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The Glycemic Index

What is the Glycemic Index and why is it so important?

The glycemic index is a ranking of carbohydrates based on their immediate effect on blood glucose (blood sugar) levels. It compares foods gram for gram of carbohydrate. Carbohydrates that breakdown quickly during digestion have the highest glycemic indexes. The blood glucose response is fast and high. Carbohydrates that break down slowly, releasing glucose gradually into the blood stream, have low glycemic indexes.

What is the Significance of Glycemic Index?
 

• Low GI means a smaller rise in blood glucose levels after meals

• Low GI diets can help people lose weight

• Low GI diets can improve the body's sensitivity to insulin

• High GI foods help re-fuel carbohydrate stores after exercise

• Low GI can improve diabetes control

• Low GI foods keep you fuller for longer

• Low GI can prolong physical endurance



What is Glycemic Load?
 

• Glycemic load builds on the GI to provide a measure of total glycemic response to a food or meal

• Glycemic load = GI (%) x grams of carbohydrate per serving

• One unit of GL ~ glycemic effect of 1 gram glucose

• You can sum the GL of all the foods in a meal, for the whole day or even longer

• A typical diet has ~ 100 GL units per day (range 60 - 180)



How to Switch to a Low GI Diet
 

• Use breakfast cereals based on oats, barley and bran

• Use "grainy" breads made with whole seeds

• Reduce the amount of potatoes you eat

• Enjoy all types of fruit and vegetables (except potatoes)

• Eat plenty of salad vegetables with vinaigrette dressing



This table shows the Glycemic Index ranges by individual foods
Low GI = 55 or less
Medium GI = 56 - 69
High GI = 70 or more



Click on any of the food groups below to see the glycemic index.
Bakery Fruit and fruit products
Beverages Legumes
Breads Pasta
Breakfast cereals Root vegetables
Cereal grains Snack food and candy
Cookies Soups
Crackers Sugars
Dairy Vegetables


BAKERY PRODUCTS GI
Sponge cake 66
Pound cake 77
Danish 84
Muffin 88
Flan 93
Angel food cake 95
Croissant 96
Doughnut 108
Waffles 109

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BEVERAGES GI
Soy milk 43
Apple juice (unsweetened) 57
Pineapple juice 66
Grapefruit juice 69

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BREADS GI
Oat-bran bread 68
Mixed-grain bread 69
Pumpernickel 71
White pita 82
Cheese pizza 86
Hamburger bun 87
Rye-flour bread 92
Semolina bread 92
Oat-kernel bread 93
Whole-wheat bread 99
Melba toast 100
White bread 101
Plain bagel 103
Kaiser rolls 104
Bread stuffing 106
Gluten-free wheat bread 129
French baguette 136

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BREAKFAST CEREALS GI
Rice bran 27
All-Bran 60
Oatmeal, noninstant 60
Special K 77
Kellogg's Smacks 78
Oat bran 78
Muesli 80
Kellogg's Mini-Wheats (whole wheat) 81
Bran Chex 83
Kellogg's Just Right 84
Life 94
Grape-Nuts 96
Shredded Wheat 99
Cream of Wheat 100
Golden Grahams 102
Puffed Wheat 105
Cheerios 106
Corn Bran 107
Total 109
Rice Krispies 117
Corn Chex 118
Cornflakes 119
Crispix 124
Rice Chex 127

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CEREAL GRAINS GI
Pearled barley 36
Rye 48
Wheat kernels 59
Bulgur 68
Rice, parboiled 68
Cracked barley 72
Wheat, quick cooking 77
Buckwheat 78
Brown rice 79
Wild rice 81
White rice 83
Rolled barley 94
Mahatma Premium Rice 94
Taco shells 97
Cornmeal 98
Rice, instant 98
Millet 101
Tapioca, boiled with milk 115

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COOKIES GI
Oatmeal cookies 79
Shortbread 91
Arrowroot 95
Graham crackers 106
Vanilla wafers 110
Biscotti 113

