Ep. 10: Why protein, fibre and fat matter

If you've been monitoring your blood sugars with gestational diabetes, you've probably already noticed that what you eat matters - but so does how you put it together. It's not just about cutting carbs or avoiding sugar. It's about pairing the right foods together so your body can actually work with what you're giving it.

In this episode, Megan Core from Joy Nutrition Studio is back for round two, and we're getting into the real practical stuff - protein, fibre, and fat, and why these three things are your biggest allies when it comes to managing GD. We talk about how combining these with your carbohydrates can make a genuine difference to how steady your blood sugars stay, and how full and energised you feel throughout the day.

We also get into some of the hacks you might have come across - things like food order, apple cider vinegar, and cinnamon - and Megan gives us the honest breakdown of what's actually helpful, what's a bit overhyped, and what's safe during pregnancy. Spoiler: there's no silver bullet, but there are some genuinely useful little tricks in here.

And if you haven't listened to episode 9 yet, it's worth going back for that one first - Megan broke down carbohydrates and GI in a way that made a lot of things click. This episode builds straight on from that conversation.

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• Why pairing protein and fibre with your carbohydrates slows down digestion and helps prevent big blood sugar spikes after meals.
• A simple breakdown of which foods count as protein sources - from meat and eggs to tofu, legumes, and plant-based options.
• How fibre works in the body and all the different places you can find it, from vegetables and fruit to nuts, seeds, and whole grains.
• The portion plate method - a visual, no-fuss way to build a balanced meal without counting grams or overthinking it.
• Why breakfast might be your secret weapon, including the "second meal effect" and how a protein-rich start can actually improve your insulin response for the rest of the day.
• What to do when mornings are chaotic - quick, easy additions to toast or grab-and-go options that still give you some protein and fibre.
• How healthy fats fit into the picture and which ones are easy to work into meals (avocado, olive oil, nut butters, and seeds all get a mention).
• The food order trick - eating your protein and veggies before your carbs - and whether it's actually worth trying.
• The science behind apple cider vinegar and acidic foods, and how they can help slow glucose absorption after a meal.
• What the research actually says about cinnamon and insulin sensitivity, and whether it's worth adding to your routine.
  
  

Resources & links mentioned:

• Joy Nutrition Studio → joynutritionstudio.com.au
• Episode 9 → Carbohydrates and GI (add link)

About the guest

Megan Core is an Accredited Practising Dietitian and the founder of Joy Nutrition Studio, where she helps women navigate nutrition during pregnancy and beyond. You can find out more about her work at joynutritionstudio.com.au.

Transcript

This transcript was auto-generated and lightly edited for clarity.

Celia (00:00) Building on our last conversation, I'm joined again by Megan from Joy Nutrition Studio to talk about two of your biggest allies - protein and fibre. We're going to break down why pairing protein and fibre with carbohydrates can make such a difference to your blood sugar levels, and how to build a plate that keeps you steady and satisfied. And we'll also get into some of the hacks you might have heard about, talking through what's actually helpful, what might be overhyped, and what's safe in pregnancy.

So Megan, let's pick up where we left off. We spoke about different types of carbs in the last episode. Can we start by grounding this in real food again? When we talk about protein and fibre, what kind of foods are we thinking of here?

Megan (00:41) For protein, straight away we think of those animal-based sources like meat, chicken, fish, eggs and dairy - so yoghurt, milk and cheese. They've all got a good source of protein.

And then our plant-based sources are things like soy products or tofu, legumes like our beans, chickpeas and lentils, quinoa, nuts, seeds, and whole grains - so things like wheat. And you can combine those plant-based sources together to get a more complete picture of all the different types of amino acids we need. So there's lots of different protein sources out there.

Celia (01:21) And what about fibre-rich foods?

Megan (01:24) For fibre, pretty much anything plant-based counts. So all of your vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, nuts and seeds. So a bit of a crossover there with some of those plant-based proteins.

All of our plant foods contain different amounts of soluble and insoluble fibres and resistant starch, which is all great for your digestion and your gut.

Celia (01:49) So can you talk a bit about why pairing is important? When you start introducing protein and vegetables alongside your carbs, what changes?

