GI News - July 2015 Page 1

JULY 2015

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Selling us wellnessMany of us want to improve our health and stave off heart disease, type 2 diabetes and cancer by making better food choices. To help us do this, there’s an army of food manufacturers formulating healthier foods and beverages, publishers promoting health/fitness/diet programs and fads, and nutritionists and wellness warriors sharing their solutions in print and online. It’s competitive and it’s big business. Get the recipe right and bottom lines glow with radiant health and wellbeing.

Food manufacturers encourage us to make better choices (and buy product) with nutrient claims such as “high in dietary fibre”, “good source of calcium”, “no added salt”, or “rich in omega-3”. A “no added sugar/s” claim (absolutely none – no monosaccharides nor disaccharides) is increasingly appearing as manufacturers reformulate products with alternative sweeteners to help us meet World Health Organization recommendations to reduce our daily intake of free or added sugars from all sources (fructose, glucose/dextrose, sucrose etc.) to no more than 10% of our total energy intake (calories/kilojoules) to reduce the risk of developing tooth decay, and to limit their contribution of “empty calories” to our diet. (Dr Alan Barclay showed what 10% added sugars would look like in a day’s eating plan in April GI News.)

Some publishers have cottoned on to the potential bottom-line benefits of nutrient claims, and “gluten free”, “dairy free”, “wheat free” and “sugar free” feature on health/fitness/diet book covers. Checking recent Australian titles making such claims, we found their recipes measured up to “gluten free” and “wheat free” claims, but not always “dairy free” (one book uses butter in its recipes), and none to “sugar free”. While recipes did not use white (or brown) sugar, there were certainly numerous other added (free) sugars in them including honey, maple syrup, rice syrup, and coconut sugar or coconut nectar. One cake for example was made with around ⅓ cup coconut sugar, 2 cups honey and ½ cup maple syrup.

THIS MONTH: Diet is out; wellness is in, and it’s big business; What nutrient claims really mean; Fibre and diabetes risk; New GI values including quinoa milk and chia wraps; 10 easy meals from Healthy Food Guide magazine; Chocolate treats: Anneka’s Honey-roasted pears with chocolate fudge sauce and pecan sprinkle, and Johanna’s flourless chocolate hazelnut cake.

• Food for thought • News briefs

- Fibre and diabetes risk

- Loading up on dietary fibre

- Eating for healthier aging

- New GI values from SUGiRS

• Perspectives with Dr Alan Barclay • Nicole Senior’s taste of health • In the GI News kitchen this month

- Anneka Manning’s family baking

- Johanna Burani’s Italian kitchen

- Bean me up Chrissy!

• What’s for dinner? • Glycemic Index Foundation news • Q&A with Prof Jennie Brand-Miller

ALL RECIPES AREGLUTEN-FREESUGAR-FREEDAIRY-FREE

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INSIDE STORY (A to Z by publisher)

Title Nutrient claims – Cover lines

Added sugars used Comment

Hachette Australia –Hines, Luke and Gooding, Scott: Luke and Scott Clean Living Paleo Basics

“Dairy free, sugar free, gluten free”

Honey, maple syrup, coconut nectar

Recipes use butter (dairy food)

No nutritional analysis

Macmillan Australia – Wilson, Sarah: I Quit Sugar. The Complete Plan and Recipe Book

“108 sugar-free recipes” Rice syrup

No nutritional analysis

Plum/Pan Macmillan Australia – Berry, Lola: The Happy Cookbook

“All recipes are sugar-free, gluten-free”

Honey, maple syrup, coconut nectar, coconut sugar, rapadura

(Also coconut ice-cream – may contain rice syrup or coconut nectar; coconut yoghurt – may contain xylitol)

No nutritional analysis

Plum/Pan Macmillan Australia – Evans, Pete: Family Food

“All recipes are gluten-free, sugar-free, dairy-free”

Honey, maple syrup, coconut sugar and nectar, molasses, yacon syrup.

