7 minute read
Use your noodle!
Dietitian Helen Gibbs explains some of the ins and out of the humble noodle.
People with diabetes often hear they need to cut down on carbs. While this is part of managing diabetes, it’s also important to eat balanced meals that are low in saturated fats and salt, and high in fibre.
JOIN THE RESISTANCE!
Resistant starches are our friends. What is resistant starch, you ask? Well, think of starches as long chains of beads (sugar molecules). When starches are cooked, they swell up and get soft, making it easy for our gut to break them into single beads. When these cooked starches cool down or are dried during processing, they collapse in layers that become resistant to digestive enzymes.
This is why they are called resistant starches. They are starches that can’t be softened again, even if cooked a second time. Our bodies are unable to digest resistant starch, which means it travels to our lower gut and that is where it feeds good bacteria. Resistant starch counts as fibre, and we know that this helps keep our gut healthy.
Other foods with resistant starches are legumes such as lentils, chickpeas, and red kidney beans. Also in this group are nuts and some seeds, and starchy vegetables such as pumpkin, peas, and kumara. And whole grains, plantains, avocados, breads, and pasta are another group packed with resistant starches. Does your blood sugar rise when you eat noodles? Good point. But it’s eating too many noodles and not enough vegetables that leads to higher blood sugar levels. For example, adding peas, onions, and mushrooms to macaroni and cheese, and decreasing the amount of pasta, would help balance the meal.
To understand how your body handles carbs like noodles, use your glucose meter to check your blood sugar before and two hours after meals. A registered dietitian or nutritionist can help you understand these results and tailor your diet to your needs.
SERVING SIZES
The Eating and Activity Guidelines put out by Te Whatu Ora have recommended numbers of servings of grainbased food, determined by age, gender, and activity level. Typically, someone with type 2 diabetes who is working on improving their blood glucose would have no more than two servings at a meal. So when it comes to noodles, that would be approximately 1 cup or 200g of cooked noodles.
Always read the serving size on a package of noodles and stick to it. If the portion is small, that’s the perfect opportunity to add more vegetables to your meal.
Ensure the noodles are low in saturated fat (less than 5g per 100g), sugar (less than 5g per 100g), and sodium (less than 120mg per 100g).
DIETITIAN'S TIP: Compare foods online by looking at the nutritional information panel on supermarket websites.
CARB CONTENT VARIES BY NOODLE
Instant noodles: 30–35g carbs per 100g. These are made from wheat flour, water, and salt. They can be high in sodium (over 400mg/100g), though most of the sodium is in the flavour sachet, so get used to adding less.
Rice noodles: 30g carbs per 100g. These are made from rice flour and water. Sometimes also cornstarch and tapioca.
Egg noodles: 25g carbs per 100g. These are made from wheat flour, egg, salt, and water. They are high in protein, which slows digestion.
Vermicelli (glass) noodles: 85g carbs per 100g. These are made from rice flour and water. Some glass noodles are made from mung beans – these are high in resistant starch. Check the ingredients.
Edamame noodles: 15–20g carbs per 100g. These are made from bean flour and water. They are high in protein (40g) and fibre (20g).
Soba noodles: 21–24 carbs per 100g. These are made from buckwheat, wheat flour, and water.
EASY SOBA NOODLE SOUP
SERVES 6
Soba, or buckwheat noodles, are made entirely or in part with buckwheat flour. Adding wheat flour makes the noodles more durable as well as less expensive to produce. You can buy soba with 40% to 100% buckwheat.
Try this Asian twist on classic chicken noodle soup next time you’re battling a cold. Get creative and add whatever toppings you have on hand: avocado, boiled egg, spring onion, bean sprouts, thinly sliced mushrooms, toasted sesame seeds, lime, or sliced hot chilli peppers all make great toppings.
Ingredients
5 cups of reduced salt Beef stock
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
2 cups of shredded cooked chicken (or 100g of firm tofu)
2 bundles of soba noodles
1 cup greens: eg spinach, bok choy, silverbeet, or broccoli
1/3 cup coriander
Method
Add the stock cubes and ginger to a large saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat.
Stir in the chicken and noodles, return to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium.
