McKeith, which puts me off trying it!
 
now i am confused, when i googled it i got this
"Dietary fibers help adjust a person's blood sugar, because they ferment in the colon rather than undergo digestion in the small intestine. Quinoa contains 2.1 g of fibre per 100 g, whereas white rice contains 0 g .
Therefore, quinoa is a better option for people with diabetes looking to improve their fibre intake"
 
Deb_l said:
A quick Google is telling me quinoa is high carb at 21g per 100g
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Please take care when describing a food as high carb. It is important to remember there are people on this forum carb counting to calculate insulin dose rather than to minimise carbs eaten.
21g of carbs per 100g is not high when you compare it with bread (about 50% carbs) and grapes.
Misleading someone newly taking insulin can be dangerous.
I appreciate you have given the percentage. I have seen other threads calling grapes "balls of sugar" but taking insulin for 100% carbs would lead to a hypo. This is what makes me nervous.
Sorry, I did not mean to write an essay or give you a lecture, especially as I realised your comment was not as bad as others.
 
helli said:
Please take care when describing a food as high carb. It is important to remember there are people on this forum carb counting to calculate insulin dose rather than to minimise carbs eaten.
21g of carbs per 100g is not high when you compare it with bread (about 50% carbs) and grapes.
Click to expand...
Apologies, but I think this comment is in itself misleading.

I agree 21% (for quinoa) is not high in relation to bread. [Digression - who thinks quinoa is a relevant substitute for bread or potatoes? A slice of quinoa, a chunk of quinoa??]

But grapes? Where does that comparison come from @helli? Grapes seem to be 15-16%, depending on the reference source. While that is higher than many fruits (cucumber 1%, tomato c.3%, strawberry c. 6%, bluebs, peaches, plums c. 9%, pineapple c.13%) grapes at 15% are demonstrably lower than banana, c. 20% and not in the same league as bread.

Like you I also see comments about grapes being akin to sugar balls and also don't understand those remarks, which initially misled me until I looked up grapes in Carbs and Cals. I use grapes as a snack when I'm caught having to chase my insulin! Way quicker response than a plain biscuit (c.8-10%), fair bit slower than dried apricots or prunes, c.40-45% and pedestrian in relation to jelly babies, c.95%. I fully agree that comparison between grapes, 15% and sugar, 100% could be dangerously misleading and cause hypos for people new to carb counting or even guestimating.

A further digression: Grapes have a place in a menu; a small qty in a chicken veronique make a great variation on an otherwise potentially bland dish with a very small carb increase overall and because they are being digested in a usually very low carb dish might have negligible effect on many peoples BG.
 
Well I made a right mess of cooking it, I think this is one "super food" I will be passing on.
 
saronie said:
Well I made a right mess of cooking it, I think this is one "super food" I will be passing on.
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You could try again @saronie It took me a couple of goes to perfect it 🙂 I followed a recipe the first time I cooked it. Like rice, the amount of water you use is important, and the exact cooking time (which is why I watch mine for the last few minutes, as I mentioned above).
 
I use quinoa flakes in place of oats in a cereal that I make. I roast the flakes, along with almonds flakes, Brazil nuts and desiccated coconut. Overall I end up with a good serving which is a lot lower in carbs than other museli and I find the quinoa doesn’t spike me as oats do. We are all different so it is a case of finding what works for you.
 
saronie said:
Well I made a right mess of cooking it, I think this is one "super food" I will be passing on.
Click to expand...
I found Jamie Oliver microwave quinoa in Morrisons dis mushrooms in my air fryer I was surprised I enjoyed it and no burnt pan !
 
helli said:
Please take care when describing a food as high carb. It is important to remember there are people on this forum carb counting to calculate insulin dose rather than to minimise carbs eaten.
21g of carbs per 100g is not high when you compare it with bread (about 50% carbs) and grapes.
Misleading someone newly taking insulin can be dangerous.
I appreciate you have given the percentage. I have seen other threads calling grapes "balls of sugar" but taking insulin for 100% carbs would lead to a hypo. This is what makes me nervous.
Sorry, I did not mean to write an essay or give you a lecture, especially as I realised your comment was not as bad as others.
Click to expand...
I get your point.
I have stated before . Type 1 diabetes is not type 2
We look at carbs very very differently.
So if you go on about carbs to equal insulin i shut off . I dont need insulin .
Conversely
I love the grapes are sugar bombs warning. Yes they are great for hypos and in portions a healthy option for type 1 . High carb is not exactly as a killer if you can zap it. Type two it could send someone with a high HBA1c over the edge. A take away from chinese might do the same.
Yes it is sensationalised in high carb . For someone on Keto thats over two thirds of a days carbs. Or low carb I would half the portion if I really really wanted it.
Now my rants over.
I will say one thing we all say our piece here. We all get on . Take out what works for the individual.
If i said stay in bed all day would you do it? its really bad for blood sugars but for another it might be what they need.
Be kind. All are unique . We all have different experiences. Thank the good Lord . No one wants to be like me.
 
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