(Also dried cranberries – typically contain added sugar)

No nutritional analysis

Nutrient claims – Press release

Bloomsbury – Simpson, Lily and Hobson, Rob: The Detox Kitchen Bible

“Featuring 200 recipes – ALL 100% wheat free, dairy free & sugar free”

(Actual book cover says: “200 recipes for glorious health – all free from wheat, dairy and refined sugar”)

Runny honey

(Some brands may contain glucose syrup/corn syrup – check the ingredient list)

No nutritional analysis

WHAT ADDED OR FREE SUGAR IS THAT?Reproduced with permission from The Ultimate Guide to Sugars & Sweeteners, The Experiment, New York.

Added sugar Sugars it contains Calories/kilojoules per level teaspoon

Glycemic index

Coconut sugar Sucrose, glucose, fructose 16 calories (67 kilojoules)

54

Coconut nectar (syrup) Sucrose, glucose, fructose 14 calories (60 kilojoules)

Not tested

Honey

Avoid giving honey to babies under 12 months

Fructose, glucose, sucrose; small amounts maltose, trehalose, turanose (depending on nectar source)

22 calories (94 kilojoules)

32–87

Maple syrup Sucrose, glucose, fructose 14 calories (60 kilojoules)

54

Molasses (treacle) Sucrose, fructose, glucose 16 calories (67 kilojoules)

68

Rapadura (also called panela)

Sucrose, glucose, fructose 16 calories (67 kilojoules)

Not tested

Rice syrup/brown rice syrup/rice malt syrup

Maltose, glucose, maltotriose 16 calories (67 kilojoules)

98

Xylitol (Additive code: E967)

Xylitol (a polyol/sugar alcohol; laxative effect if consumed in large quantities)

2.4 calories (10 kilojoules)

N/A

Yacon syrup Fructose, glucose, sucrose 17 calories(72 kilojoules)

Not tested

Regular granulated (table) sugar – for comparison

Sucrose 16 calories (67 kilojoules)

65

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In many countries, there are laws to protect us from being misled about the products and services we buy. The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) is Australia’s consumer law champion. On their website it states: “It is illegal for a business to make statements that are incorrect or likely to create a false impression. This includes advertisements or statements in any media (print, radio, television, social media and online) or on product packaging, and any statement made by a person representing your business.”

We asked them (by email) to clarify exactly what “any media” means. “What we mean by any media is [that] any representation in TV, radio, newspapers or online must be truthful. This covers any representation made to consumers, whether it is on a magazine cover, in a newspaper or on a billboard” they replied. It also applies to statements on their websites or social media pages.

To help consumers genuinely make healthier choices, we would like to see nutrient claims regulations for food and beverage labelling applied to nutrient claims made in print and online publications – magazines, books, blogs, social media pages, websites etc.

The lamington reveal We analysed three lamington recipes (calories/kilojoules, protein, fat and carbohydrate) to see how the sugar numbers actually stacked up when you compared a traditional Australian lamington recipe (Lamingtons from Kate McGhie’s Cook) with two lamington recipes from cookbooks making “all recipes are sugar-free” claims (Paleo Lamingtons with Raspberry-Chia Jam from Lola Berry’s The Happy Cookbook and Lamingtons from Pete Evan’s Family Food).

Lamingtons Energy (per 100g)

Protein (per 100g)

Fat (per 100g)

Available carbs (per 100g)

Kate’s 365 calories1530 kilojoules

4g 15gIncludes 10g saturated fatSaturated to unsaturated ratio: 2.0

55gIncludes 42g sugarsIncludes 13g starch

Lola’s 380 calories1595 kilojoules

6g 32gIncludes 22g saturated fatSaturated to unsaturated ratio: 2.2

19gIncludes 13g sugarsIncludes 6g starch

Pete’s 345 calories1440 kilojoules

5g 24gIncludes 16g saturated fatSaturated to unsaturated ratio: 2.0

29gIncludes 24g sugarsIncludes 5g starch

3 tips to choosing a wellness cookbook wiselyRun your eye over the recipes and check the ingredients if there are sugar-free, dairy-free, gluten-free or other nutrient claims to make sure that’s actually the case.

Look for books that provide a nutritional analysis with the recipes so you know how many calories/kilojoules, and other key nutrients (e.g., protein, fat, carbohydrate, dietary fibre, etc) you are consuming. It’s possible to eat too much of a good thing – even a so-called “super food” or “sugar-free” recipe. Remember, whether or not you gain or lose weight on a nutritionally balanced healthy diet, depends on its caloric content.

