Why does my pancreas produce insulin when i'm hungry?

'Round the clock: Hi. Your pancreatic beta cells produce & secrete insulin every minute 'round the clock, hungry or not! Your pancreas doesn't know (or care!) if you're hungry! It makes insulin round the clock to prevent an unchecked catabolic state (which is what happens in type 1 diabetics without insulin). An insulin burst is only seen for a meal. The constant trickle of insulin fulfills the "basal" requirements