Low Glycemic Foods:

Low-glycemic foods are slower to raise a person's blood sugar levels than foods with
moderate or high scores on the glycemic index. But which are the best low-glycemic
foods to eat?

A low-carbohydrate diet may also improve blood glucose levels in people with type 2
diabetes
The glycemic index (GI) is a scale from 1–100. 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.

The GI score for glucose, and white bread, is 100. Here is how the scale works:
 Low-GI foods score under 55
 Medium-GI foods score 55–70
 High-GI foods score above 70
 The table below provides examples of foods with low, medium, or high GI scores.

Low-GI foods (under 55) Medium-GI foods (55-70) High-GI foods (over 70)

rolled or steel-cut oats brown or basmati rice russet potatoes

barley, bulgar couscous white bread

butter beans and peas wholemal bread cookies

non-starchy vegetables rye bread breakfast cereals

milk quick oats instant pasta

sweet potatoes honey short-grain white rice

most fruits orange juice pineapples and melons

Below are six of the best low-GI foods:

1. Oats – 55
With a GI score of 55, rolled porridge oats are low-GI breakfast cereal option. Oats
contain beta-glucan, a type of fiber with a number of health benefits.
2. Milk – 37 to 39
A healthful addition to morning porridge, milk is a low-GI dairy product. The GI score
for skimmed milk is 37, while full-fat milk has a score of 39.
3. Chickpeas – 28
Chickpeas, or garbanzo beans, are a low-GI legume, with a score of 28 on the
scale.4. Carrots – 39
With a GI score of 39, carrots are a healthful alternative to bread for dipping into
hummus.6. Lentils – 32
Scoring 32 on the GI scale, lentils are a great low-GI addition to lunches and dinners.
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
 Low-GI foods have a GI score below 55. They contain carbohydrates that take the
body longer to break down than high-GI foods.

 Low-GI foods raise a person's blood sugar levels more slowly than moderate- or
high-GI foods.