Glycemic Index Chart: GI Ratings for Hundreds of Foods

The Glycemic Index (GI) is a rating system that measures how much a carbohydrate-containing food raises your blood-sugar levels. The lower a food is on the GI, the lower the effect on your blood sugar. Low-glycemic foods also can reduce your risk for depression.

The standardized Glycemic Index ranges from 0 to 100. Zero-glycemic foods—those without carbohydrates—include items like cheese, eggs, meats, fish, oils, and nuts. Low-glycemic foods have a glycemic load of 55 or lower and include most fruits and vegetables, beans, dairy, and some grains. Foods such as bananas, raisins, and sweet potatoes are considered to be medium-glycemic foods and are ranked between 56 and 69. High-glycemic foods are ranked at 70 and above and include table sugar, ice cream, and other heavily processed foods that are high in calories and fat.

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Glycemic Index Charts: Low, Medium, and High

The chart below lists common foods followed by their Glycemic Index number. They are grouped according to range and food type. (See also our companion post by clicking here.)

LOW GLYCEMIC INDEX (Less Than 55)

Fruits
Apples 38
Apple juice 40
Apricots, dried 31
Bananas 54
Blueberries 25
Cherries 22
Coconut 45
Cranberries 45
Cranberry juice 50
Figs, dried 40
Grapefruit 25
Grapes 53
Orange juice 51
Oranges 46
Peaches 42
Pears, fresh 53
Plantains, raw 45
Plums 55
Strawberries 41
Vegetables
Artichokes 20
Asparagus 15
Bamboo shoots, raw 20
Beet greens 20
Broccoli 15
Broccoli rabe 10
Brussel sprouts 15
Butternut squash, baked 50
Cabbage, Chinese 10
Cabbage, savoy, boiled 15
Carrot juice 45
Carrots, raw 47
Cauliflower 15
Celery 15
Collard greens 20
Corn, sweet 54
Cucumber 15
Eggplant 15
Garlic 30
Green beans 15
Hubbard squash, baked 50
Kale 15
Leeks 15
Lettuce 15
Lima beans, baby, frozen 46
Okra, raw 15
Olives 15
Onions 15
Peppers 15
Pickles, dill 15
Turnip greens, boiled 10
Turnips, boiled 30
Snow peas 15
Summer squash 15
Tomato soup 54
Tomatoes 15
Spinach 15
Summer squash 15
Watercress 10
Zucchini 15
Grains, Breads & Cereals
Banana bread 47
Barley 25
Basmati rice 50
Bran cereal 42
Chickpeas 33
Fettuccine 32
Matzo bread 40
Quinoa 53
Ravioli, meat 39
Rice bran 27
Rice, parboiled 47
Spaghetti, protein enriched 38
Spaghetti, whole meal 53
Spaghetti, whole wheat 37
Tortellini, cheese 50
Vermicelli 35
Dairy and Dairy Alternatives
Chocolate milk 32
Skim milk 32
Soy milk 43
Yogurt, low fat, artificially sweetened 15
Yogurt, low fat, fruit, sugar sweetened 46
Yogurt, plain 14
Nuts and Legumes
Almonds 15
Black Beans 30
Broad beans 40
Butter beans 43
Cashews 23
Chickpeas 33
Fava beans 40
Horse beans 40
Navy beans 54
Peanuts 14
Pinto bean 39
Soybeans, boiled 16
Split peas, yellow, boiled 45
Snacks & Sweets
Honey 55
Hummus 6
Link sausage 28
Potato chips 54
Power Bar 53
Snickers 41
Strawberry jam 51

 

MEDIUM GLYCEMIC INDEX (between 56 and 69)

Fruits
Apricots, canned with light syrup 64
Apricots, fresh 57
Cantaloupe 65
Fruit cocktail 55
Mango juice, unsweetened 55
Mangoes 56
Papaya, fresh 55
Peaches, fresh 60
Peaches, canned 67
Pineapple 59
Raisins 64
Vegetables
Marrowfat peas, dried 56
Peas, green 68
Sweet potato 61
Grains, Breads & Cereals
All-Bran 60
Bulgur 68
Brown rice 66
Couscous 65
Hamburger bun 61
Instant noodles 67
Instant porridge 66
Lasagna 60
Linguine 65
Macaroni and cheese 64
Mixed grain bread 69
Oat bran bread 68
Oatmeal, rolled 58
Pancakes 60
Pita bread 57
Quick-cooking porridge 65
Rye crisp-bread 65
Rye kernel bread 66
Spaghetti, white 59
Taco shells 68
Wheat kernels 59
Whole-white bread 67
Wild rice 57
Dairy and Dairy Alternatives
Mayonnaise 60
Nuts and Legumes
Black-eyed peas 59
Chestnuts 60
Lentil soup, canned 63
Pinto beans, canned 64
Snacks & Sweets
Blueberry muffin 59
Bran muffin 60
Coca-Cola 63
Ketchup 55
Mustard 55
Nutella 55
Pizza, cheese 63
Sponge cake 66
Sushi 55
It's basic but proven advice: To be your healthiest self as you age, make your diet is rich in fruits and vegetables—and avoid high-sugar foods, high-salt foods, high-fat foods, and processed foods in general.