Check the health claims are supported by relevant peer-reviewed scientific evidence with footnotes and/or a list of references.

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NEWS BRIEFSAdd more fibre to your day and reduce diabetes risk; New GI values for pears, corn, tortilla, wraps and quinoa milk; enjoy good carbs and good protein for healthy aging; how foods and beverages are GI tested at SUGiRS.

Fibre and diabetes riskConsuming greater quantities of dietary fibre reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, confirms new research published in Diabetologia.

“Taken together, our results indicate that individuals with diets rich in fibre, in particular cereal fibre, may lower risk of type 2 diabetes. As well as helping keep weight down, dietary fibre may also affect diabetes risk by other mechanisms – for instance improving control of blood sugar (glucose) and decreasing insulin peaks after meals, and increasing the body’s sensitivity to insulin,” says first author Dagfinn Aune.

The researchers evaluated the associations between total fibre as well as fibre from cereal, fruit, and vegetable sources, and new-onset type 2 diabetes in a large European cohort across eight countries, in the EPIC-InterAct Study. They also conducted a meta-analysis where they combined the data from this study with those from 18 other independent studies from around the globe.

Participants with the highest total fibre intake (more than 26 grams a day) had an 18% lower risk of developing diabetes compared to those with the lowest total fibre intake (less than 19 grams a day). They also found that participants with the highest levels of cereal and vegetable fibre consumption had a 19% and 16% lower risk of developing diabetes respectively, compared with those with the lowest consumption of these types of fibre.

Loading up on dietary fibre• What is it? Dietary fibre includes polysaccharides, oligosaccharides and lignins. It comes mostly (but not exclusively)

from plants and is the poorly digested portion that passes through into the large intestine (bowel) providing much of the bulk in our stools (along with water and bacteria amongst a few other things).

• Getting more fruit, vegetables, legumes and wholegrain foods are the best way to up your intake.

• How much? Recommendations around the world are similar. Australia’s guidelines suggest 25 grams a day for women and 30 grams for men.

EACH DAY A SERVE IS

2 or more serves of fruit 1 medium or 2 small pieces of fresh fruit, or 1 cup of canned fruit (no added sugar)

5–6 serves of vegetables 1 cup of salad veggies, or ½ cup of other green or starchy veggies, or ½ cup legumes (beans, chickpeas, lentils)

3–6 serves of wholegrains 1 slice of wholemeal, wholegrain, granary or multiseed bread, or½ a wholemeal, wholegrain, granary or multiseed roll, or½ cup of cooked brown rice, wholemeal pasta, noodles, barley, buckwheat, semolina, bulgur or quinoa, or ½–⅔ cup of wholegrain breakfast cereal such as muesli or porridge

You can also add extra fibre to your meals and recipes by sprinkling on nuts and seeds, dried fruit, bran flakes and psyllium husks.

Photo credit: The Low GI Family Cookbook (Hachette Australia)

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Eating for healthier agingStudies have shown that reducing food intake and body weight will lower cholesterol, improve insulin sensitivity, and even prolong life. Prof Stephen Simpson, Academic Director of Sydney’s Charles Perkins Centre points out however that “except for the fanatical few, no one can maintain a 40% caloric reduction in the long term, and doing so can risk loss of bone mass, libido and fertility”. New research from Simpson and his co-researchers in Cell Reports shows that compared head-to-head over the short term (8 weeks), mice at least will derive the same cholesterol, blood glucose and insulin benefits from a low protein, high carbohydrate diet as from a 40% caloric restriction diet. “According to these mouse data and emerging human research, it appears that including modest intakes of high-quality protein and plenty of healthy carbohydrates in the diet will be beneficial for health as we age,” says Simpson.

New GI values from SUGiRSFOOD GI SERVING AVAILABLE CARBS

PER SERVEGL PER SERVE

Fruit & veg

Corn cob, fresh, cooked in microwave 51 125g 17g 9

Pear, Williams Bartlett, fresh, unpeeled 33 120g 11g 4

Breads

Tortilla, wholegrain, Old El Paso, twice the fibre 50 1 tortilla (40g) 19g 9

Wraps, mixed grain, Helga’s 55 1 wrap (70g) 33g 18

Wraps, chia, Mission 50 1 wrap (48g) 19g 9

Wraps, red quinoa, Mission 59 1 wrap (48g) 20g 12

Pizza base, original crust, Boboli 52 ⅛ base (50g) 24g 12

Beverages

Quinoa milk with chia, Freedom Foods 42 1 cup (250ml) 11g 5

About SUGiRS Sydney University GI Research Service (SUGiRS) celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. It was established in 1995 to provide a reliable commercial GI testing laboratory for the food industry.