Megan (02:01) This is one of the biggest strategies when we have something like gestational diabetes and we're trying to manage our blood glucose control. So we want to be pairing our carbohydrate foods with fibre and protein foods because when that meal digests, the protein and the fibre are going to slow down digestion. It's called slowing down gastric emptying.

That means your carbohydrates are digesting into glucose more slowly. So that glucose from the meal is still getting to your bloodstream and your cells where it wants to go and where it needs to go, but it's getting there more slowly - so it helps prevent a large or sharp glucose spike after we eat.

Say you just ate a piece of toast for breakfast - you're still getting your carbohydrate, it's just going to hit you quite quickly. But if we had our piece of toast and paired it with some avocado and some eggs, the protein and the fibre will help slow down the glucose from the toast and prevent a big sharp spike.

Celia (03:13) I feel like I've even felt that difference in eating different combinations of foods. I think you tune into that once you start monitoring. Like, I actually feel better when I have a bit more salad in this sandwich.

Megan (03:27) Yeah, and it helps sustain you for longer. Fibre and protein help with our satiety, which just means our sense of fullness after we eat. So including them in each meal means we're going to get more bang for our buck - more energy for longer because everything's breaking down more slowly.

Celia (03:46) So how should we think about it in terms of proportions? Is there a rule of thumb for how much protein you should be having compared to carbs and fibre?

Megan (03:58) Definitely talk to your team about your specific needs. But without talking about grams or numbers, really the easiest way for someone to have a balanced meal with all those components is the portion plate method - which I feel like dietitians have been talking about for years. But I actually use it with people a lot because it's just so simple and visual.

Picture half a plate of veggies to start, so you're getting lots of colour and lots of fibre. And that can be cooked veggies or salad, however you want to have them.

Then a quarter of your plate as protein - so that might be your meat, chicken, fish, tofu, or eggs. And then the last quarter is your low GI carbohydrate that we talked about in the previous episode. So if you're pairing the low GI carb, the protein, and the fibre together, that whole meal is going to break down nice and slowly and you're getting everything that you need.

Celia (05:01) Yeah, that's a really simple way to think about it because I can picture it now in my head. Although some meals probably lend themselves to being more easy to visualise that way than others.

Megan (05:06) Yeah, and it doesn't have to be perfectly separated on your plate - it's just about the proportions. You can also imagine it built into something like a curry, where everything's combined - some chicken and some veggies in the sauce - and then you plate that up with your rice on the side. It can all be mixed together.

Celia (05:17) Yeah, yeah. I can see that working as you're cooking it as well, which is better for everybody you're feeding. So that's great.

Megan (05:43) Yeah.

Celia (05:43) Is there a general recommendation for protein during pregnancy? And is it different to when you're not pregnant?

Megan (05:51) Yes. Our protein needs increase slightly during pregnancy because you're growing a human, which is pretty amazing. So we need a bit more protein to build the placenta and the tissue to grow the baby. It's not a huge increase, to be honest. The general recommendation - if we're talking numbers - is 0.8 grams per kilo per day for women, and in pregnancy it increases up to about 1.1 grams per kilo per day. So that works out to be around 60 grams or so, but again this really needs to be individualised because it depends on your body, your weight, how active you are, your lifestyle, and also what stage of pregnancy you're at.

Generally it doesn't increase a lot, and we don't want to have too much protein during pregnancy either. So we don't want to go crazy with protein powders and extra supplements. You just need roughly your normal amount plus a little bit.

Celia (06:59) If someone wanted to use protein powders - either in a smoothie, or there are these protein waters now, there are a lot of different options - what would you recommend if people are looking to add more protein in an easy way, rather than just going straight for animal or plant-based protein sources?

Megan (07:26) Generally, protein powders in pregnancy aren't really recommended as a main source of protein unless someone is struggling to eat enough to meet their requirements through food - that's when we would look at needing a supplement. So this is a bit of a roundabout answer, but I mainly focus on getting protein from food because you're going to be getting a lot of other nutrients from whole food sources as well.

If you are at a point where you're not eating enough because of things like nausea or other issues, then talk to your team - talk to your dietitian about specific recommendations for you and how to add it in. It is confusing because there are so many options, even just at the supermarket. Everything has protein on the label at the front - it's really having a moment.

Celia (08:15) Yeah, it really is. It's like in the last year, everyone started emphasising protein. It's like the new fat-free phase.

