Acceptability of Lower Glycemic Index Foods in the Diabetes Camp Setting

Abstract

Objective-To determine the acceptability of lower glycemic index (GI) foods served at diabetes camp.Design-Crossover design of standard and lower GI menus. Setting-Three consecutive 5-day diabetes camp sessions.Participants-140 youth, age 7-16, with type 1 or 2 diabetes.Intervention-A standard camp cycle menu was reformulated to include 2½ days of standard foods and 2½ days of lower GI foods.Main Outcome Measures-Youth provided satisfaction ratings after meals and snacks using measures designed for this study. Observations of food consumption were conducted on a random sample of youth for each meal.Analysis-Descriptive analyses and t-tests were conducted to assess differences in satisfaction with and consumption of standard and lower GI foods.Results-Lower GI foods served at dinner and for snacks received satisfaction ratings equal to standard foods (dinner: 3.68 lower GI versus 3.79 standard, P = .30; snacks: 3.74 lower GI versus 3.79 standard, P = .60). Lower GI foods served at breakfast and lunch received lower, though very acceptable, ratings (breakfast: 3.76 lower GI versus 4.04 standard, P < .01; lunch: 3.64 lower GI versus 3.88 standard, P < .01). Consumption of all meals was acceptable. No differences occurred in the frequency of high or low blood sugars between standard and lower GI days.Conclusions and Implications-Higher quality carbohydrates may be provided to youth in institutional settings while maintaining sufficient levels of acceptability; specific findings are instructive for designing efforts to increase their consumption.

Perceived Barriers to Application of Glycaemic Index: Valid Concerns or Lost in Translation?

“…Comparable results have also been seen in children and young adults [60,61]. For instance, using a cross-over design, Nansel et al .…”

“…For instance, using a cross-over design, Nansel et al . [ 60 ] looked at low-GI food acceptability of standard[S] versus low‑GI[LGI] menus in a youth camp for children with type 1 and 2 DM in the United States. Food service staff were provided with low-GI food and cooking instructions aimed to facilitate creation of a low-GI menu.…”

Whole Grain and Legume Acceptability Among Youths With Type 1 Diabetes

“…Nansel and colleagues demonstrated high satisfaction for 100% whole grain bread when it was the only bread served for that meal. 26 Monitoring food intake for blood glucose management primarily focuses on carbohydrate consumption; therefore, diabetes educators can build on carbohydrate counting education to guide youths toward healthier carbo hydrate choices. When teaching youths with type 1 diabetes about carbohydrate counting, the educator should emphasize that while different carbohydrates are counted the same, they are not all equal in terms of their nutritional value and so healthier carbohydrates such as legumes and whole grains should be consumed more frequently than refined foods.…”

Associations of food preferences and household food availability with dietary intake and quality in youth with type 1 diabetes

“…Increasing intakes of whole grains may therefore require increasing availability of these foods as well as decreasing access to refined alternatives, echoing findings from focus group research in which youth with type 1 diabetes noted the excessive availability of unhealthy, high-fat foods in the school and home environment as a primary barrier to healthy eating (Gellar et al, 2007). This hypothesis is further supported by evidence from an experimental study at a pediatric diabetes camp, where consumption of low glycemic index foods (including whole grains, fruit, vegetables and legumes) was similar to that of refined alternatives (including refined grains and dairy products) when each were presented as the only food selection on separate eating occasions, despite modestly higher satisfaction ratings for some refined foods (Nansel, Gellar, & Zeitzoff, 2006). …”