The Glycemic Index Table

The glycemic index table is a scale that goes from 1 to 100 and it will be like comparing apples to oranges. 

In other words, even though foods can be categorized as being part of the same food group. 

Each one could have an entirely different affect on your blood sugar level.

The glycemic index table indicates the rate at which carbohydrates (glucose) from the foods you eat gets absorbed into your bloodstream. 

A low glycemic food will usually only cause a small rise in your blood sugar.  And the higher glycemic foods will raise your blood sugar more significantly.

Therefore, you'll want to know which foods fall into the low, medium, and high glycemic range in order to maintain a stable blood sugar level.

Glycemic Index Table

Low Glycemic Foods - 55 and under

These are the foods that you should increase on a low glycemic diet.

Medium Glycemic Foods - 56 to 69

Eat these foods occasionally.

High Glycemic Foods - 70 to 100

Limit or avoid these foods.

The glycemic index assigns a number to individual foods that contain carbohydrates.  And not all carbs are created equal!

It's widely known that foods with a low glycemic number lowers your risk of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.

Glycemic Index Table of Fruits

Low Glycemic Fruits - Avocado, Apples, Apricots, Berries, Plums, Peaches, Cherries, Pears, Grapes, Oranges, Tangerines, Grapefruit, Lemons, Limes, and Nectarines

Zucchini, Butternut Squash, and Spaghetti Squash

Green Papaya, Green Mango, Green Bananas, and Green Pineapple

Cucumbers, Eggplant, Tomatoes, Tomatillos, Hot Peppers, and Bell Peppers

Green and Ripe Olives

Medium Glycemic Fruits - Ripe Bananas, Ripe Mango, Ripe Papaya, and Ripe Pineapple

Fresh Figs, Dried Figs, Raisins, Kiwi, Honeydew Melon, Cantaloupe, and Pomegranate Juice

High Glycemic Fruits - Watermelon, Guava, Guava Juice, and Pumpkin

Dried Dates (only some varieties of dates are high glycemic, some are medium, and some I've never heard of before are low glycemic)

Glycemic Index Table of Vegetables

Low Glycemic Vegetables - Asparagus, Broccoli, Broccoli Raab, Brussel Sprouts, Cabbage, Carrots, Celery, Celeriac, Radish, Cauliflower, Daikon Root, Jicama, and Kohlrabi

Garlic, Onions, Shallot, Mushrooms, and Sweet Corn

Radicchio, Collard Greens, Kale, Mustard Greens, Spinach, Endive, Lettuces, and Watercress

Nicola Potato, Huckleberry Gold Potato, Taro, Yams, and Green Peas

Medium Glycemic Vegetables - Sweet Potatoes, Tapioca, Turnips, New Potatoes, and Beets

Red Potatoes that are Boiled, Cooled, and then Consumed

High Glycemic Vegetables - Russet Potatoes, White Potatoes, Parsnips, and Rutabaga

Boiled Red Potatoes, Baked Sweet Potatoes, and Instant Mashed Potatoes

Glycemic Index Table of Legumes

Low Glycemic Legumes - Garbanzo Beans aka Chickpeas, Kidney Beans, Adzuki Beans, Pinto Beans, Black Beans, and Soybeans

White Beans, Great Northern Beans, Cannellini Beans, and Navy Beans

Hummus, Baked Beans, Tempeh, and Refried Beans

Cashews and Peanuts

Lima Beans, Split Peas, Mung Beans, and Lentils

High Glycemic Legumes - Broad Beans or Fava Beans

Ful Medames is a Well Known Egyptian Meal made from Fava Beans

Glycemic Index Table of Grains & Pseudograins

Low Glycemic Grains & Pseudograins - Spelt Grain, Bulgur, Rye Kernels, Whole Wheat Kernels, and Semolina

Barley, Pearl Barley, and Maize

Steel Cut Oats and Fermented Oat Porridge

Sourdough Breads, Sprouted Breads, and Pumpernickle Bread

Quinoa, Buckwheat Groats, Brown Rice, Red Rice, and Whole Grain Basmati Rice

Medium Glycemic Grains & Pseudograins - Polenta, Couscous, and Cornmeal

Wild Rice, Arborio Rice, and White Basmati Rice

High Glycemic Grains & Pseudograins - Short Grain White Rice, Glutinous Rice, White Calrose Rice, and White Jasmine Rice

White Flour, White Bread, and Millet

Air Popped Popcorn and Amaranth

Glycemic Index Table of Dairy Foods

Low Glycemic Dairy Foods - Whole Cow Milk, Goat Milk, Sheep Milk, Camel Milk, and Water Buffalo Milk

Buttermilk, Cream, Sour Cream, Quark, Yogurt, Kefir, Soft Cheese, and Cottage Cheese

Premium High Fat Ice Cream and Premium Gelato

Medium Glycemic Dairy Foods - Frozen Yogurt, Regular Ice Cream, Sherbets, and Certain Low Fat Ice Creams

Condensed Milk and Evaporated Skim Milk

Glycemic Index Table of Sweeteners

Low Glycemic Sweeteners - Blackstrap Molasses, Maple Syrup, Lucuma, and Raw Honey

Cane Juice, Brown Rice Syrup, Coconut Palm Sugar, and Yacon Syrup

Medium Glycemic Sweeteners - Sucrose or Table Sugar, Caramel, Brown Sugar, Turbinado Sugar, and Inverted Sugar

