Feedback—Your FAQs Answered

What’s the GI of farro? I understand it is not the same as spelt.
Farro (emmer) and spelt are older varieties of wheat that were replaced by higher yielding varieties that are easier to hull. Neither farro nor spelt (grains or flour) have been GI tested. However, we do know the GI of some breads made with spelt and the results are similar to other breads – if there are lots of visible grainy bits, the GI is lower. For more on why some wholegrains have a low GI and not others, check out December GI News.

I have a hankering for the palm or rock sugar Asian desserts of my childhood. Do you think that the mung or adzuki beans in these desserts would lower the GI?
Palm sugar and rock sugar haven’t been GI tested. Adding mung or adzuki beans may lower the GI of these types of desserts but by how much will depend on the relative amounts of sugar and beans and on the other carb-containing ingredients in the recipe. Let go the guilt and satisfy that hankering. You can enjoy treats such as these wonderful Asian desserts in moderation as part of a healthy overall diet. And remember, not everything you eat has to have a low GI. Our dietitians say that while you’ll benefit from eating low GI carbs at each meal, this doesn’t have to be at the exclusion of all others.

I am breastfeeding a 3-month-old and am trying to get back to eating low GI foods, but sweet potato seems to be causing my baby a lot of wind pain.
It’s unlikely the sweet potato is causing wind pain. More likely to be coincidental. However, a windy baby isn’t easy. While breastfeeding, maybe try small servings of baby new or chat potatoes dressed with vinegar or lemon juice and herbs and see if that helps baby’s burps. You can also mash some white beans in with potato (50/50) to reduce the GI. But again keep servings small. You may like to have a chat to your baby health nurse re baby’s wind.