Low Glycemic Foods

Low Glycemic Foods

Low Glycemic Foods

 

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!

 

GI Index

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!


Comments

comments

3 Comments

  1. 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! 🙂

  2. 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.

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