High Glycemic Sweeteners - Glucose (100 glycemic index), Dextrose, Maltodextrin, Rice Syrup, and Corn Syrup or HFCS

Glycemic Index Table of Nuts & Seeds

Low Glycemic Nuts & Seeds - Walnuts, Almonds, Brazil Nuts, Coconuts, Hazelnuts, Macadamia Nuts, Pecans, Pine Nuts, Pistachio, and Chestnuts

Nut Butters

Coconut Flour and Almond Flour Baked Goods

Coconut Milk and Almond Milk

Flax Seeds, Sunflower Seeds, Sesame Seeds, and Pumpkin Seeds

Seed Butters

Medium Glycemic Nuts & Seeds - Roasted European Chestnuts

Roasting raw chestnuts (55 glycemic index) will increase its carbohydrate content and decrease its resistant starch content by about 40%.

In general, cooking increases the glycemic index of foods because cooking causes starch to swell which makes it much easier to digest.

Sometimes cooling these cooked foods (before you eat them) will lower their glycemic index.  However, be very careful of eating overprocessed foods!

Think about Portion Control & Pairing

Eating a cup of low glycemic pasta cooked al dente with a creamy sauce should not spike your blood sugar level.

However, eating 3 cups of low glycemic pasta with a marinara sauce - now that's another story.

Combining certain foods will alter the glycemic index of your meals.

Foods with a higher proportion of protein or fat will decrease the glycemic index of a higher carb food.

Another example is combining cheese with an apple.  This will have less of an impact on your blood sugar level than if you ate the apple alone.

Zero to Almost Zero Glycemic Foods

These are the foods that are at the beginning of the glycemic index scale - very close to 0 or at Zero.

If you need to lower your carbohydrate intake or you're embarking on a lower carb diet, these are the foods that will not contain any carbs.

These foods will also stabilize your blood sugar level more quickly. 

In general, these foods will not affect your blood sugar level because they lack the carbs that will get turned into blood glucose.

Pastured Poultry - Duck, Chicken, Turkey, Cornish Hens, and Quail

Pastured Meats - Beef, Veal, Lamb, Mutton, Pork, and Goat 

Pastured Poultry Eggs - Chicken Eggs, Duck Eggs, Turkey Eggs, and Quail Eggs

Game Meats - Venison, Bison, and Elk

Pastured Organ Meats - Liver, Heart, Kidney, and Tongue

Wild Caught Salmon

Freshwater Fish - Rainbow Trout, Walleye, Bass, Catfish, Bream, etc.

Saltwater Fish - Tuna, Halibut, Cod, Mahi Mahi, Swordfish, Ono, Snapper, Mackerel, Sardines, etc.

Wild Seafood - Shrimp, Lobster, Squid, Crabs, Clams, Mussels, and Oysters

Fish Eggs or Caviar

Cheese - Goat Cheese, Gruyere, Swiss Cheese, Gouda, Mozzarella, Brie, Blue Cheese, Parmesan, and Cheddar, etc.

Animal Fats - Butter, Ghee, Duck Fat, Lard, and Tallow

Cold Pressed Oils - Virgin Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, Macadamia Nut Oil, Flax Seed Oil, Avocado Oil, Sesame Oil, and Sunflower Oil

Mayonnaise

Cacao Butter or Cocoa Butter

Noodles - Miracle Noodles, Shirataki Noodles, or Konjac Noodles

Sweeteners - Powdered Stevia, Liquid Stevia, and Monk Fruit

Spices - Bay Leaf, Ground Caraway, Sea Salt, Juniper, Sumac, Whole Black Pepper, and Dried Mustard

Apple Cider Vinegar and Vanilla Extract

If you enjoy a low carb lifestyle, you can combine zero carb foods with some of the foods that have a low glycemic index number.

That way, you can enjoy a more balanced diet that gives you more choices.  And you will still be able to burn your body fat.

Low Glycemic Foods Control Hunger
and Help You to Burn Fat!

What happens when you decide to restrict carbs by eating low glycemic foods or lowering your carb intake?

Both scenarios will help your body to switch over from burning glucose as a fuel to also burning fat. 

This can include some of your stored body fat! 

Which is what's suppose to happen when you pay good money to join a gym - lol!  Or try the latest and greatest diet fad.

Your body prefers to burn glucose and fat for its energy or fuel.

And the amount of glucose that is in your bloodstream will determine if your body will be in "fat-storing" or in "fat-burning" mode.

Your blood sugar level and insulin are impacted whenever you eat a food that contains carbohydrate.

Insulin is a hormone that is released by your pancreas and its job is to send glucose to your cells to be used as energy or to be stored away.

How much of an impact carbs will have is determined by how quickly carbohydrates get broken down into glucose by your body.

Low glycemic foods will cause a gradual rise in your blood sugar and a low insulin response - they help to keep your blood sugar level steady.

These foods are also known to delay feelings of hunger and will help you to control your appetite.

On the other hand, high glycemic foods will cause a rapid rise in blood sugar and a high amount of insulin will be released. 

These are also the foods that will cause a rapid return of hunger because your blood sugar level will also drop rapidly.

If this goes on for too long it becomes a vicious cycle that eventually leads to diabetes which is the lack of insulin.

Consuming low glycemic foods will help you to avoid high blood sugar and high insulin levels. 

As an added bonus, foods that are lower on the glycemic index table will be able to put you into "fat burning" mode.

Go to Healthy Low Carb Diets

Return to Low Glycemic Foods