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CRACKERS GI
Breton wheat crackers 96
Stoned wheat thins 96
Rice cakes 110

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DAIRY FOODS GI
Low-fat yogurt, artificially sweetened 20
Chocolate milk, artificially sweetened 34
Whole milk 39
Fat-free milk 46
Low-fat yogurt, fruit-flavored 47
Low-fat ice cream 71
Ice cream 87

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FRUIT AND FRUIT PRODUCTS GI
Cherries 32
Apple juice 57
Grapefruit 36
Peach 40
Dried apricots 43
Fresh apricots 43
Canned peaches 43
Orange 47
Pear 47
Plum 55
Apple 56
Grapes 62
Canned pears 63
Raisins 64
Pineapple juice 66
Grapefruit juice 69
Fruit cocktail 79
Kiwifruit 83
Mango 86
Banana 89
Canned apricots, in syrup 91
Pineapple 94
Watermelon 103

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LEGUMES GI
Soybeans, boiled 23
Red lentils, boiled 36
Kidney beans, boiled 42
Green lentils, boiled 42
Butter beans, boiled 44
Yellow split peas, boiled 45
Baby lima beans, frozen 46
Chickpeas 47
Navy beans, boiled 54
Pinto beans 55
Black-eyed peas 59
Canned chickpeas 60
Canned pinto beans 64
Canned baked beans 69
Canned kidney beans 74
Canned green lentils 74
Fava beans 113

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PASTA GI
Protein-enriched spaghetti 38
Fettuccine 46
Vermicelli 50
Whole-grain spaghetti 53
Meat-filled ravioli 56
White spaghetti 59
Capellini 64
Macaroni 64
Linguine 65
Cheese tortellini 71
Durum spaghetti 78
Macaroni and cheese 92
Gnocchi 95
Brown-rice pasta 113

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ROOT VEGETABLES GI
Sweet potato 63
Carrots, cooked 70
Yam 73
White potato, boiled 83
Beet (root) 91
Potato, steamed 93
Potato, mashed 100
New potato 101
Rutabaga 103
Potato, boiled, mashed 104
French fries 107
Potato, instant 114
Potato, microwaved 117
Parsnips 139
Potato, baked 158

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SNACK FOOD AND CANDY GI
Mars M&Ms (peanut) 46
Mars Snickers Bar 57
Mars Twix Cookie Bars (caramel) 62
Chocolate bar, 1.5 oz 70
Jams and marmalades 70
Potato chips 77
Popcorn 79
Mars Kudos Whole-Grain Bars (chocolate chip) 87
Mars Bar 91
Mars Skittles 98
Life Savers 100
Corn chips 105
Jelly beans 114
Pretzels 116
Dates 146

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SOUPS GI
Canned tomato soup 54
Canned lentil soup 63
Split-pea soup 86
Black-bean soup 92
Canned green-pea soup 94

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SUGARS GI
Fructose 32
Lactose 65
Honey 83
High-fructose corn syrup 89
Sucrose 92
Glucose 137
Maltodextrin 150
Maltose 150

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VEGETABLES GI
Artichoke < 20
Arugula < 20
Asparagus < 20
Broccoli < 20
Brussels sprouts < 20
Cabbage, all varieties < 20
Cauliflower < 20
Celery < 20
Cucumbers < 20
Escarole < 20
Eggplant < 20
Beet greens < 20
Chard < 20
Collard < 20
Kale < 20
Mustard < 20
Spinach < 20
Turnip greens < 20
Lettuce, all varieties < 20
Mushrooms, all varieties < 20
Okra < 20
Peanuts < 20
Peppers, all varieties < 20
Green beans < 20
Snow peas < 20
Spaghetti squash < 20
Young summer squash < 20
Watercress < 20
Wax beans < 20
Zucchini < 20
Tomatoes 23
Dried peas 32
Green peas 68
Sweet corn 78
Pumpkin 107

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