It’s basic but proven advice: To be your healthiest self as you age, make sure your diet is rich in fruits and vegetables—and avoid high-sugar foods, high-salt foods, high-fat foods, and processed foods in general.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HIGH GLYCEMIC INDEX (70 and higher)

Fruits
Dates 103
Kiwifruit 75
Watermelon 72
Vegetables
Parsnips 139
Pumpkin 107
Rutabaga 103
Potato, instant 121
Potato, mashed 100
Potato, microwaved 117
Potato, white, baked 85
Grains, Breads & Cereals
Bagel 72
Bagel, white 103
Barley flour bread 95
Bran buds 77
Bran Chex 83
Bread stuffing 106
Cheerios 106
Cocoa Pops 79
Corn Flakes 81
French baguette 136
French bread 95
Gluten-free bread 90
Gnocchi 95
Golden Grahams 102
Grape Nuts 75
Kaiser roll 104
Life cereal 94
Muesli 80
Muesli bars 87
Oat kernel bread 93
Oatmeal, instant 79
Pita bread, white 82
Pumpernickel bread 71
Rice cakes 82
Rice Chex 127
Rice Krispies 117
Rice, instant 128
Rice, white 83
Rye flour bread 92
Shredded Wheat 75
Special K 77
Tapioca, boiled with milk 115
Total 109
Water crackers 102
Waffles 109
Wheat bread 97
White bread 70
Dairy and Dairy Alternatives
Ice cream, full-fat 87
Ice cream, low-fat 71
Tofu, frozen dessert, non-dairy 164
Nuts and Legumes
Black bean soup 92
Green pea soup, canned 94
Kidney beans, canned 74
Lentils, canned 74
Split pea soup 86
Snacks & Sweets
Cake, angel food 95
Cake, pound 77
Corn chips 105
Corn syrup 90
Croissant 96
Doughnuts 108
French fries 75
Gatorade 78
Glucose 138
Graham crackers 74
Jelly beans 80
Life Savers 70
Maltodextrin 95
Maltose 152
Nutri-Grain bar 94
Oatmeal cookies 79
Pastry 84
Popcorn 72
Pretzels 83
Shortbread 91
Stoned Wheat Thins 96
Sugar, table 89
Vanilla wafers 110

GLYCEMIC LOAD: A BETTER WAY TO TO MEASURE CARB CONSUMPTION

As we’ve already discussed, the glycemic index (GI) is a numerical system that measures how much of a rise in circulating blood sugar a carbohydrate triggers—the higher the number, the greater the blood sugar response.

The glycemic load (GL) is a relatively newer and better way to assess the impact of carbohydrate consumption on your blood sugar. The glycemic load gives a fuller picture than does glycemic index alone; it takes into account how much carbohydrate is in a serving of a particular food. You need to know both GI and GL to understand a food’s effect on blood sugar.

Take watermelon as an example. If you use the glycemic index to try and decide what’s best to eat, you might avoid watermelon because it has a high glycemic index of 80. (A glycemic index of 70 or more is high, 55 or less is low.) But there aren’t a lot of carbohydrates in a serving of watermelon (it’s mostly water), so the glycemic load is relatively low, at 5. (A glycemic load of 20 or more is high, 10 or less is low.)

Another example is beans. Lentils or pinto beans have a glycemic load that is approximately three times lower than instant mashed potatoes, for example, and therefore will not cause large spikes in blood-sugar levels.

Stabilizing your blood sugar is accomplished by lowering the overall glycemic load of your diet. Actually studying the glycemic loads of various foods is an interesting exercise, but it isn’t necessary as long as you eat regularly, choose the right carbs, and avoid white flour and sugars.

FYI

Fran C. Grossman, RD, MS, CDE, CDN, Nutrition at the Ichan School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, answers a common question about low glycemic index foods.

Q : A friend has managed to control her diabetes by following a “GI diet.” Can you shed light on what she means, since I don’t think she is referring to the “Meals Ready to Eat” used by the military!

A: Your friend is definitely not referring to MREs! It sounds as if the diet she’s following is based on what’s called the “Glycemic Index,” or GI, which is a measure of a food’s ability to raise blood sugar levels compared with a reference food (either glucose or white bread). High GI foods—which are assigned a value of 70 and above—cause blood sugar to spike, which may contribute to poor eating behaviors. Low GI foods (with a value below 55) cause blood sugar to rise more slowly, which helps regulate the appetite.

Studies suggest that following the GI diet may help diabetics better manage their blood sugar, and there also is evidence the diet may help people maintain a healthy weight. This is likely because the diet prioritizes unrefined grains, which are low in calories, and fiber-rich—because fiber takes longer to digest, the GI diet may help you feel fuller for longer, meaning you’ll be less likely to snack between meals. However, the diet can be tricky to manage, since a food’s GI can change depending on how it is cooked or processed, and if it is eaten with other foods.

Ed. note: You can find out more about the GI at this National Institutes of Health page and at this Science Daily page.

Originally published in 2016, this post is regularly updated.

The post Glycemic Index Chart: GI Ratings for Hundreds of Foods appeared first on University Health News.

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