Cook, uncovered, until the noodles reach your desired texture, in about 8 minutes. Stir in the spinach.
Ladle into bowls, sprinkle with the coriander, and serve.
With chicken, per serve: calories 780 kJ (186 kcal) | protein 19g | fat 3.3g (saturated fat 1.1g) | carbs 20.2g (sugar 2.1g) | fibre 1.9g | sodium 760mg
With tofu, per serve: calories 531 kJ (127 kcal) | Protein 6.6g | Fat 2.4g (saturated fat 0.6g) | carbs 19.5g (sugar 1.4g) | fibre 2.1g | sodium 656mg
ASIAN NOODLE SALAD
SERVES 5
Rice noodles add some variety to your diet. However, due to their high carbohydrate content, they can also adversely affect your blood sugar if you eat too much. This recipe keeps the carbs down – we bulk out the vermicelli noodles with lots of crunchy veg. The salad is brought to life with a tangy rice vinegar and lime dressing. The roasted peanut topping adds a satisfying nutty crunch.
Ingredients
100g dried vermicelli rice noodles
400g cooked, shredded chicken
2 carrots, cut into thin sticks
I telegraph cucumber, cut into thin sticks
1 cup thinly sliced cabbage
1 small red onion, cut in half, then into thin slices
1 red pepper, sliced thinly
200g mung bean sprouts
1 cup chopped coriander
1–2 chilli, chopped finely
1/4 cup peanuts, roasted and chopped
Dressing
2 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
Juice of 1 lime
2 tsp maple syrup
2 tbsp grapeseed oil
1 clove garlic
1 clove garlic
Method
Soften the vermicelli noodles in a large bowl by covering with boiling water and soaking for 3–4 minutes or until they soften. (I usually bite-test them at this stage – you don’t want a chewy noodle!) Rinse under cold water, drain, and add to a large bowl. Add the carrots, cucumber, cabbage, bean sprouts, and chopped coriander to the noodles.
Add dressing ingredients to a jar and shake well to mix.
Just before serving, pour dressing over your salad ingredients and combine everything well.
Garnish with roasted, chopped peanuts and a few sprigs of coriander.
Per serve: Calories 1468kJ (351 kcal) | Protein 26.4g | Fat 14.3g (SAT FAT 2.8g) | Carbs 26.5g (SUGAR 8.4g) | FIBRE 5g | sodium 330mg
SIX AND A HALF MINUTE NOODLES
SERVES 1
Frozen veg is an affordable and convenient alternative to fresh vegetables. Because vegetables are usually frozen immediately after harvesting, they generally retain many of their nutrients. Check out the many different brands available in the supermarket and pick an array. There are selections that mix broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, green beans, kale, butter beans, capsicum, onions, and spinach.
Ingredients
½ cup frozen mixed vegetables
1 95g can tuna in spring water
1 cake of instant noodles (unflavoured)
½ cup of water
1 tsp onion flakes
½ tsp reduced sodium soy sauce
1 pinch chili flakes
Break the noodles into a microwave-safe bowl.
Add ½ cup of water to the bowl.
Method
Sprinkle onion flakes over the noodles.
Put the frozen mixed vegetables on top.
Microwave on high for 2 minutes. Stir everything together.
Microwave on high for another 2 minutes.
Add the drained tin of fish and mix it in.
Microwave for 1 more minute.
Sprinkle with reduced sodium soy sauce and a pinch of chili flakes.
Vegetarian Option: Replace the fish with 2 poached eggs.
Tip: If you are used to the salty flavour of instant noodles, try reducing the amount of the flavour sachet you add. Start by halving the amount you add before cooking, then reduce it by half again within a month.
With fish, per serve: CALORIES 1382 kJ (330 kcal) | PROTEIN 32g | FAT 8g (SAT FAT 2.7g) | CARBS 28.6g (SUGAR 5.3g) | FIBRE 0.7g | SODIUM 492mg
With eggs, per serve: CALORIES 1632 kJ (390 kcal) | PROTEIN 23.3g | FAT 18.4g (SAT FAT 5.7g) | CARBS 29.3g (SUGAR 6g) | FIBRE 0.7g | SODIUM 326mg
