Substitute High GI Foods for Lower GI Alternatives
The Glycemic Index (GI) Foundation has prepared a list of suggested food swaps, and the concept is simple:
- Take the meals you love;
- Replace high GI foods with low GI foods;
- Continue to enjoy.
Check out suggested food swaps for the following categories:
Breads
High GI breads
- Soft white bread
- Light and airy whole-meal bread
- Bagel
- Turkish bread
- Focaccia bread
- Flatbreads
- Scone
- English muffin
- White tortilla wrap
Lower GI breads
- Dense, wholegrain bread
- Authentic sourdough bread
- Multigrain bread
- Pumpernickel bread
- Fruit bread
- Raisin bread
- Mixed grain wrap
High GI breads
Swap It
Lower GI breads
- Soft white bread
- Light and airy whole-meal bread
- Bagel
- Turkish bread
- Focaccia bread
- Flatbreads
- Scone
- English muffin
- White tortilla wrap
- Dense, wholegrain bread
- Authentic sourdough bread
- Multigrain bread
- Pumpernickel bread
- Fruit bread
- Raisin bread
- Mixed grain wrap
Adapted from Glycemic Index Foundation, 2017.
Breakfast Cereals
High GI breakfast cereals
- Flaked cereal
- Puffed cereal
- Instant oats
Lower GI breakfast cereals
- Muesli
- Steel-cut oats
High GI breakfast cereals
Swap It
Lower GI breakfast cereals
- Flaked cereal
- Puffed cereal
- Instant oats
- Muesli
- Steel-cut oats
Adapted from Glycemic Index Foundation, 2017.
Potatoes
High GI potatoes
- Potatoes: mashed, chips and French fries
Lower GI potato alternatives
- Carisma™ Potato
- Sweet potato
- Butternut squash
- Parsnip
- Corn
- Lentils
- Chickpeas
- Kidney beans
- Cannellini beans
- Split peas
High GI potatoes
Swap It
Lower GI potato alternatives
- Potatoes: mashed, chips and French fries
- Carisma™ Potato
- Sweet potato
- Butternut squash
- Parsnip
- Corn
- Lentils
- Chickpeas
- Kidney beans
- Cannellini beans
- Split peas
Adapted from Glycemic Index Foundation, 2017.
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Rice
High GI rice
- Jasmine rice
- Calrose rice
- Arborio rice
Lower GI rice
- Basmati rice
- Black rice
- Red rice
- Wild rice
- Chia and quinoa rice blends
- Cauliflower rice
High GI rice
Swap It
Lower GI rice
- Jasmine rice
- Calrose rice
- Arborio rice
- Basmati rice
- Black rice
- Red rice
- Wild rice
- Chia and quinoa rice blends
- Cauliflower rice
Adapted from Glycemic Index Foundation, 2017.
Grains
High GI grains
- Couscous
- Millet
- Polenta
Lower GI grains
- Quinoa
- Buckwheat
- Freekeh
- Bulgur (cracked wheat)
- Semolina
- Pearl barley
- Teff
High GI grains
Swap It
Lower GI grains
- Couscous
- Millet
- Polenta
- Quinoa
- Buckwheat
- Freekeh
- Bulgur (cracked wheat)
- Semolina
- Pearl barley
- Teff
Adapted from Glycemic Index Foundation, 2017.
Noodles
High GI noodles
- Dried rice noodles
- Instant noodles
Lower GI noodles
- Soba noodles
- Hokkien noodles
- Udon noodles
- Vermicelli noodles
- Buckwheat noodles
- Fresh rice noodles
- Mung bean noodles
High GI noodles
Swap It
Lower GI noodles
- Dried rice noodles
- Instant noodles
- Soba noodles
- Hokkien noodles
- Udon noodles
- Vermicelli noodles
- Buckwheat noodles
- Fresh rice noodles
- Mung bean noodles
Adapted from Glycemic Index Foundation, 2017.
