Plant-based quinoa burgers reduce post-meal blood sugar spikes

By Dr. Liji Thomas, MDReviewed by Lauren HardakerJun 10 2026

A small clinical study found that plant-based burgers made with red quinoa and baru pulp triggered smaller blood sugar spikes than pure glucose, highlighting the potential of sustainable, fiber-rich ingredients in future food formulations.

Study: A Plant-Based Burger Formulated with Baru (Dipteryx alata Vogel) Pulp and Red Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) Can Improve the Glycemic Metabolism of Healthy Individuals. Image credit: Nina Firsova/Shutterstock.com

A study published in ACS Nutrition Science suggests that a plant-based burger made from baru pulp and red quinoa could reduce post-meal blood glucose responses in healthy adults.

From Cerrado fruit waste to functional food

The glycemic index (GI) measures how carbohydrate intake affects blood glucose levels. Meat and meat products have a low GI and provide high-quality protein, but may be associated with adverse impacts on the environment, climate, and human health, and may be unacceptable to a segment of society concerned about animal welfare. Plant-based foods rich in fiber, protein, and bioactive compounds are beneficial to human metabolism and have a low GI.

Substituting red meat with such products could potentially support cardiometabolic health. Baru pulp comes from the unused part of Dipteryx alata Vogel, a Brazilian Cerrado fruit, containing dietary fiber and phytochemicals. Red quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) is a pseudocereal that is rich in protein, fiber, and micronutrients.

Both these ingredients are fiber-rich and provide polyphenols that have been shown to slow gastric emptying and overall digestion, and may reduce enzymatic degradation of carbohydrates in the gut. This would influence the rate at which glucose is absorbed into the bloodstream after a meal, altering the GI.

The authors of this pilot study examined GI in a small sample of eight volunteers after consuming two plant-based burgers: one made with baru pulp and red quinoa, and the other with red quinoa alone. Seven of the participants were female, and all had a normal body mass index (BMI).

Healthy volunteers tested two quinoa-based burgers

Healthy volunteers consumed the experimental plant-based burgers after an overnight fast, and researchers monitored their blood glucose levels over the following two hours. The responses were compared with those elicited by anhydrous dextrose, the standard reference food used to calculate the glycemic index (GI).

Both formulations delivered similar glycemic responses

All three foods produced their highest blood glucose levels 30 minutes after consumption. The glucose reference food generated the largest peak at 174 mg/dL, while the baru pulp–red quinoa and red quinoa burgers reached substantially lower peaks of 118 mg/dL and 120 mg/dL, respectively. By 120 minutes, blood glucose levels had declined in all groups.

This pattern is consistent with previous analyses of more than 1,000 foods, which found that blood glucose typically peaks around 30 minutes after eating, then gradually returns toward baseline over the next two hours.

Compared with the glucose reference, both plant-based burgers caused only modest increases in blood glucose relative to fasting levels: 15.5% for the red quinoa burger and 18% for the baru pulp–red quinoa burger.

To further characterize these responses, the researchers calculated the GI and glycemic load (GL) of each burger using the measured glucose responses and carbohydrate content. Both formulations produced lower postprandial glycemic responses than the glucose reference food. Despite these reductions, both burgers were still classified as high-GI foods under standard GI categories.

Importantly, the addition of baru pulp did not significantly alter the GI. The burger containing baru pulp and red quinoa performed similarly to the red quinoa-only burger, indicating that both formulations elicited comparable glycemic responses.

Burger composition may explain lower glucose peaks

The carbohydrates in red quinoa include xylose and maltose at higher levels (100 mg/100 g or slightly more) and lower levels of glucose and fructose (below 20 mg/100 g). Baru pulp contains even lower carbohydrate content, at 42 mg/100 g overall, with approximately 10 mg/100 g of glucose and fructose, and 20 mg/100 g of sucrose.

Previous studies suggest that the high polyphenol content in these foods may bind to and inhibit α-glucosidase enzymes in the intestinal lining. The authors suggest that this could reduce the efficient breakdown of disaccharides into monosaccharides, delaying digestion and reducing the glycemic peak in the blood.

The abundant fiber content provides carbohydrates that human enzymes cannot hydrolyze, but that can be partially broken down by microbial enzymes in the large intestine. Previous studies suggest that this may promote feelings of fullness and slow down carbohydrate digestion and absorption. Fiber also thickens the fluid within the gut, which may increase the time food remains in the stomach and further reduce glucose absorption. The authors also note that protein and fat content may have contributed to slower glucose absorption and lower glycemic responses.

This approach suggests a way to use baru pulp, which is typically discarded during the processing of baru fruits because the edible kernel receives most of the commercial attention. Finding food applications for the pulp could create additional value from the crop, reduce food waste, and encourage greater economic interest in preserving baru trees and the biodiversity-rich Cerrado biome where they grow.

Plant burgers show promise for glycemic control

These findings suggest that incorporating BP and RQ into burger formulations results in a lower postprandial glycemic response than with standard food, supporting their potential as food ingredients.

This was a small exploratory study involving only healthy normal-weight participants, mostly women, which limits its generalizability. Only short-term responses were reported, from two specific burger formulations. Further studies are needed to validate these findings and extend them to groups with cardiometabolic risk factors, and to examine whether the benefits persist over the long term.

The study also did not find evidence that adding baru pulp provided a significant glycemic advantage over the red quinoa-only burger.

Download your PDF copy by clicking here.