Here is a phrase we have been hearing more and more! Low Glycemic Foods! What are Low Glycemic Foods, which ones are High Glycemic and how does a food being Low Glycemic help us lose weight, amongst many other benefits!?
Before I let you in on all the amazing ‘Low GI’ foods you can feel confident eating, let’s just make sure the basics are covered and we all know what the glycemic index is and how it effects your body.
According to Wikipedia, the Glycemic Index is:
The glycemic index or glycaemic index (GI) is a number associated with a particular type of food that indicates the food’s effect on a person’s blood glucose (also called blood sugar) level. The number typically ranges between 50 and 100, where 100 represents the standard, an equivalent amount of pure glucose.
Foods that are rated as ‘high’ on the GI index are processed by the human body and enter the blood stream much faster then ‘low’ rated foods, which can cause spiking of blood sugar, hunger and weight gain. Foods that are lower on the GI index will keep you feeling full for longer, will not spike your blood sugar and allow you to essentially eat more calories.
In many studies, a Low GI diet will have better results than a low fat diet, prevent diabetes, coronary heart disease, macular degeneration and other ailments, where as a High GI diet contributes to obesity! This is the secret little key for keeping you in optimal shape!
LOW GI- is 55 or less
MEDIUM GI- is 56-69
HIGH GI- is 70+
Some of the ratings these foods have surprised me! Some of them I always knew were bad. Who knew that natural cherries were one of the lowest glycemic fruits on the planet? Or that parsnips are one of the highest GI vegetables? Which ones surprise you the most?
Low Glycemic Fruits
(in order, smaller the number, lower on the GI it is)
Cherries 22
Plums 24
Grapefruit 25
Peaches 28
Plum 29
Apples 34
Oranges 40
Strawberries 40
Pears 41
Grapes 43
Medium Glycemic Fruits
(eat these in moderation!)
Bananas 58
Papaya 60
Pineapple 66
High Glycemic Fruits
Watermelon 80
Dates 103
Low Glycemic Vegetables
Broccoli 10
Lettuce 10
Red Peppers 10
Onions 10
Mushrooms 10
Cauliflower 15
Green Beans 15
Tomato 15
Eggplant 15
Green Peas 39
Sweet Corn 47
High Glycemic Vegetables
Beetroot 64
Pumpkin 75
Parsnips 97
So we have now learned what would be a better fruit or veggie to swap out with we had previously been using, but had no idea that it was so high on the GI index! Now we can get to the good stuff! Not saying fruits and veggies are not good, but how about all those snacks we eat? How do they stack up?
Low Glycemic Snacks & Carbs
Hummus 8
Peanuts 15
Walnuts 15
Barley 22
Cashew 25
Red Lentils 26
Whole Wheat Tortilla 30
Yam 35
Whole Wheat Pasta 35
Whole Grain Bread 48
Brown Rice 50
Special K 54
Medium Glycemic Snacks & Carbs
Honey 58
Mini Wheats 58
Cheese Pizza 60
Baked Potato 61
Cous Cous 61
Ice Cream 62
Croissant 67
Gnocchi 68
Taco Shells 68
High Glycemic Snacks & Carbs
(danger, danger!)
White Bread 70
Mashed Potato 72
Bagel 74
Cheerios 74
French Fries 75
Donuts 76
Cornflakes 80
Jelly Beans 80
Rice Cakes 82
Rice Krispies 82
Pretzels 83
Scones 92
White Baguette 95
White Rice 98
I hope you can notice the intense difference between eating white breads vs whole grain breads, the whole grains take much longer to be processed by your body, keeping you full and your sugar/insulin balance happy!
It’s great to see all these foods listed like this, very helpful. Some of them are not surprising, but who knew about Beetroot and Parsnips! Also, people who suffer from IBS have reported huge improvements of symptoms by sticking to a low GI diet.
Thanks Alex!
I was so surprised at some of them myself! It is good to be aware of what is High GI and what is Low GI, so we can make the most informed decisions on what goes into our bodies! 🙂
What a large and helpful list. Although I am not as careful about what I eat, I do eat organic whenever possible. A list like this makes food choices more easy. Knowledge is power! Thanks for sharing.