Low glycemic index and increased protein content in a novel quinoa milk

The goal was to develop a quinoa milk with increased amount of protein and low glycemic index. The adaptation of a process of rice milk was carried out to increase the extraction of proteins from grains to beverage. The product was analyzed for proximate analysis, sodium, starch, sugar, glycemic index, and consumer acceptance in comparison with a commercial rice milk. The inclusion of soaking step and the change of cooking step by replacing water by acidified saline solution (0.03 mol/L sodium chloride, pH 5.0) resulted in about 3 times more protein. Sodium content (20.3 mg/100 g) and lipids (0.2 g/100 g) were lower in comparison with other milks. Quinoa milk presented 5 g/100 g of starch and 9.7 g/100 g of glucose, but the glycemic index was low (52). Sensory acceptance was similar to that of rice milk, but differences were found for attributes and consumers groups. The group that need to consume vegetable milks showed higher acceptance for quinoa milk. The addition of flavor may be recommended to improve odor acceptance. Quinoa milk represents a novel alternative to current milk-substitute products that cause no known adverse effects in humans and which have increased protein content and low glycemic index.