Carbohydrates: Quality and Quantity

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Carbohydrates
Carbohydrate needs to be considered in terms of its quality and its quantity.
Quality is the carbohydrates’ nutritional value to the diet and impact on blood
glucose levels.
Quantity is the actual amount that should be consumed in each meal or snack.
1. Quality
(a). What is the glycaemic index?
Glycaemic index is the numerical value (0 to 100) or ranking assigned to the
carbohydrate in the food according to how they influence the blood glucose levels
(Glycaemic Index Foundation, 2019). For example the carbohydrates that are ranked
55 or less are considered to be slowly absorbed, digested and metabolized and
cause a very slow rise in the blood glucose levels.
(b). In your “own words”, How would you describe Glycaemic Index to a client?
Glycemic index is defined as the level of the carbohydrate in the food and how fast it
acts in in increasing the blood glucose levels. For the diabetes patients controlling
the blood glucose level is very significant. Therefore, the client can be informed
regarding the food items that include carbohydrates that are slow in absorption,
digestion and metabolism and will release less blood glucose.
(c). What factors affect the glycaemic index?
Some important factors that affect the glycaemic index are gelatinisation of the
starches; practical size (such as whole wheat, barley or maze will have lower GI than
their flours); food processing (grinding, beating, milling and refining increases the GI
of the food); chemical composition of the starch present in the food (such as amylose
present in some variety of rice are more difficult to digest); and some other factors
UNCLASSIFIED Holmesglen: MC/Nursing 4-Feb-2019 U:\HSB\Programs - Courses\NURSING\Course Delivery & assessment\July 17\HLTENN025 - Implement and monitor care for a person with
diabetes\Sessions\Session 2\Session 2 Activity CHO quality and quantity .docx

may include sugar, anti-nutrients, protein and fat and speed of eating
(Widanagamage, Ekanayake & Welihinda, 2009).
2. Quantity
The Plate Method
The plate method is a visual tool to assist with portion control. Using this tool
complete the following:
What is the recommended serving of?
1. Non-Starch vegetables:
Bean sprouts, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Tomato, Green Salad, Spinach
2. Carbohydrates:
Dairy products, bread, rice, cereals, potatoes and corn
3. Protein:
UNCLASSIFIED Holmesglen: MC/Nursing 4-Feb-2019 U:\HSB\Programs - Courses\NURSING\Course Delivery & assessment\July 17\HLTENN025 - Implement and monitor care for a person with
diabetes\Sessions\Session 2\Session 2 Activity CHO quality and quantity .docx