About GI testing The GI value is determined following the international standard method by feeding 10 or more healthy people a portion of the test food containing 50 grams of digestible (available) carbohydrate and then measuring the effect on their blood glucose levels over the next two hours. For each person, the incremental area under their two-hour blood glucose response (glucose iAUC) for this food is then calculated. On another occasion, the same 10 people consume an equal-carbohydrate portion of glucose (the reference food) and their two-hour blood glucose response is also determined (the reference food is tested three times by each person). A GI value for the test food is then calculated for each person by dividing their glucose iAUC for the test food by their average glucose iAUC for the reference food. The final GI value for the test food is the average GI value for the 10 people.

Contact For information about GI testing at the University of Sydney, email: Fiona Atkinson, sugirs.manager@sydney.edu.au

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PERSPECTIVES WITH DR ALAN BARCLAY

The claim gameNutrient claims frequently adorn the labels of packaged foods and beverages, highlighting their nutritional benefits and are defined in Australian, New Zealand and European Union food laws, so companies making false claims can be prosecuted by food regulatory agencies if they are false or misleading. Let’s take a quick look at some of the more common nutrition claims.Calcium• To say a food is a “source” of calcium (or any other vitamin or mineral),

a serving of the food must contain at least 10% of the Recommended Dietary Intake (RDI). For example, in Australia, the RDI for calcium for adults is 1000mg, so in order to make a claim that a food is a source of calcium, it must contain 100mg per serve.

• The nutrition information panel must list the amount of calcium per serving.

Dairy free, Lactose free, Sugar free, Gluten free, Wheat free• In order to make a “free” claim, the food must contain no detectable

dairy, lactose, sugar, gluten or wheat, respectively.Dietary fibre• To say a food is a “good source” of fibre, a serving of the food must contain at least 4g of dietary fibre.• To say a food is an “excellent source” of fibre, a serve of the food must contain at least 7g of dietary fibre.• To say a food is “increased” fibre, the reference food must contain at least 2g of dietary fibre per serving; and the

food must contain at least 25% more dietary fibre than in the same quantity of the reference food.• In all cases, the nutrition information panel must list the amount of dietary fibre per serving.No added salt• No added salt foods either contain no added sodium compound including no added salt; and • The ingredients of the food contain no added sodium compound including no added salt.No added sugar or sugars• The food must contain no added sugars which include any monosaccharide or disaccharide (e.g., glucose/

dextrose, fructose, sucrose and lactose); starch hydrolysate; glucose syrups, maltodextrin and similar products; or products derived at a sugar refinery, including brown sugar and molasses; or icing sugar; or invert sugar; or fruit sugar syrup; or honey, malt, or malt extracts; and

• The food must contain no added concentrated fruit juice or deionised fruit juice.Omega-3• To say a food is a “good source” of omega-3, a serving of the food must contain at least 60mg of EPA or DHA

(kinds of omega-3 fatty acids), but may contain less than 200mg of ALA per serving.• To say a food is “increased” omega-3, the reference food must contain at least 25% more omega-3 fatty acids

than in the same quantity of the reference food and the food must contain more than 200mg of ALA per serving.• The nutrition information panel must list the type and amount of omega-3 fatty acids per serving.• For claims on foods other than fish or fish products, the food must contain

(i) no more than 28% saturated fatty acids and trans fatty acids; or(ii) no more saturated and trans fatty acids than 5 g per 100 g; and

With the proliferation of nutrition claims on books and other publications including online, it would be ideal if an appropriate government regulator ensured that they were accurate and not misleading too.

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Alan Barclay PhD is a consultant dietitian and Chief Scientific Officer at the Glycemic Index Foundation. He worked for Diabetes Australia (NSW) from 1998-2014 and is a member of the editorial board of Diabetes Australia’s health professional magazine, Diabetes Management Journal. Alan has authored or co-authored over 30 scientific publications, is co-author of The Low GI Diet: Diabetes Handbook, The Low GI Diet: Managing Type 2 Diabetes, and The Ultimate Guide to Sugars and Sweeteners, and presents at conferences around the globe.

