Low-glycemic foods, such as sweet potatoes, rolled oats, chickpeas, and milk, are slower to raise a person’s blood sugar levels than foods with moderate or high scores on the glycemic index (GI).
A low-glycemic diet may offer health benefits, such as helping with blood sugar management and helping to reduce blood pressure.
This article lists some of the best low-GI foods and gives dietary tips for people following a low-GI diet.
The glycemic index (GI) is a scale from 1 to 100. Each food gets a score, and the lower the score, the longer that food takes to raise a person’s blood sugar levels.
The GI indicates how quickly carbohydrate-containing foods increase blood sugar levels compared with pure glucose. For example, white bread has a GI of 100.
GI scores fall into the following three categories:
- Low-GI foods: These score under 55.
- Medium-GI foods: These score between 55 and 70.
- High-GI foods: These score above 70.
Below are some examples of foods with low, medium, or high GI scores according to a database by the University of Sydney in Australia:
| Low-GI foods (under 55) | Medium-GI foods (55-70) | High-GI foods (over 70) |
|---|---|---|
| sweet potatoes | couscous | jelly beans |
| soya beans | whole meal pita bread | white bread |
| butter beans | sourdough bread | breakfast cereals |
| non-starchy vegetables, such as onions and carrots | maple flavored syrup | whole grain, barley pasta |
| milk | russet potatoes | corn pasta |
| peas | gingerbread cookies | short-grain white rice |
| most fruits | English muffins | cantaloupe melon |
Below are some low-GI foods and information about their potential health benefits.
Boiled sweet potato has a GI score of 44. Other cooking methods may lead to a higher GI score.
Sweet potatoes are a
According to a 2021 review, the compounds in sweet potatoes may also offer anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. They may also help protect against cancer and high blood sugar.
Milk is a low-GI dairy product. The GI score for semi-skimmed milk on the University of Sydney database is 34, while full-fat milk scores range from 3 to 41.
Milk is rich in calcium, which is important for bone health. A 2021 review associates drinking around one cup of milk daily with a lower risk various health conditions including:
Most fruits have low GI scores because of their fructose and fiber contents. Fruits with low GI scores include:
- apples — 44
- strawberries — 40
- grapefruit — 26
- watermelon — 50
- mango — 34
People on a low GI diet can eat fruits as a healthful snack or combine them to make a smoothie.
Chickpeas are a good source of protein and fiber. One
People can use chickpeas as a substitute for potatoes or white rice, which have higher GI scores. Roasted chickpeas make a quick and easy snack. Here’s an easy recipe for spicy roasted chickpeas.
Another tasty way to eat more chickpeas is by making hummus. This popular Middle Eastern dip is straightforward to prepare. Here’s how to make hummus from scratch.
With a GI score of 16, raw carrots are a healthful alternative to bread for dipping into hummus. Cooking carrots may increase their GI score.
Carrots contain beta-carotene, which is good for eye health. They are also a great source of antioxidants, which help protect the body’s cells from damage.
People may enjoy carrots raw, boiled, or steamed as a side vegetable with any dish.
With a GI score of 23, boiled kidney beans are a versatile low-GI food.
These beans are
Kidney beans can make a great addition to meat-based or vegetarian chili. Here’s a simple veggie chili recipe to try.
Scoring 22 on the GI scale, green, boiled lentils may be a great low-GI addition to lunches and dinners.
A
An Indian dish called dhal is a wholesome and tasty way to enjoy lentils. Suitable for vegans, dhal is also easy to make at home. Here’s a simple dhal recipe to follow.
Many factors influence a food’s GI score, including:
- Level of processing: More processed carbohydrates tend to have higher GI scores.
- Ripeness: The sugar in fruit breaks down as the fruit ripens, increasing the GI score.
- Preparation: The cooking process can break down carbohydrates, increasing the meal’s GI score.
- Dressing: Using an acidic seasoning, such as lemon, may lower a meal’s GI score.
- Type of starch: Amylose has a lower GI score than amylopectin.
The foods above are a good place to start for people interested in a low-GI diet.
When following the diet, people do not necessarily need to avoid high-GI foods altogether. However, they may choose to limit them or eat them in moderation.
Anyone on a low-GI diet can also enjoy foods that do not contain carbohydrates, such as the following:
- meat
- eggs
- fish
- seafood
- olive oil
- butter
- herbs
- spices
- nuts
For anyone looking to determine a food’s GI score, the University of Sydney in Australia provides a handy GI search tool.
Low-GI foods have a GI score below 55. They contain carbohydrates that take the body longer to break down than high-GI foods and raise a person’s blood sugar levels more slowly than moderate- or high-GI foods.
Research into the various health benefits of a low-GI diet is ongoing. People can speak with a healthcare professional to find out if a low-GI diet may be suitable for them.
To get started, people can incorporate low-GI foods, such as carrots, lentils, and most fruits, into their regular diet.
