COMMON STARCHY FOODS

When we talk about starch in our diet we’re talking about what most of us recognize as “carbs”. Potato, bread, rice and pasta are all starchy foods, rich in carbohydrate. Popular diet ideology these days says we need to cut out all these foods, but I wonder how realistic this is, especially in the long term? And is it nutritionally sound? These foods provide our energy-demanding brains with a source of glucose and are dietary staples for humans around the world. 

Rather than trying to live without them it’s far better to be selective in the types of starchy foods we eat.

In our GI Shopping guide this month we’ve taken 4 common starchy foods to compare. Looking at the way the starch in these foods is packaged, reveals the low GI, nutrient rich versions that supply the glucose our body needs slowly as the healthier alternatives.

GI 80 (average)

Serving: 1 cup (35g /1¼ oz)

Energy	Available carbohydrate	Exchanges	Portions	Glycemic load
542kJ/130Cal	29g	2	3	23

Breakfast cereal – Rolled Oats Porridge

Steamed, flattened and coarsely cut oat grains that are high in soluble fibre results in a starch that is slowly digested to glucose.

GI 58 (average)

Serving: ⅓ cup (35g / 1¼ oz)

Energy	Available carbohydrate	Exchanges	Portions	Glycemic load
550kJ/132Cal	20.3g	1.5	2	12

Bread – white or wholemeal

White or wholemeal “sandwich” bread – typically made with finely milled flour that is readily digested to glucose and has a high GI

GI 73 (average)

Serving: 1 regular slice (37g/1 1/3 oz)

Energy	Available carbohydrate	Exchanges	Portions	Glycemic load
428/102Cal	22g	1.5	2	20

Bread – mixed grain

A combination of finely milled bread-making flour with the addition of softened, but intact, cereal grains that take much longer to release glucose upon digestion.

GI 56 (average)

Serving: 1 regular slice (37g/1 1/3 oz)

Energy	Available carbohydrate	Exchanges	Portions	Glycemic load
540kJ/129Cal	12g	1	1	7

Savoury snack – Plain Rice Cracker

The processing of milled rice powder, mixed to a paste with water, kneaded, extruded then dehydrated results in a readily digestible form of starch. 

GI 91

Serving: 14 crackers (25g/1oz)

Energy	Available carbohydrate	Exchanges	Portions	Glycemic load
394kJ/94Cal	18g	1	2	16

Savoury snack – Potato Chips

Sliced potato fried in oil contains starch that is relatively ungelatinised, along with a good deal of fat which further slows starch digestion and absorption.

GI 56

Serving: 1 handful (25g/1oz)

Energy	Available carbohydrate	Exchanges	Portions	Glycemic load
535kJ/128Cal	12g	1	1	7

Read more:

• www.glycemicindex.com

Kaye Foster-Powell is an Accredited Practising Dietitian who has worked with people with diabetes for 30 years. She was co-author of the original series of international, best-selling books on the glycemic index. She conducts a specialized private practice for people with diabetes in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney, Australia.

Contact: Via her website.