Pasta
High GI pasta
- Potato gnocchi
- Rice pasta
- Corn pasta
Lower GI pasta
- Durum wheat pasta cooked ‘al dente’
High GI pasta
Swap It
Lower GI pasta
- Potato gnocchi
- Rice pasta
- Corn pasta
- Durum wheat pasta cooked ‘al dente’
Adapted from Glycemic Index Foundation, 2017.
Crackers
High GI crackers
- Rice crackers
- Rice cakes
- Water crackers
- Crispbread
Lower GI crackers
- Wholegrain crackers
- Grain and seed crackers
High GI crackers
Swap It
Lower GI crackers
- Rice crackers
- Rice cakes
- Water crackers
- Crispbread
- Wholegrain crackers
- Grain and seed crackers
Adapted from Glycemic Index Foundation, 2017.
Savoury Snacks
High GI savoury snacks
- Potato chips
- Pretzels
- Rice cakes
- Rice crackers
Lower GI savoury snacks
- Nuts
- Dry roasted chickpeas
- Vegetable sticks with hummus
- Dried fruit
- Nut, seed and grain bar
- Small sushi roll
- Baked beans
High GI savoury snacks
Swap It
Lower GI savoury snacks
- Potato chips
- Pretzels
- Rice cakes
- Rice crackers
- Nuts
- Dry roasted chickpeas
- Vegetable sticks with hummus
- Dried fruit
- Nut, seed and grain bar
- Small sushi roll
- Baked beans
Adapted from Glycemic Index Foundation, 2017.
Sweet Treats
High GI sweet treats
- Biscuits
- Doughnuts
- Cakes
- Pastries
- Muffins
- Chocolate
- Popsicles
Lower GI sweet treats
- Fresh fruit
- Canned fruit in natural juice
- Grain and fruit bar
- Fruit and raisin bread
- Dried fruit and nut mix
- Reduced or low-fat yogurt
High GI sweet treats
Swap It
Lower GI sweet treats
- Biscuits
- Doughnuts
- Cakes
- Pastries
- Muffins
- Chocolate
- Popsicles
- Fresh fruit
- Canned fruit in natural juice
- Grain and fruit bar
- Fruit and raisin bread
- Dried fruit and nut mix
- Reduced or low-fat yogurt
Adapted from Glycemic Index Foundation, 2017.
Milk & Beverages
High GI milk & beverages
- Rice milk
- Oat milk
- Sweetened condensed milk
- Soft drinks
- Liqueur
- Energy drinks
- Fruit juice drink
Lower GI milk & beverages
- Water
- Reduced or low-fat milk
- Reduced or low-fat (unsweetened) soy drink
- Almond milk
- Reduced or low-fat yogurt drink
- Fruit smoothie
- Coffee with reduced fat or skim milk
- 100% vegetable juice
High GI milk & beverages
Swap It
Lower GI milk & beverages
- Rice milk
- Oat milk
- Sweetened condensed milk
- Soft drinks
- Liqueur
- Energy drinks
- Fruit juice drink
- Water
- Reduced or low-fat milk
- Reduced or low-fat (unsweetened) soy drink
- Almond milk
- Reduced or low-fat yogurt drink
- Fruit smoothie
- Coffee with reduced fat or skim milk
- 100% vegetable juice
Adapted from Glycemic Index Foundation, 2017.
Dessert
High GI desserts
- Ice-cream
- Sorbet
- Gelato
- Cakes
- Pastries
Lower GI desserts
- Reduced or low-fat ice-cream
- Reduced or low-fat custard
- Reduced or low-fat yogurt with berries
- Low-sugar cakes and cookies
- Homemade “healthy” baked goods (with whole wheat flour and low sugar content)
- Frozen fruit
High GI desserts
Swap It
Lower GI desserts
- Ice-cream
- Sorbet
- Gelato
- Cakes
- Pastries
- Reduced or low-fat ice-cream
- Reduced or low-fat custard
- Reduced or low-fat yogurt with berries
- Low-sugar cakes and cookies
- Homemade “healthy” baked goods (with whole wheat flour and low sugar content)
- Frozen fruit
Adapted from Glycemic Index Foundation, 2017.
Remember:
Small changes can make a BIG difference. Happy swapping.