Megan (08:24) Yeah. So I suppose the answer is individualised. Generally you don't need a protein powder in pregnancy unless you're not able to meet your requirements through food, and then I'd talk to someone specifically. I don't have a specific brand to recommend or anything like that.

Celia (08:40) Yeah, that makes sense.

Megan (08:42) And I think it's probably important to mention - protein is really in the spotlight right now. We do need it and it's really important, but try to remember that guidelines say it should only make up around 25% of your intake. So it's not as much as we probably think, and you can easily meet it through your meals.

Celia (09:09) What's the best thing to reach for if you feel like you need more food? Is it more carbs, more fibre, more protein? Is there a go-to when you're hungry?

Megan (09:22) It's going to depend on where you're at in your day and also where you're at in your testing window. Say you've just had lunch and you're waiting that two hours to take a postprandial blood sugar test - we don't really want to interfere with the blood glucose level by adding more carbohydrate in if we can help it. Obviously if you're starving, just go for it and talk to your team about it.

Celia (09:38) Which can be a very long two hours sometimes.

Megan (09:55) But yeah, you probably need to look at the meal you had. We talked about this a bit last time - did your meal have enough grams of carbohydrate? Around 45 to 60 grams, which is more than people think for pregnancy.

Did you have a good quality protein source? Because that's what helps us feel full. And did you have some fibre in there?

And we haven't mentioned healthy fats yet, but healthy fats are also a really good source of satiety - they help slow everything down and make you feel nice and satisfied after you eat. So I guess there's no clear answer to your question about what's the perfect food to have. It's going to depend on the time of day. If you're in between that window waiting two hours before you test your blood glucose again, then a protein or fat snack can be really helpful - so some nuts, a boiled egg, or canned tuna. That sounds a bit boring, but they're just examples of protein foods.

Celia (10:48) Yeah, good stuff. OK, so healthy fats then - I'm thinking avocado is an easy one you can add to a meal. What are some other options you can just sort of incorporate easily?

Megan (11:06) Avocado is a great one - you can have it in salads or add it to a sandwich or toast. Nut butters are great - adding those onto toast or into a smoothie. Seeds are a really good source too, either as whole seeds or in a seed butter. And olive oil - I think people are probably still a bit freaked out about using oils after the low-fat era of the 2000s, but extra virgin olive oil is an amazing source of healthy fat. Adding it to your salads in a dressing or in your cooking with roast veggies and that type of thing is really beneficial.

Celia (11:46) Yeah, awesome. Those all sound like easy ones to just kind of throw on top.

Can we talk a bit about breakfast and protein at breakfast? Because I've been reading recently about a lot of emphasis on having a good portion of protein upfront and the impact that can have throughout the day on your blood sugar levels. Is there truth to that?

Megan (12:08) Yes, definitely. I'm such a big fan of advocating for breakfast. I think breakfast can really be your superpower. It can help set up your blood sugar control and insulin response for the whole day. So if we include a good protein source with breakfast - and fibre too, because fibre is equally as important - it will help to prevent a glucose spike early in the morning.

Remember we're aiming for small rises and falls instead of big spikes and drops in our blood glucose levels to keep us steady for the day. So in the morning, if we include protein in our breakfast, we'll get a slow digestion, a slow glucose rise, and a slow fall - and it helps with your energy, your appetite, and your mood for the morning. But it also helps with the rest of the day.

There is some research that suggests if you have a lower GI meal in the morning - so a meal that has protein and fibre in it - then you get what's called a second meal effect. So lunch and even dinner can have a better insulin response because of what you've had earlier in the day. And if you think about it - if you haven't had a big spike and you're sitting up high with unstable blood sugars in the morning, you're chasing your tail for the rest of the day. If things start off steady in the morning, it's a lot easier to keep them steady throughout the afternoon and the night. So yeah - big fan of breakfast.

Celia (13:35) That makes a lot of sense. Me too. OK, so can we talk about what a balanced breakfast would actually look like to set you up for the day?

Megan (13:47) If you're more of a cereal person and you want something quick and easy, yogurt is a great option to add. So say you're having a high-fibre grainy muesli or granola with nuts and seeds - there's your fibre - and then adding something like a high-protein Greek yogurt will really help to slow down the glucose absorption from the granola. And even some berries on top for some extra fibre.

