High, Medium and Low GI Foods

One of the Internet's most comprehensive lists of foods with their glycemic index. If you are following the GI or South Beach diet you should aim to include more foods with a low glycemic index in your diet. Your body will digest these foods slowly leaving you feeling full for longer and allowing you to eat less calories without feeling hungry. Adding a low GI food to a meal will lower the glycemic index of the whole meal. You can find meals that include low GI foods in our recipe section. If you prefer the traffic light system used in the low G.I. diet book by Rick Gallop you can find the same data below arranged in red, yellow and green zones on our glycemic index chart. For help choosing what to buy and eat when out and about you can keep details of GI values with you using one of the cheap pocket guides; such as: The Glycemic Load Counter orThe New Glucose Revolution Shopper's Guide to GI Values 2008

Glycemic Index
The number listed next to each food is its glycemic index. This is a value obtained by monitoring a persons blood sugar after eating the food. The value can vary slightly from person to person and from one type or brand of food and another. A noticeable difference is the GI rating of Special-K which produced considerably different results in tests in the US and Australia, most likely resulting from different ingredients in each location. Despite this slight variation the index provide a good guide to which foods you should be eating and which foods to avoid. The glycemic index range is as follows: Low GI = 55 or less Medium GI = 56 - 69 High GI = 70 or more

Breakfast Cereal
Low GI All-bran (UK/Aus) All-bran (US) Oat bran Rolled Oats Special K (UK/Aus) Natural Muesli Porridge Medium GI Bran Buds Mini Wheats Nutrigrain Shredded Wheat Porridge Oats Special K (US) High GI Cornflakes Sultana Bran 30 50 50 51 54 40 58

Bread
Low GI Soya and Linseed Wholegrain Pumpernickel Heavy Mixed Grain Whole Wheat Sourdough Rye Sourdough Wheat Medium GI Croissant Hamburger bun Pita, white Wholemeal Rye High GI White Bagel French Baguette 36 46 45 49 48 54

Vegetables
Low GI Frozen Green Peas Frozen Sweet Corn Raw Carrots Boiled Carrots Eggplant/Aubergine Broccoli Cauliflower Cabbage Mushrooms Tomatoes Chillies Lettuce Green Beans Red Peppers Onions Medium GI Beetroot 39 47 16 41 15 10 15 10 10 15 10 10 15 10 10

58 58 66 67 63 69

67 61 57 62

80 73

71 72 95

64

Branflakes Coco Pops Puffed Wheat Oats in Honey Bake Team Total Cheerios Rice Krispies Weetabix

74 77 80 77 82 76 74 82 74

Snacks& Sweet Foods

Low GI Slim-Fast meal replacement Snickers Bar (high fat) Nut & Seed Muesli Bar Sponge Cake Nutella Milk Chocolate Hummus Peanuts Walnuts Cashew Nuts Nuts and Raisins Jam Corn Chips Oatmeal Crackers Medium GI Ryvita Digestives Blueberry muffin Honey High GI Pretzels Water Crackers Rice cakes Puffed Crispbread Donuts Scones Maple flavoured syrup

High GI Pumkin Parsnips

75 97

27 41 49 46 33 42 6 13 15 25 21 51 42 55

Fruits
Low GI Cherries 22 Plums 24 Grapefruit 25 Peaches 28 Peach, canned in natural juice 30 Apples 34 Pears 41 Dried Apricots 32 Grapes 43 Coconut 45 Coconut Milk 41 Kiwi Fruit 47 Oranges 40 Strawberries 40 Prunes 29 Medium GI Mango Sultanas Bananas Raisins Papaya Figs Pineapple High GI Watermelon Dates

Staples
Low GI Wheat Pasta Shapes New Potatoes Meat Ravioli Spaghetti Tortellini (Cheese) Egg Fettuccini Brown Rice Buckwheat White long grain rice Pearled Barley Yam Sweet Potatoes Instant Noodles Wheat tortilla Medium GI Basmati Rice Couscous Cornmeal Taco Shells Gnocchi Canned Potatoes Chinese (Rice) Vermicelli Baked Potatoes Wild Rice High GI Instant White Rice Glutinous Rice Short Grain White Rice Tapioca Fresh Mashed Potatoes French Fries Instant Mashed Potatoes 54 54 39 32 50 32 50 51 50 22 35 48 47 30

63 59 59 58

58 61 68 68 68 61 58 60 57

83 78 87 81 76 92 68

60 56 58 64 60 61 66

80 103

Legumes (Beans)
Low GI Kidney Beans (canned) Butter Beans Chick Peas Haricot/Navy Beans Lentils, Red Lentils, Green Pinto Beans Blackeyed Beans Yellow Split Peas 52 36 42 31 21 30 45 50 32

Dairy
Low GI Whole milk Skimmed milk Chocolate milk Sweetened yoghurt Artificially Sweetened Yoghurt Custard Soy Milk 31 32 42 33 23 35 44

87 86 83 70 73 75 80

Medium GI Beans in Tomato Sauce 56

Medium GI Icecream

62

Glycemic Index of World's Healthiest Foods

In the table below, we've listed the Glycemic Index values primarily for the World's Healthiest Foods that are high in carbohydrates-plus a few comparative foods. If a World's Healthiest Food is not on this list, it is because it does not have a high carbohydrate value and therefore, even if eaten alone, will not cause blood sugar levels to spike. The values in our table are based on the more reliable white bread (starch) index rather than the glucose index. Should you compare these values to a GI table based on the glucose index, divide those values by 1.4. FOOD ITEMS VEGETABLES* Spinach Turnip Greens Lettuce Water Cress Zucchini Asparagus Artichokes Okra Cabbage Celery Cucumbers 15-50 15-50 15-50 15-50 15-50 15-50 15-50 15-50 15-50 15-50 15-50 Glycemic Index

