Glycemic Index

Glycemic Index

The Glycemic Index (GI) is a scale from 1-100 that shows how quickly or slowly a food raises your blood sugar. Foods are assigned a value based on one serving eaten alone. 

0 to 55 = low glycemic

56-69 = medium glycemic

70-100 = high glycemic

Glycemic index is determined by the food’s nutritional information, such as the number of carbohydrates, the type of carbohydrates (whether it is simple or complex), amount of fiber, fat, and protein in one serving. 

When food has other nutrients that the body needs to process, like fiber, fat, and protein, the breakdown is even slower, causing carbohydrates to enter the bloodstream at a slower rate. 

If you are concerned that food has too many sugars or carbs then you can lower the glycemic index by eating it with another food that contains significant fat, fiber, or protein. 

Low Glycemic Foods0-55Medium Glycemic Foods56-70High Glycemic Foods70+
Most non-starchy vegetables <15Peanuts <15
Low-fat yogurt, no sugar <15
Tomatoes 15
Cherries 22
Peas 22
Plum 22
Grapefruit 25
Pearled Barley 25
Peach 28
Canned Peaches/natural juice 30
Soy Milk 30
Baby lima beans 32
Fat-Free Milk 32
Low-fat yogurt, with sugar 33
Apple 36
Pear 36
Whole wheat spaghetti 37
Tomato soup 38
Carrots cooked 39
Apple juice 41
All-Bran 42
Canned chickpeas 42
Custard 43
Grapes 43
Orange 43
Macaroni 45
Pineapple juice 46
Banana Bread 47
Long grain rice 47
Bulgur 48
Canned baked beans 48
Grapefruit juice 48
Green peas 48
Oat Bran Bread 48
Canned kidney beans 52
Kiwi 52
Orange Juice 52
Banana 53
Potato Chips 54
Special K 54
Sweet potato 54
Brown rice 54
Linguini 55
Oatmeal cookies 55
Popcorn 55
Sweet corn 55
White rice 56
Pita bread 57
Blueberry muffin 59
Bran muffin 60
Hamburger bun 61
Ice Cream 61
Canned Apricot, light syrup 64Macaroni, and cheese 64
Raisin 64
Couscous 65
Quick Cook Porridge 65
Table sugar (sucrose) 65
Instant Porridge 66
Pineapple 66
Taco Shells 68
Whole wheat bread 68
Bagel 72
Corn Chips 72
Watermelon 72
Honey 73
Mashed Potato 73
Cheerios 74
Puffed Wheat 74
Donuts 75
French fries 76
Vanilla wafers 77
White bread 79
Jelly beans 80
Pretzels 81
Rice Cakes 82
Mashed Potato, instant 83
Corn Flakes 84
Baked Potato 85
Instant Rice 91
French bread 95
Parsnips 97
Dates 100

Schedule your Free No-Snack Intro with us today!

people working out in a group fitness class

A NEW YOU STARTS HERE

Talk with a coach to see if working out at Torque Health and Fitness is right for you.
Book a Free Intro