If you wanted a more savoury cooked breakfast, then I'm a big fan of eggs. If you like eggs, it's easy - have a couple of eggs on a nice whole grain high-fibre toast and add as many sides of veggies as you want - mushrooms, tomatoes, spinach, avocado, all of that type of thing. Those are pretty normal breakfasts.

Celia (14:40) I'm just thinking of like crazy mornings when you haven't got as much time. If it's going to be toast this morning - that's what I've got available and what I've got time for - are there some quick things you can add to toast that will stop it sending you on a roller coaster for the day?

Megan (14:55) Yeah, definitely. It's important to be realistic. If you're rushing in the morning, just have something - it doesn't have to be perfect every day. But if it's just going to be toast, try and add something to it. So instead of just toast with butter and Vegemite, which doesn't have any protein, maybe do toast with a nut butter - like a good quality peanut butter that will have protein and fat - or something like a cottage cheese spread, which is high in protein. And you can add some yummy toppings as well, like some berries if you want a sweeter version. Or even just some cheese with some avocado. So just add something to help that carbohydrate break down a bit more slowly.

Celia (15:45) That makes sense. And what about on the go? I know this is probably not what you should ask a nutritionist, but if you had to go through a drive-through, or grab something from a Zarraffa's or a servo - if you had to grab something away from home - what are some better options?

Megan (15:55) Haha! Yeah, honestly - just choose an option that has some protein in it. Like if there's an egg-based wrap or a breakfast-type option, then you're getting some protein there. Some places do a little granola and yogurt cup, that type of thing. Or if you're grabbing a smoothie from a smoothie place to have in the car, make sure it has some Greek yogurt, nut butters, or seeds in it - and it's not just water and fruit or milk and fruit. Give it a bit more substance.

Celia (16:42) OK, I had to get that one in there - my morning can look very different depending on the day. So that's good, I need to know my options.

Megan (16:49) Yeah, definitely.

Celia (16:51) Any tips for how to sneak more fibre in?

Megan (16:53) Yeah, definitely. Fruits and veggies are the obvious ones - not a lot of Australians are meeting their five and two, so you can definitely pump those up.

Just try to include fibre with each meal. So again, that plate idea - for your main meal, think half my plate. Or if you're cooking more of a combined meal like a stew, curry, or stir fry, include lots of veggies in there.

Swapping some food products might help too. So if you look in your cupboard and notice your bread is a plain white loaf, that's an easy swap. And if your family is like mine and won't eat multigrain bread, there are some white high-fibre bread options at the shops that could get you a couple of extra grams there.

And then I would look at your current meals and snacks that you like to have - you don't have to reinvent the wheel. Just use the things you already eat and think about how you can bump them up a bit. What could I add to this to increase the fibre? The easiest things for that are nuts and seeds, or those mixes like an LSA mix, psyllium, or chia seeds. So if you're having yogurt, granola, or a chia pudding at some point in the day, see what you can add in. Just a teaspoon or a couple of teaspoons of that type of thing throughout the day will bump up your intake a lot.

Celia (18:40) Is that the psyllium husk? That's what I'm thinking of. So can you just add that into yogurt? Because I've wondered about that - it looks a bit funky. Does it taste alright? You just chuck a spoonful in?

Megan (18:43) Haha! I don't think it has much of a taste. Just chuck it in - it's almost like a powder. It is really high in soluble fibre, so it forms that nice gel in your gut and slows everything down. And the other thing -

Celia (19:06) So you could put that into smoothies and yogurts and anything else? A glass of water? No, gross.

Megan (19:12) Cereal, porridge - you know Metamucil? I was about to say, Metamucil is literally just psyllium husk with a bit of flavouring, so you can just buy it as psyllium husk and add it into your food instead - smoothies, yogurt, whatever. And the other way to get more fibre, if you're nailing your main meals at breakfast, lunch, and dinner, is to look at what snacks you're having because snacks are a really useful opportunity to get a bit more fibre in.

So if you're using crackers, try swapping to a seedy grainy cracker with some cheese or avocado. Just a piece of fruit is really underrated - it's a great snack because you get fibre straight away. Or a handful of nuts. Or it might be legumes like your little tins of chickpeas and beans, or the dried ones - like dried fava beans or edamame snacks - those types of things. Just any whole foods, really.