Dill Pickles Radishes Broccoli Brussels Sprouts Eggplant Onions Tomatoes Cauliflower Bell Peppers Green Peas Squash Heart of Palm GRAIN ITEMS Barley Pearled barley, cooked (average of 5 samples) Barley kernel bread (50% kernels) (average of samples Barley flour bread (80% barley, 20% white wheat flour Whole meal barley porridge Buckwheat

15-50 15-50 15-50 15-50 15-50 15-50 15-50 30 40 40 50 50

35 64 94 95

Buckwheat bread (50% dehusked buckwheat groats, 50% white 66 flour)

Buckwheat, cooked (average of 3 samples) Corn Corn, yellow Corn tortillas Cornmeal, boiled in salted water 2 minutes Taco shells Millet Millet, boiled Oats Oat bran bread (45% oat bran, 50% white wheat flour Oatmeal (thick, dehulled oat flakes Oat bran cereal Museli Oatmeal (rolled oats), cooked Oat bread (80% intact oat kernels, 20% white wheat flour) Oatmeal (one-minute oats Rice Wild rice Rice cakes Rice noodles, cooked

76

78 78 95 97

99

66 77 78 80 81 91 92

81 81 85

White, boiled (average of 12 saamples) Parboiled rice Rice bread Rye Whole kernels, cooked (average of 3 samples) Rye kernel bread (80% kernels, 20% white wheat flour) (average of 6 samples) Whole meal rye bread (average of 4 samples) Wheat Spaghetti, whole meal (average of 2 samples) Whole wheat kernels, cooked (average of 4 samples) Spaghetti, white, boiled 10-15 minutes (average of 7 samples) Cracked wheat, bulgar, boiled (average of 4 samples)

90 100 100

48 70 81

52 57 62 67

Wheat kernel bread (80% intact kernels, 20% white wheat flour 73 Couscous (from semolina-durham wheat) boiled 5 minutes Whole wheat bread (average of 13 samples) White flour bread (average of 6 samples) Gluten-free Spelt Whole meal spelt bread Multi-grains 88 91 95 100 129

Multi-grain bread FRUITS Grapefruit Apples, Dried (average of 2 samples) Prunes Apricots, Dried (average of 2 samples) Apples, Raw (average of 6 samples Pears (average of 4 samples) Plums (average of 2 samples Strawberries Oranges (average of 6 samples) Pineapple juice Grapes (average of 2 samples) Orange juice (average of 3 samples) Bananas (average of 10 samples) Kiwi (average of 2 samples) Apricots, Raw Papaya (average 3 samples) Pineapple (average of 2 samples) Figs

60

35 40 41 43 53 53 55 56 59 64 64 73 73 74 80 83 83 85

Raisins Cantaloupe Watermelon STARCHY VEGETABLES Yams (average of 3 samples) Carrots (average 4 samples) Potatoes, Boiled 15 minutes, cubed, peeled Sweet potatoes (average of 5 samples) Beets Potatoes, Baked (average of 4 samples) Mashed (average of 3 samples) LEGUMES Soybeans, cooked (average of 2 samples) Lentils, red, cooked (average of 4 samples)

90 91 100

52 66 81 85 64 119 104

25 36

Garbanzo beans, dried, soaked, boiled 35 minutes (average of 4 39 samples) Kidney beans (average of 8 samples) Lentils, green, cooked (average of 3 samples) Split peas, yellow, cooked Soymilk, full fat, with maltodexdrin, calcium-fortified Navy beans, cooked (average of 5 samples) 39 42 45 50 53

Pinto beans, cooked Pinto beans, canned DAIRY Yogurt, low fat, plain Whole fat milk Skim milk Yogurt, low fat, with fruit SWEETENERS Honey (average of 11 samples) Sucrose (white sugar)

55 63

20 39 46 47

77 95

*We cannot find published research studies to confirm the GI of vegetables. Most commentators we've read place their value between 15-50 and we suspect that this range is right on target based on their low carbohydrate and high-fiber content. **The standard value for beer is 110, based primarily on the malted aspect, and maltose has a GI value of 110. Although it has been suggested that red wine has a low GI value, we cannot confirm this claim but treat any alcoholic beverage as a problematic food since alcohol itself can be de-stabilizing of blood sugar. To some extent, red wine may be an exception, but the jury is still out.

Practical Tips
A food is generally considered to have a high GI if it is rated above 60. Individuals who have problems with maintaining proper blood sugar levels should restrict their selection to foods with a GI of 40 or less. These include those who have low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) and high blood sugar (hyperinsulemia) as well as those who have a high sensitivity to sugar. Sugar includes not just simple sugars, honey and maple syrup but also fruits, fruit juices, starchy vegetables and grain products or foods with a high glycemic index.

For a healthy person without any problems with blood sugar levels all of the foods in a meal do not have to have a low GI. For example, consider a beanand-cheese filled tortilla. The corn tortilla has a high GI (78), as do pinto beans (GI of 63), but the tomatoes (GI of 15) onions (GI of 15), lettuce (GI of 15) and cheese (GI so low it is not recorded) balance out the overall GI effect. The result is a healthy meal that will not destabilize blood sugar levels. When planning your healthy GI meals, keep the following simple guidelines in mind:

Main components should have a GI of no more than 70 Half of all components should have a GI below 50