Low Glycemic Index food (less than 55)
GI Food Chart | Low G Foods | Medium GI Foods | High GI Foods
Yogurt low-fat (sweetened) |
14 |
Peanuts |
15 |
Artichoke |
15 |
Asparagus |
15 |
Broccoli |
15 |
Cauliflower |
15 |
Celery |
15 |
Cucumber |
15 |
Eggplant |
15 |
Green beans |
15 |
Lettuce, all varieties |
15 |
Low-fat yogurt, artificially sweetened |
15 |
Peppers, all varieties |
15 |
Snow peas |
15 |
Spinach |
15 |
Young summer squash |
15 |
Tomatoes |
15 |
Zucchini |
15 |
Soya beans, boiled |
16 |
Cherries |
22 |
Peas, dried |
22 |
Milk, chocolate |
24 |
Pearl barley |
25 |
Grapefruit |
25 |
Milk, whole |
27 |
Spaghetti, protein enriched |
27 |
Kidney beans, boiled |
29 |
Lentils green, boiled |
29 |
Soya milk |
30 |
Apricots (dried) |
31 |
Milk, Fat-free |
32 |
Milk ,skimmed |
32 |
Fettuccine |
32 |
*M&Ms (peanut) |
32 |
Chickpeas |
33 |
Rye |
34 |
Milk, semi-skimmed |
34 |
Vermicelli |
35 |
Spaghetti, whole wheat |
37 |
Apples |
38 |
Pears |
38 |
Tomato soup, tinned |
38 |
Haricot beans, boiled |
38 |
Plums |
39 |
Ravioli, meat filled |
39 |
Carrots, cooked |
39 |
*Snickers bar |
40 |
Apple juice |
41 |
Wheat kernels |
41 |
Spaghetti, white |
41 |
Black-eyed beans |
41 |
All-Bran |
42 |
Peaches |
42 |
Chickpeas, tinned |
42 |
Oranges |
44 |
Lentil soup, tinned |
44 |
Carrot juice |
45 |
Macaroni |
45 |
Pineapple juice |
46 |
Rice, instant |
46 |
Grapes |
46 |
Grapefruit juice |
48 |
Multi grain bread |
48 |
Rice, parboiled |
48 |
Baked beans, tinned |
48 |
Porridge, non instant |
49 |
*Chocolate bar; 30g |
49 |
Jams and marmalades |
49 |
Whole grain |
50 |
Barley, cracked |
50 |
*Ice-cream (low- fat) |
50 |
Yam |
51 |
Orange juice |
52 |
Kidney beans, tinned |
52 |
Lentils green, tinned |
52 |
Kiwi fruit |
53 |
*Pound cake |
54 |
Bananas |
54 |
Sweet potato |
54 |
*Crisps |
54 |
Notes: *high in empty calories **low-calorie and nutritious foods
Medium Glycemic Index Foods List (55-70)
GI Food Chart | Low GI Foods | Medium GI Foods | High GI Foods
Oat bran |
55 |
Rice, brown |
55 |
Fruit cocktail |
55 |
Spaghetti, durum wheat |
55 |
Popcorn |
55 |
Muesli |
56 |
Mangoes |
56 |
Potato, boiled |
56 |
Pita bread, white |
57 |
Mini Wheats (wholemeal) |
57 |
Rice, wild |
57 |
Apricots |
57 |
Potato, new |
57 |
Digestives |
58 |
Rice, white |
58 |
Danish pastry |
59 |
Pizza, cheese |
60 |
Hamburger bun |
61 |
*Ice-cream |
61 |
Potato, tinned |
61 |
Muffin (unsweetened) |
62 |
Shortbread |
64 |
Rye-flour bread |
64 |
Apricots (tinned in syrup) |
64 |
Raisins |
64 |
Macaroni cheese |
64 |
Beetroot |
64 |
Mars bar |
64 |
Black bean soup, tinned |
64 |
Cake , tart |
65 |
Water biscuits |
65 |
Potato, steamed |
65 |
*Table sugar (sucrose) |
65 |
Barley, flakes |
66 |
Pineapple |
66 |
Green pea soup, tinned |
66 |
Cake, angel |
67 |
Croissant |
67 |
Ryvita |
67 |
Taco Shell |
68 |
Whole meal bread |
69 |
Shredded Wheat |
69 |
Potato, mashed |
70 |
Notes: *high in empty calories * *low-calorie and nutritious foods
High Glycemic Index List
GI Food Chart | Low GI Foods | Medium GI Foods | High GI Foods
White bread |
71 |
Golden Grahams |
71 |
Millet |
71 |
**Watermelon |
72 |
White rolls |
73 |
Puffed wheat |
74 |
Corn chips |
74 |
Chips |
75 |
Waffles |
76 |
Doughnut |
76 |
Wafer biscuits |
77 |
**Rice cakes |
77 |
Weetabix |
77 |
Broad beans |
79 |
Jelly beans |
80 |
Pretzels |
81 |
Rice Krispies |
82 |
Potato, micro waved |
82 |
Cornflakes |
83 |
Potato, instant |
83 |
**Potato, baked |
85 |
Rice pasta, brown |
92 |
Baguette |
95 |
Parsnips |
97 |
Dates |
103 |
Glycemic Index
How quickly do foods raise your blood sugar?
The glycemic index measures how fast a food is likely to raise your blood sugar. This can be helpful. For example, if your blood sugar is low and continuing to drop during exercise, you would prefer to eat a carb that will raise your blood sugar quickly. On the other hand, if you would like to keep your blood sugar from dropping during a few hours of mild activity, you may prefer to eat a carb that has a lower glycemic index and longer action time. If your blood sugar tends to spike after breakfast, you may want to select a cereal that has a lower glycemic index.
