Low Gi Foods

At Brioche we have a menu that incorporates low GI foods. We believe that fast food CAN be tasty, low GI and nutritious.

The average Sydney-sider eats out 5 meals per week. Most of those meals will likely contain high GI products. Fried foods, potatoes, noodles, pasta, naan bread, white flour based products like pizza, white rice (has a GI index of 100, as high as it gets). All of these products have become the norm for a takeaway meal that is cheap, filling but lacking nutrition.

Brioche look at meals from a health perspective, rather than a dollar perspective. Rice is still on offer but it is brown rice. Bread is still on offer but it is spelt or rye. Instead of porridge we offer quinoa- a tasty South American grain, which is low GI. Brioche consults with a nutritionist/dietician before putting out a new menu. The benefits are massive.

Why Low GI?

• Low GI diets help you lose and control weight.
• Low GI diets lower your body's insulin levels.
• Low GI carbs reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
• Low GI carbs reduce your risk of developing heart disease.
• Low GI carbs can lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and raise HDL (good) cholesterol levels in the blood.
• Low GI carbs help women manage the symptoms of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.
• Low GI carbs reduce hunger and keep you fuller for longer.
• Low GI carbs help sustain your energy levels for longer periods of time.

The Glycemic Index
All carbohydrates are not the same. The glycemic index - or GI, is based on 25 years of research and ranks carbohydrates according to their impact on the body's blood glucose levels. A diet rich in low GI carbs - carbohydrates that produce small fluctuations in blood glucose and insulin levels - is crucial to long-term health.

Low GI Bread
Breads can be great for low GI diets. Choose breads where you can see the grains, stone-ground wholemeal bread, real sourdough bread, soy and linseed bread, pumpernickel, fruit loaf, or bread made from chickpea or other legume-based flavours. Generally speaking, the less-processed and the more grains and seeds evident in the bread, the healthier it is.

Fruit Loaf
Contains iron, protein and fibre from the fruit. The heavier and denser the bread is, the lower its GI rating will be.

Wholegrain
Grainy, chewy texture, due to the whole grains - such as barley, rye, oats, soy, cracked wheat and seeds - added to the bread dough. Whole grains are high in fibre, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.

Sourdough
Made by mixing a small amount of starter dough (instead of yeast) with flour and water. Part of the resulting dough is then saved to use as the starter next time. It's not uncommon to have a baker's starter dough with years of history, from many hundreds of previous batches. If you like white bread, then sourdough is the best low-GI choice.

For more information on sourdough bread, please visit our Artisan Bread article.

Pumperknickel
This dark, strongly flavoured, dense rye bread originated in Germany. Rye has a low gluten content and is a good choice for those who want to decrease their gluten intake.

Soy and Linseed Bread
Kibbled soy beans/soy flour and linseeds are added to the dough to make this deliciously moist bread. It is a great source of fibre and omega-3 fats. Its fat content is unsaturated.

Stoneground Bread
This bread uses flour that has been milled from the entire wheat grain (the germ, endosperm and bran). A burrstone grinds the wheat; this minimal processing ensures the maximum amount of nutrients is retained.

Beliefs at Brioche
At Brioche we love low GI meals.

• At Brioche we want to make healthy food fast and affordable.
• We spend time carefully planning and tweaking our menus, monitoring new products and ascertaining whether our suppliers are providing quality foods. Most small businesses don’t have the time and are focused on profit margins.
• Staff and suppliers are handpicked to follow similar beliefs.
• Staff at Brioche know that food quality and nutrition is the number one thing.
• We at Brioche believe Australians are food sophisticated. If offerred healthy, low GI, nutritious food at a reasonable price, many will choose to eat the healthy alternative. It's worth to pay a little extra for a meal that's better for us. 
• Most of us care about our health. We also care about our appearance. A healthy looking skin tone, good energy levels and the ability to fit into those size 10 jeans is what we want. A healthy diet is the key to pave the way.