Quinoa IS a good substitute for brown rice and is a "touch" healthier - we tend to listen to the "big headline" and have visions of something being a "super food"

Quinoa is perfect for a bit of variety and is minimally a better choice than brown rice if we are simply looking at nutritional value

Here's a head to head from nutrition facts (individual brands may vary a little)

Quinoa vs Brown Rice "per cup" of cooked

Calories - 222 vs 218 (even enough)
Fat - 4 vs 1.6 (more fat in quinoa BUT it's unsaturated which is a good thing)
Carbs - 39 vs 46 (the rice has about 20% more gross carbs)
Fiber - 5 vs 3.5 (about 30% more fiber in quinoa)
Protein - 8 vs 4.5 (almost double the protein in quinoa)
Magnesium - 118 vs 86 (an important electrolyte)

Quinoa also contains Iron, Folate and Vitamin B6 "not present" in the brown rice at beneficial levels

Now none of the differences or omission are exactly "earth shattering" BUT yes, Quinoa is "somewhat" more blood sugar friendly and "healthier" (otherwise) in similar amounts, but if you don't like the taste or prefer the rice it's tough to argue it would be worth choking the stuff down

And Henry has explained quite well about cooking then cooling "starchy" foods and reducing their effect on blood sugar

It's important to note that it does NOT remove any of the carbs it's just that "cool or cold" Non-Resistant Starches (ones that are easily digested) become a "little more resistant"

So you still absorb all the carbs in say half a cup of potato, but if it's "hot and mashed" you get a "sugar spike" while if it's cold and chunky (such as in potato salad) it takes longer to digest so you don't peak as quickly but instead the carbs absorption is spread over a longer period of time giving our (compromised) system a little more time to deal with them

(and if you make your potato salad with Mayonnaise, the fat in it slows down the uptake of the potato starch even further)

We don't peak as "high" (possibly even staying in range eating a little more than we could eat hot) BUT our numbers will be elevated a little longer

Eating (cold) starches is one of the tricks to consuming a few more carbs then we could otherwise

Hi from South Jersey all you warriors and @A DiabetesTeam Member, and @A DiabetesTeam Member.

Pasta and rice both work that way. I found that out though experience a couple of years ago and I post it here on occasion. I surmise that the cooking process, then the refrigeration, then the reheating cycle changes them chemically and makes them digest slower.

I can almost double the carbs I eat when I do that process cycle and still have similar 2 hour numbers.

I originally stumbled on it when I made a yellow pea pasta, vegetable lasagna. I could eat only a 1 inch cube and my numbers came in where I expected them at 7.5(135).

At midday the next day I ate the same portion and my 2 hour number was lower than before I ate at 5.7(103). So at dinner I doubled my portion and my number came in at 7.9(142).

I was intrigued so I tried it on rice, regular pasta, potatoes. The rice and pasta worked the same. I also found that if you don't reheat eat cold - there is only a 10-15% in the carbs I can eat.

The potatoes had a similar effect, but not as much. But I've found that crispy potatoes digest slower too.

So first thing in the morning I now cook the carbs, then refrigerate. At dinner I reheat and it's great.

We find out something new every day. Baby steps.

And never give up, never surrender, never ever.
You got this.
Have a wonderful day.

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A Diabete...

A Diabete...

Hello All,
I seen a video from a nutritionist who says that if you cook rice allow it to cool and place it in the refrigerator overnight and reheat and eat it. The rice has less carbs and is more healthier for the body. I haven’t tried it yet, but I will keep you updated.

I do that with potato's as well as pasta and rice.

Thanks for your kind support @ TheGodfather After reading your "home" story, I also view food as comfort and have been trying to think of replacement activities for that-but it is challenging. So far, instead of not eating to feel better, I've been substituting more healthy comfort foods-like air popped corn or greek yogurt with walnuts and 1 tsp pure maple syrup.

For me, this has been a journey of self-discovery (like peeling an onion layer by layer) in order to discover the next healthier behavior to incorporate into my lifestyle. I didn't expect it to feel so personal, but it ended up being far different than just "going on a diet" for me, and that I didn't expect.

I also believe I did this to myself by over-eating and got great pleasure from baking all the time. Baking is like my "gateway drug" to diabetes, so I DID stop all that baking and replaced it with activity and exercise instead. I had been baking my own whole wheat bread loaves for years twice a week-and eating it too; in addition to pies, cakes, etc... I'm talking serious baking addiction here.

From coming on this site, I have discovered different reasons/causes people get diabetes and I have come to think of mine as one of the simplest and most easy to understand and feel grateful for that. Thanks again.