Contact: alan.barclay@gisymbol.com

NICOLE SENIOR’S TASTE OF HEALTH

Chocolate cannot mend a broken heart Can you be addicted to chocolate? There’s a lot to love about chocolate. It is perhaps the most pleasurable food of all, combining the hardwired hot-buttons for human survival: fats and sugars. I reckon it would be in many people’s top 3 list of favourite foods. It’s also the most frequently craved food, most often by women. Some go so far as to say it’s addictive, but is there any truth to this? There are some substances such as methylxanthines, biogenic amines and cannibinoid-like fatty acids that can release feel-good brain chemicals, however they are present in very tiny amounts and many are also released by any food that tastes wonderful.

Chocolate is very different to drugs, and addiction or ‘substance dependence’ is a very different to craving or ‘food-love’. You cannot be addicted to chocolate in the same way as being addicted to drugs. You can eat more than is good for you but the reasons are largely psychological. Chocolate is considered a naughty, fattening food at present and therefore banned on strict diets. Of course this makes it even more desirable! It’s seen as a reward and a quick fix to feeling low, and can become an emotional crutch – chocolate is cheaper than therapy! But of course relying on chocolate to feel better is not effective long term.

So what can be done about serious chocolate cravings? Emotional needs need to be met by other means – chocolate cannot mend a broken heart. Chocolate needs to be moved out of the naughty corner in order to remove its illicit allure; it’s just food. Chocolate is a supremely pleasurable ‘sometimes food’ to be enjoyed in small amounts without guilt. A good way to do this is to naturally limit the amount by eating the best quality chocolate, and ideally buying Fair Trade. Any food produced by ripping off farmers or with child labour is a very real reason to feel guilty.

What’s the best chocolate? People often ask, what’s the best chocolate to eat? The short answer is, the one you like the best! But I think what they’re really asking is, what’s the healthiest chocolate? First things first: chocolate is not a food you eat for health, but for pure enjoyment. This doesn’t stop chocolate marketers trying to gain your custom with talk of ‘antioxidants’, or us from justifying our hankering for the stuff because of the antioxidants!

Having said this, the cocoa bean is a plant food that contains healthful compounds including flavonoid polyphenols that have several beneficial effects on the heart. Their antioxidant action has been shown to reduce the oxidation of LDL cholesterol, and dark chocolate has been shown to improve blood vessel function and blood pressure. While this all sounds very promising, the evidence is not convincing yet, and there are a few issues with all these goodies coming wrapped up in a thick coat of kilojoules (calories). Most of us get more energy than we need and being overweight is a common health challenge.

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Can we have our chocolate and eat it? The answer is yes, if you choose wisely. • Cocoa (or raw cacao) powder is top of the tree because it has all the cocoa goodness without anything added.

Enjoy it as a drink with light milk or in cooking but watch the quality of fats and quantity of sugars you add to keep the energy content down and the health benefits up.

• Next down the list is high cocoa-content dark chocolate but keep your portions small because it’s the transition from cocoa to chocolate that adds the fat, sugar and kilojoules. Luckily, the intensity of flavour helps keep small amounts deeply satisfying.

• As for milk chocolate any health benefit is all but disappeared, and it’s the kind of chocolate that invites overeating- take care.

• White chocolate isn’t really chocolate as it has no cocoa whatsoever. • The ‘compound chocolate’ you find in cheap, low grade supermarket ‘choc-coated’ products is imitation

chocolate made with as little cocoa as possible. Again, take care with these.

Let’s be honest and upfront about chocolate and not over-endow it with health credibility. It’s just divine to eat, end of story. If I could borrow and modify an often-used phrase from Michael Pollan, I’d say this: Eat good honest chocolate; mostly dark; not too much.