The numbers below give that food's glycemic index based on glucose, which is one of the fastest carbohydrates available. Glucose is given an arbitrary value of 100 and other carbs are given a number relative to glucose.
Faster carbs (higher numbers) are great for raising low blood sugars and for covering brief periods of intense exercise.
Slower carbs (lower numbers) are helpful for preventing overnight drops in the blood sugar and for long periods of exercise.
Note that these numbers are compiled from a wide range of research labs, and often from more than one study. These numbers will be close but may not be identical to other glycemic index lists. The impact a food will have on the blood sugar depends on many other factors such as ripeness, cooking time, fiber and fat content, time of day, blood insulin levels, and recent activity. Use the Glycemic Index as just one of the many tools you have available to improve your control.
Glycemic Index
Cereals |
Snacks |
Pasta |
Beans |
All Bran |
51 |
chocolate bar |
49 |
cheese tortellini |
50 |
baked |
44 |
Bran Buds + psyll |
45 |
corn chips |
72 |
fettucini |
32 |
black beans, boiled |
30 |
Bran Flakes |
74 |
croissant |
67 |
linguini |
50 |
butter, boiled |
33 |
Cheerios |
74 |
doughnut |
76 |
macaroni |
46 |
cannellini beans |
31 |
Corn Chex |
83 |
graham crakers |
74 |
spagh, 5 min boiled |
33 |
garbanzo, boiled |
34 |
Cornflakes |
83 |
jelly beans |
80 |
spagh, 15 min boiled |
44 |
kidney, boiled |
29 |
Cream of Wheat |
66 |
Life Savers |
70 |
spagh, prot enrich |
28 |
kidney, canned |
52 |
Frosted Flakes |
55 |
oatmeal cookie |
57 |
vermicelli |
35 |
lentils, green, brown |
30 |
Grapenuts |
67 |
pizza, cheese & tom |
60 |
Soups/Vegetables |
lima, boiled |
32 |
Life |
66 |
Pizza Hut, supreme |
33 |
beets, canned |
64 |
navy beans |
38 |
muesli, natural |
54 |
popcorn, light micro |
55 |
black bean soup |
64 |
pinto, boiled |
39 |
Nutri-grain |
66 |
potato chips |
56 |
carrots, fresh, boil |
49 |
red lentils, boiled |
27 |
oatmeal, old fash |
48 |
pound cake |
54 |
corn, sweet |
56 |
soy, boiled |
16 |
Puffed Wheat |
67 |
Power bars |
58 |
french fries |
75 |
Breads |
Raisin Bran |
73 |
pretzels |
83 |
grean pea, soup |
66 |
bagel, plain |
72 |
Rice Chex |
89 |
saltine crakers |
74 |
green pea, frozen |
47 |
baquette, Frnch |
95 |
Shredded Wheat |
67 |
shortbread cookies |
64 |
lima beans, frozen |
32 |
croissant |
67 |
Special K |
54 |
Snickers bar |
41 |
parsnips |
97 |
dark rey |
76 |
Total |
76 |
strawberry jam |
51 |
peas, fresh, boil |
48 |
hamburger bun |
61 |
Fruit |
vanilla wafers |
77 |
pot, new, boiled |
59 |
muffins |
|
apple |
38 |
Wheat Thins |
67 |
pot, red, baked |
93 |
apple, cin |
44 |
apricots |
57 |
Crackers |
pot, sweet |
52 |
blueberry |
59 |
banana |
56 |
graham |
74 |
pot, white, boiled |
63 |
oat & raisin |
54 |
cantalope |
65 |
rice cakes |
80 |
pot, white, mashed |
70 |
pita |
57 |
cherries |
22 |
rye |
68 |
split pea soup w/ham |
66 |
pizza, cheese |
60 |
dates |
103 |
soda |
72 |
tomato soup |
38 |
pumpernickel |
49 |
grapefruit |
25 |
Wheat Thins |
67 |
yam |
54 |
sourdough |
54 |
grapes |
46 |
Cereal Grains |
Milk Products |
rye |
64 |
kiwi |
52 |
barley |
25 |
chocolate milk |
35 |
white |
70 |
mango |
55 |
basmati white rice |
58 |
custard |
43 |
wheat |
68 |
orange |
43 |
bulgar |
48 |
ice cream, van |
60 |
Drinks |
papaya |
58 |
couscous |
65 |
ice milk, van |
50 |
apple juice |
40 |
peach |
42 |
cornmeal |
68 |
skim milk |
32 |
colas |
65 |
pear |
58 |
millet |
71 |
soy milk |
31 |
Gatorade |
78 |
pineapple |
66 |
Sugars |
tofu frozen dessert |
115 |
grapefruit juice |
48 |
plums |
39 |
fructose |
22 |
whole milk |
30 |
orange juice |
46 |
prunes |
15 |
honey |
62 |
yogurt, fruit |
36 |
pineapple juice |
46 |
raisins |
64 |
maltose |
105 |
yogurt, plain |
14 |
|
|
watermelon |
72 |
table sugar |
64 |
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*Actually, the GI indirectly measures a food's effect on blood sugar. It actually measured the "area under the blood sugar curve" following a set intake of that carb.
To learn carb counting, these books really help: Pumping Insulin, Using Insulin, the Carb and Fat Gram Guide and the Good Carb Cookbook. A Gram Scale for your kitchen makes it easy to accurately measure carbs in cereal, fruit, pancakes, rice, pasta, and more. |