Celia (20:16) I've got a couple of things I'm going to try and incorporate this week now.

Megan (20:20) Ha!

Celia (20:21) Let's talk a bit about optimisation - which is a very official word for talking about food, big word. But the order that you eat your foods in can apparently play a part as well.

Megan (20:26) It just comes back to what we were talking about with digestion. When you eat a meal, all of it has to pass through your stomach into your small intestine to be absorbed, and the glucose from the carbohydrate isn't getting absorbed until it gets to the small intestine. So if we combine our meals - carbs, protein, fibre, and maybe some healthy fats - all of that ends up in your stomach, and that whole meal is going to be lower GI because you've included the protein and the fibre.

But if you wanted to get a little bit more fancy with it - and you don't have to - a handy trick is to eat your protein and your fibre first. This might help someone who's really struggling with their blood glucose level after eating. The tip is to eat the protein and fibre portion first - so eat your veggies first - and then eat your carbohydrate portion last, so that might be your potatoes or your rice. That just means the glucose from your carbohydrate is getting to your bloodstream and your cells a bit more slowly. So again, it calms down that whole process and prevents a sharp spike.

Celia (21:55) It's like a little production line, I suppose, with how it all gets processed.

Megan (21:57) Yeah. And I think it's great that people are learning more about that process, but I do like to mention - don't stress too much about it. If it's causing you worry or stress, or it feels like a rule you have to follow, please don't worry about it. It's all going to end up in your stomach together anyway. But if it's something you want to experiment with, it can help a bit.

Celia (22:18) Yeah, that's good to know. What about vinegar? I've heard that a vinaigrette-type dressing or apple cider vinegar - like a swig of it mixed in water, I don't think you'd want straight apple cider vinegar - can apparently help with glucose spikes as well.

Megan (22:32) Yeah, it's the same mechanism. Acidic things like apple cider vinegar and lemon juice, or the vinegar in a salad dressing - any acidic food is going to slow down your gastric emptying. Same process: everything slows down and it helps prevent a sharp spike in your glucose after eating.

It also affects your digestive enzymes that rapidly break down carbs, so everything just moves more slowly. So yeah, that can be a handy tip for blood glucose control. If you're having a meal with potatoes and your meat and salad, then having a nice lemony vinegar dressing on the salad can help to slow the glucose from the potatoes.

Celia (23:38) I'm thinking about what you said earlier about olive oil being a great healthy fat - OK, there's a vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil dressing there somewhere. That's got to be like the ultimate little GD hack. You'd have to have a little flask of it with you at all times.

Megan (23:44) Haha! Yeah. The ultimate little hack. Add it to everything.

Celia (24:02) What about cinnamon? I've heard good things about cinnamon.

Megan (24:05) It does have some positive properties. It's rich in antioxidants and has some anti-inflammatory benefits. It's one of those things that's helpful to include regularly because some research suggests it can help with our insulin sensitivity. But you would have to have quite a decent dose consistently. A study I was looking at recommended 1.5 grams per day for more than eight weeks before they saw a change in insulin sensitivity.

I think it's one of those things you may as well add in anyway, because it's not going to do you any harm. It may help with your insulin sensitivity, and it's just yummy. If you added it to your porridge or your muesli or your smoothies, or used it in baking or a chia pudding or something, it wouldn't hurt to add a teaspoon of cinnamon a day into your diet. So yeah, there is research about cinnamon, but it comes back to -

Celia (24:56) Yeah. There's no silver bullet. Damn it.

Megan (25:13) I think people look for a magic food or a quick fix when it comes to health. There's no silver bullet. Cinnamon isn't going to fix blood glucose control on its own, but it's one of those handy things you can add in to benefit your insulin sensitivity.

Celia (25:17) I do feel like apple cider vinegar is the closest thing you could get to a silver bullet though, right? The fact that you can have a bit of it before or after a meal - I need to do some experimenting with that.

Megan (25:39) Yeah, a little bit before each meal. Yep, make your tummy a bit more acidic.

Celia (25:46) We hope this episode gave you some simple, practical ideas that you can start experimenting with. Remember, it's not about doing everything perfectly - just notice what's working for your body and build from there. In our next episode, the final one in this food series, we're going to be talking about snacks, sweet treats, and navigating celebrations and other moments that can throw your usual routine off track. So make sure you come back for that one.