Nicole Senior is an Accredited Nutritionist, author and consultant who strives to make healthy food taste terrific. You can follow her on Twitter, Facebook or checkout her website

IN THE GI NEWS KITCHEN THIS MONTHThis month there’s plenty of choice to celebrate our 10th anniversary. Starting with birthday treats, enjoy a single serve of Anneka Manning’s Honey-roasted pears with chocolate fudge sauce and pecan sprinkle or a slice of Johanna Burani’s Flourless chocolate hazelnut cake. To bean us up and kick start the day, there’s Chrissy Freer’s breakfast quesadillas with black beans, spinach and mushrooms; and to beat that 5pm “what’s for dinner?” panic there are 10 easy meals from Healthy Food Guide magazine.

Anneka Manning’s Family BakingHoney-roasted pears with chocolate fudge sauce and pecan sprinkleMost commercial honeys are made from a mixture of honeys derived from different hives and different floral sources, and most have moderate or high GI values. Single origin honeys are produced by allowing the bees to get nectar from one type of flower only. Many Australian single origin wildflower honeys are low GI – yellow box (GI 35), stringybark (GI 44), iron bark (GI 48) and red gum (GI 53) – though of course you still have to keep those portions moderate.• Serves: 8• Preparation time: 20 minutes • Baking time: 30 minutesHoney-roasted pears4 (about 200g/7oz each) firm but ripe pears (such as Williams or Beurre Bosc)2½ tbsp (50ml) single origin floral honey15g (½oz) butter, softened

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Chocolate fudge sauce100g (3½oz) good-quality dark chocolate (70% cocoa)¼ cup milk1 tbsp (20ml) single-origin floral honey

Pecan sprinkle50g (1¾oz) pecans, chopped2½ tbsp flaked coconut½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

To make the Pecan sprinkle, preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced) and line an oven tray with non-stick baking paper. Combine the pecans, coconut and cinnamon and spread on the tray. Bake in preheated oven for 8–10 minutes or until the pecans and coconut are toasted and aromatic. Remove from the oven and cool on the tray. • To make the Honey-roasted pears, increase the oven to 200°C/400°F (180°C/350°F fan-forced). Peel and halve the pears. Use a teaspoon or a melon baller to remove the core from the pears. Place the pear halves, cut side down, in a shallow ovenproof dish just large enough to hold the pears in one layer. Drizzle with the honey and dot with the butter. Roast in preheated oven for 30 minutes, basting with the juices and occasionally moving the pears slightly around, or until the pears are just tender and lightly caramelised underneath. • Meanwhile, to make the Chocolate fudge sauce, combine the chocolate, milk and honey in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (don’t let the bowl touch the water beneath) and stir until melted and smooth. • Serve the pears warm or at room temperature with the warm Chocolate fudge sauce and sprinkled with the Pecan sprinkle.Baker’s tips• The roasted pears and chocolate sauce will keep separately in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Serve the pears at room temperature and warm the sauce in the microwave or over simmering water to bring it back to a pouring consistency before serving.

• The Pecan sprinkle will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.Per serve 1000kJ/ 240 calories; 2g protein; 11.5g fat (includes 5g saturated fat; saturated : unsaturated fat ratio 0.77); 28g available carbs (includes 26g sugars and 2g starch); 5.5g fibre; 26mg sodium

Anneka Manning, founder of BakeClub, shares her delicious better-for-you recipes for snacks, desserts and treats the whole family will love. Through both her writing and cooking school, Anneka teaches home cooks to bake in practical and approachable yet inspiring ways that assure success in the kitchen. In 2015 she is offering a wide range of classes including healthy Kids Lunchboxes, Savoury Baking and Gluten-free Baking. You can find out more about them HERE. www.bakeclub.com.au

JOHANNA’S ITALIAN KITCHENFlourless chocolate hazelnut cakeEnjoy a sliver of this cake with its slight dusting of icing (powdered) sugar for a treat or special occasion. It stands proudly on its own, however – no frosting or ice cream can add to its already satisfying nutty, melt-in-the-mouth taste. Tip: Use the leftover egg yolks to make a frittata. Serves 123½ cups hazelnut meal 1½ cups sugar2 tbsp (30ml) vanilla essence¾ cup unsweetened cocoa12 egg whites Dusting of icing (powdered) sugar, to decorate (optional)Preheat the oven to 180ºC (350ºF). Coat a spring-form pan with vegetable spray. • Mix the hazelnuts, sugar, vanilla and cocoa in a medium sized bowl. Beat egg whites until stiff and dry. Gently fold them into the chocolate nut mixture. • Pour the batter into the greased pan. Bake for 40–50 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool before serving.

