Glycemic Foods: Both High and Low

If your interested in achieving good health, losing weight, or beating diabetes, you may want to know the glycemic index (GI) of foods so you can make smart choices when you eat. Low gylcemic foods convert more slowly to glucose and therefore have less of an impact on insulin secretion, which means you have a lower diabetes risk. Low glycemic foods also reduce the risk of heart disease and blood cholesterol levels and can help with weight loss because they fill you up and make you feel full longer.

The GI ranks foods from 1 to 100 and measures how fast a food raises your glucose or blood sugar level. The lower the number, the slower the food raises your blood sugar, and, the higher the number, the quicker it raises your blood sugar level. Foods that are less than 55 are considered to be more desirable than those above 55. Here’s a list of some foods and their glycemic index.

GI Rating for Foods

Low Glycemic Foods	Glycemic Index
Chana Dal	8
Broccoli	10
Cabbage	10
Lettuce	10
Red Peppers	10
Peanuts	15
Walnuts	15
Cashews	22
Pearled Barley	25
Chick Peas (Garbanzo Beans) Dried	28
Kidney Beans	28
Lentils	29
Prunes	29
Fettuccini (Egg)	32
Lima Beans	32
Spaghetti, whole wheat	37
Yam	37
Apple	38
All-Bran with Fiber	38
Ice Cream, Full Fat	38
Pear	38
Tomato Juice	38
Plum	39
Moderately Low Glycemic Foods	Glycemic Index
Apple Juice	40
Strawberries	40
Pumpernickel	41
Blackeyed Peas, Canned	42
Chick Peas (Garbanzo Beans) Canned	42
Orange	42
Peach	42
Ice Cream, Low Fat	43
Milk Chocolate	43
Muesli	43
Lentils	44
Sweet Potato	44
White Rice	44
Capellini	45
Grapes	46
Linguini	46
Pineapple Juice	46
Butter Cookies	47
Macaroni	47
Green Peas	48
Carrots	49
Oatmeal	49
Moderately High Glycemic Foods	Glycemic Index
Mango	51
Banana	52
Kidney Benas, Canned	52
Orange Juice	53
Sourdough	53
Stone Ground Whole Wheat	53
Buckwheat	54
Oatmeal Cookies	55
Papaya	56
Raisins	56
Apricots	57
New Potatoes	57
Potato Chips	57
Whole Wheat Pita	57
Basmati Rice	58
Bran Chex	58
Kiwi	58
High Glycemic Foods	Glycemic Index
Bran Muffin	60
Corn	60
Figs	61
Corn Chips	63
Shortbread Cookies	64
Cantaloupe	65
Couscous	65
Cream of Wheat	66
Pineapple	66
Pancakes	67
Cranberry Juice Cocktail	68
Aborio Rice	69
Melba Toast	70
Grapenuts	71
Bagel	72
Popcorn	72
Short Grain White Rice	72
Watermelon	72
Cheerios	74
Graham Crackers	74
French Fires	75
Shredded Wheat	75
Doughnut	76
Waffles	76
Whole Wheat 100%	77
Rice Cakes	82
Pretzels	83
Baked Potato	85
Red Skinned Potatoes, Boiled	88
Corn Flakes	92
Scones	92
French Baguette	95
Parsnips	97

 

If you’re interested in learning more about glucose or the GI, here’s some great books to check out:

• The New Glucose Revolution Shopper’s Guide to GI Values 2008: The Authoritative Source of Glycemic Index Values for More Than 1000 Foods. This book was written by Jennie Brand-Miller, PhD, one of the world’s leading authorities on carbohydrates and the glycemic index, and Kaye Foster-Powell, RD, an accredited practicing dietitian with extensive experience in diabetes management. They make it easy for readers to lose weight, manage conditions like diabetes or hypertension, and eat to achieve lifelong good health.
• The G.I. Handbook: How the Glycemic Index Works. To help maintain an optimal weight this no nonsense book focuses on the varying effects of different carbohydrates on blood-sugar levels and offers advice on cooking and processing foods for optimal GI ratings.
• The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Glycemic Index Weight Loss. If your looking for a solid foundation to understand how and why a GI diet works, this book is for you. It’s also the perfect solution for anyone at risk for type 2 diabetes or anyone ready to change their eating habits. This book also offers information on supplements, basic recipes, food lists, and sample meal plans.