Foods That Are Low in Glycemic Index: A Guide to Healthier Choices
Diabetes has increasingly become a prime health concern around the globe. One of the most suggested preventive measures to ward off this disease is eating foods that are low in glycemic index. Now, if you don’t have the slightest clue about glycemic index and less glycemic index foods, stick to this blog. Doing that will equip you with A to Z knowledge about low glycemic foods. In this blog, we will discuss topics like the hypoglycemic index chart, low glycemic fruits and vegetables, and low glycemic index foods for diabetic patients. So, read this piece from start to end to have a well-rounded understanding of this topic.
Glycemic Index: -
Glycemic Index is a metric used to measure the ability of a food to increase the sugar level in a human body. After assessing the effect of a food on the sugar level, scientists assign a number between 0 to 100 that they call the glycemic index of that food. Conventionally, the glycemic index of pure sugar is 100. Based on their glycemic index foods are categorized into three categories: Low GI (under 55), Medium GI ( between 55-70) and High GI (above 70)
What is Hypoglycemic Index Chart: -
The Glycemic Index (GI) Chart is a tool that ranks foods based on how fast they are able to show a spike in the blood sugar levels. We have discussed in the previous section that glycemic indexes of foods are scored on a scale of 0 to 100. The high index number of a food on this scale signals that it can quickly increase blood sugar. On the other hand, foods that are low in glycemic index are slow in raising sugar level in blood. This chart is very useful for those people, who have diabetes or those who want to control their weight. It helps them make informed food choices to better control their blood sugar levels.
Low glycemic diet food list: -
There is a long list of low glycemic diet foods to choose from. This section will inform you about the very same list. Here are the different types of low glycemic foods put under different categories like vegetables low in glycemic index. This also has categories of fruits, grains, legumes and dairy products: -
|
Vegetables |
Fruits |
Grains |
Legumes |
Dairy/Alternatives |
|
Broccoli (15) |
Cherries (22) |
Barley (28) |
Lentils (32) |
Greek yogurt (11) |
|
Spinach (<15) |
Grapefruit (25) |
Quinoa (53) |
Chickpeas (28) |
Soy milk (34) |
|
Carrots (39) |
Apples (36) |
Whole wheat bread (51) |
Black beans (30) |
Whole milk (41) |
|
Bell peppers (<15) |
Pears (38) |
Oat bran (55) |
Kidney beans (24) |
Almond milk (25) |
|
Cauliflower (<15) |
Plums (39) |
Pasta, whole grain (42) |
Pinto beans (39) |
Coconut milk (41) |
|
Zucchini (<15) |
Peaches (42) |
Wild rice (57) |
Soybeans (16) |
Skyr (15) |
|
Tomatoes (<15) |
Strawberries (41) |
Bulgur (48) |
Split peas (32) |
Cottage cheese (30) |
|
Eggplant (<15) |
Oranges (43) |
Rye bread (41) |
Mung beans (31) |
Kefir (36) |
|
Asparagus (<15) |
Blueberries (53) |
Pumpernickel bread (50) |
Lima beans (32) |
Feta cheese (21) |
|
Mushrooms (<15) |
Kiwi (53) |
Ezekiel bread (36) |
Navy beans (38) |
Oat milk (30) |
Important point to note: Since certain vegetables and fruits have very low GI values (below 15), measuring their GI values precisely is not possible. Therefore, we used the notation "<15" to represent their GI index. Moreover, the value of GI depends on various factors such as ripeness and preparation method. Hence, different experiments may yield slightly different GI values.
Bottom Line: -
In the end, we are well-versed with the definition of Glycemic Index(GI), its importances and uses in dietary. We have discussed how doctors and dieticians can use these concepts of low glycemic index foods for diabetics patients. Not only that, we have also provided readers with a hypoglycemic index chart that has listed 5 categories of foods that are low in glycemic index.