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Per slice (cut into 12 slices, no icing/powdered sugar)Energy: 1402kJ/ 334 calories; protein 9g; fat 20g (includes 2g saturated fat; saturated : unsaturated fat ratio 0.11); available carbs 34g (includes 26g sugars and 2g starch); fibre 5g

American dietitian and author of the best-selling Good Carbs, Bad Carbs, Johanna Burani, shares her favourite recipes with a low or moderate GI. For more information, check out Johanna’s website. The photographs are by Sergio Burani. His food, travel and wine photography website is photosbysergio.com.

BEAN ME UP CHRISSY!Breakfast quesadillas with black beans, spinach and mushroomsDon’t restrict these quesadillas to breakfast, they are delicious any time of day – for brunch, lunch or a light evening meal. You can replace the canned beans with 1½ cups cooked black beans if you like to prepare your own. The wholegrain tortillas we have tested have a low GI (50).• Preparation time: 10 minutes• Cooking time: 10 minutes• Serves 4

1 tbsp olive oil200g (7oz) button mushrooms, wiped clean and sliced1 garlic clove, crushed400g (14oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed 1 vine-ripened tomato, diced4 large wholegrain tortillas½ cup grated cheddar cheese1 cup firmly packed baby English spinach leavesHot chilli sauce, to tasteOlive oil spray, for toasting ⅓ cup natural yoghurtCoriander (cilantro) leaves, to garnish

Method Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium–high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring, for 3–4 minutes or until golden. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add the beans and tomato and cook for 1 minute or until heated through. Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Set aside. • Preheat a sandwich press. Spread a quarter of the mushroom mixture over half of a tortilla. Top with a quarter of the cheese, a quarter of the spinach leaves, and chilli sauce to taste. Fold the tortilla over to enclose the filling. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and fillings. • Spray the quesadillas on both sides with oil. Cook in batches in the sandwich press for 3 minutes or until the quesadillas are crisp and the cheese has melted. (Alternatively cook the quesadillas in a large non-stick frying pan for 2 minutes each side.) Serve with a dollop of yoghurt, garnished with coriander.Per serving 340 calories/1435kJ; 16g protein; 12g fat (includes 4g saturated fat; saturated : unsaturated fat ratio = 0.5); 36g available carbs (includes 7g sugars and 29g starch); 10g fibre; 755mg sodium

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Chrissy Freer, author of Supergrains and now Superlegumes (both published by Murdoch Books), creates delicious recipes with a holistic health focus. She has contributed to countless magazines and books as a recipe developer, nutrition writer, food editor, and stylist. You can find out more about Chrissy here.

WHAT’S FOR DINNER?Forget 5pm panic To celebrate our 10th anniversary issue Healthy Food Guide magazine is sharing 10 recipes with GI News readers packed with hunger-busting protein, wholesome carbs, fibre and flavour. Click on the photo and head over to their website for the recipe and nutritional analysis. Ingredient tip: Choose the low or lower GI options with the starchy staples: low GI brown rice, Carisma or other low GI potatoes and orange-fleshed sweet potato.

Vegetable & pesto pizza Spelt pasta with eggplant & chickpeas & tomatoes

Lentil and eggplant moussaka

Chicken, feta & basil involtini Chicken laksa

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Slow cooked beef, barley & vegetables

Mustard steaks with layered vegie bake

Pork & mushroom ‘burgers’ with sweet potato wedges

Five spice salmon with stir-fried veg Pan-fried snapper with tomato & basil salsa

GLYCEMIC INDEX FOUNDATION NEWSSymbols and scores: signposts for making better choicesThe GI Symbol is designed to help shoppers choose the healthier option, when comparing similar products in the supermarket and it therefore encourages shoppers to eat healthy carbs. Research shows that by focusing on low GI foods, people automatically improve their diet quality because it increases fibre, reduces saturated fat, and improves micronutrient intakes. Foods that carry the GI Symbol have had their glycemic index tested at an accredited laboratory and meet strict nutrient criteria for kilojoules (calories), total carbohydrate, saturated fat and sodium, and where appropriate, fibre and calcium. The nutrient criteria are consistent with international dietary guidelines and were developed by the Glycemic Index Foundation in consultation with experts from the University of Sydney and Australian consumer diabetes organisations. Over the years, the GI Foundation has worked closely with manufacturers to develop and or identify a range of low GI products including the low GI Carisma potato. Manufacturers pay a licence fee to the GI Foundation to use the GI Symbol on packaging with the funds going back into research and education. CSIRO Healthy Diet Score Our current research and education program includes our collaboration with Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) to provide an online wellness program that focuses on higher protein foods, and low GI carbohydrates for longer term weight loss and maintenance. There are over 10,000 people currently using the online platform. If you want to see how they are going, check out some of the success stories at www.totalwellbeingdiet.com.

Healthy Food Guide magazine recipe photo credits: Mark O’Meara and Devin Hart

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CSIRO has now incorporated the Healthy Diet Score into the online wellness program to give people a simple and reliable measure of the nutritional quality of what they are currently eating. The score (between 1 and 100) takes age and gender into account and is based on food variety, frequency, and quantity (drawn from food recommendations from the Australian Dietary Guidelines). Participants not only get their score, but are given tips on improving their diet.

In the first month, over 38,000 people checked it out and the national average score so far is 60/100. What is your score? The questionnaire only takes 10 minutes, so if you want to assess your eating habits, head over to www.csirodietscore.com.

Dianna Crisp is the Communications and Partnership Manager at the Glycemic Index Foundation, a not-for-profit, health promotions charity. Website: www.gisymbol.comFacebookTwitter

Q&A WITH JENNIE BRAND-MILLER

Jennie – I would have thought high fibre foods would naturally be low GI. Why aren’t they?

Many people think that if a food is rich in fibre it will automatically be low GI, but that’s not the case at all.

To begin with, there’s not just one type of dietary fibre. It has many different sorts of molecules but it is typically divided into two main categories: soluble fibre and insoluble fibre. In addition, the type of processing makes a big difference to fibre’s digestibility.

Soluble fibre is the one with the reputation for helping to reduce blood cholesterol levels and modulate blood glucose levels – but whether it does so or not depends in part on the amount of food processing and of course how much of it you eat.

It is often thick and jelly-like (viscous) in solution (water) and remains viscous even in the small intestine. What is means is that soluble fibre thickens the mixture of food entering the digestive tract and therefore slows down the time it takes for the fibre to pass through the stomach and small intestine. Essentially soluble fibre makes it hard for the digestive enzymes to move around and do their job, which is why foods with more soluble fibre have low GI values.

Soluble fibres include gums (e.g. agar), fructans (e.g. inulin), mucilages (e.g. psyllium) and pectins and they are found in fruits, vegetables, legumes (beans, peas and lentils) and some cereal grains (oats and barley).

Insoluble fibre is the one that’s often described as “roughage” and is renowned for keeping us regular on the inside.

It is found in all wholegrain cereals and products made from them that retain the outer layer bran (nature’s packaging) of the grain (corn, oats, quinoa, rice, spelt, wheat), and in vegetables, nuts and seeds.

Insoluble fibre is not viscous and doesn’t slow digestion of a food unless it’s acting rather like a fence, delaying access of digestive enzymes to the starch. However, when it is finely milled, the enzymes have free reign, allowing rapid digestion. This is why high-fibre cereals like Bran Flakes that look so healthy, and everyone assumes are healthy, actually have a high GI. They are digested in a flash because the production process makes the starch very accessible. It’s the same with most ready-to-eat breakfast cereals you’ll find in the supermarket.

Photo credit: The Low GI Family Cookbook (Hachette Australia)

GI News - July 2015 Page 14

Professor Jennie Brand-Miller (AM, PhD, FAIFST, FNSA, MAICD) is an internationally recognised authority on carbohydrates and the glycemic index with over 250 scientific publications. She holds a Personal Chair in Human Nutrition in the Boden Institute of Obesity, Nutrition, Exercise and Eating Disorders and Charles Perkins Centre at the University of Sydney. She is the co-author of many books for the consumer on the glycemic index and health.

Copyright© 2015

Editor: Philippa SandallScience Editor: Alan Barclay, PhDContact: info@gisymbol.comTechnical problems or faults: info@gisymbol.comGI testing: sugirs.manager@sydney.edu.au

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