Glycemic Index
You’ve probably heard this term in conversations with healthcare professionals and diabetes educators, but what’s it all about?
A Guide to the Glycemic Index
The Glycemic Index (GI) is a scale that ranks carbohydrate-containing food or drink by how much it raises blood sugar levels after consumption. Foods with a high GI increase blood sugar higher and faster compared to foods with a low GI.
Diabetes Canada uses a colour coding system to highlight foods you should GO for, foods you should approach with CAUTION, and foods you should STOP & THINK about, based on their GI category.
GREEN = GO
Low GI (55 or less)Choose most often
YELLOW = CAUTION
Medium GI (56 to 69)Choose less often
RED = STOP & THINK
High GI (70+)Choose least often
Let’s take a look at GI breakdowns for the following food groups:
Grains & Starches
Choose most often
- Heavy mixed grain breads
- Spelt bread
- Sourdough bread
- Tortilla (whole grain)
- All-Bran™ cereal
- All-Bran Buds™ with psyllium cereal
- Oat bran
- Oats (steel-cut)
- Barley
- Bulgur
- Mung bean noodles
- Pasta (al dente, firm)
- Pulse flours
- Quinoa
- Rice (converted, parboiled)
- Peas
- Popcorn
- Sweet potato
- Winter squash
Choose less often
- Chapati (white, whole wheat)
- Flaxseed/Linseed bread
- Pita bread (white, whole wheat)
- Pumpernickel bread
- Roti (white, whole wheat)
- Rye bread (light, dark, whole grain)
- Stone ground whole wheat bread
- Whole grain wheat bread
- Cream of Wheat™ (regular)
- Oats (instant)
- Oats (large flakes)
- Oats (quick)
- Basmati rice
- Brown rice
- Cornmeal
- Couscous (regular, whole wheat)
- Rice noodles
- White rice (short, long grain)
- Wild rice
- Beets*
- Corn
- French fries
- Parsnip
- Potato (red, white, cooled)
- Rye crisp crackers (e.g., Ryvita Rye Crispbread™)
- Stoned Wheat Thins™ crackers
Choose least often
- Bread (white, whole wheat)
- Naan (white, whole wheat)
- All-Bran Flakes™ cereal
- Corn Flakes™ cereal
- Cream of Wheat™ (instant)
- Puffed wheat cereal
- Rice Krispies™ cereal
- Special K™ cereal
- Jasmine rice
- Millet
- Sticky rice
- White rice (instant)
- Carrots*
- Potato (instant, mashed)
- Potato (red, white, hot)
- Pretzels
- Rice cakes
- Soda crackers
Choose most often
Choose less often
Choose least often
- Heavy mixed grain breads
- Spelt bread
- Sourdough bread
- Tortilla (whole grain)
- Chapati (white, whole wheat)
- Flaxseed/Linseed bread
- Pita bread (white, whole wheat)
- Pumpernickel bread
- Roti (white, whole wheat)
- Rye bread (light, dark, whole grain)
- Stone ground whole wheat bread
- Whole grain wheat bread
- Bread (white, whole wheat)
- Naan (white, whole wheat)
- All-Bran™ cereal
- All-Bran Buds™ with psyllium cereal
- Oat bran
- Oats (steel-cut)
- Cream of Wheat™ (regular)
- Oats (instant)
- Oats (large flakes)
- Oats (quick)
- All-Bran Flakes™ cereal
- Corn Flakes™ cereal
- Cream of Wheat™ (instant)
- Puffed wheat cereal
- Rice Krispies™ cereal
- Special K™ cereal
- Barley
- Bulgur
- Mung bean noodles
- Pasta (al dente, firm)
- Pulse flours
- Quinoa
- Rice (converted, parboiled)
- Basmati rice
- Brown rice
- Cornmeal
- Couscous (regular, whole wheat)
- Rice noodles
- White rice (short, long grain)
- Wild rice
- Jasmine rice
- Millet
- Sticky rice
- White rice (instant)
- Peas
- Popcorn
- Sweet potato
- Winter squash
- Beets*
- Corn
- French fries
- Parsnip
- Potato (red, white, cooled)
- Rye crisp crackers (e.g., Ryvita Rye Crispbread™)
- Stoned Wheat Thins™ crackers
- Carrots*
- Potato (instant, mashed)
- Potato (red, white, hot)
- Pretzels
- Rice cakes
- Soda crackers
*Most starchy/sweet vegetables (e.g., peas, parsnip, winter squash) provide 15 g or more carbohydrate per 1 cup serving. Beets and carrots often provide less than 15 g carbohydrate per serving (marked above with *). Most non-starchy (or free) vegetables (e.g. tomato and lettuce) have not been assigned a GI because they have very little carbohydrate and very little effect on blood sugar.
Adapted from Diabetes Canada, 2018.
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Fruits
Choose most often
- Apple
- Apricot (fresh, dried)
- Banana (green, unripe)
- Berries
- Cantaloupe
- Grapefruit
- Honeydew melon
- Mango
- Orange
- Peach
- Pear
- Plum
- Pomegranate
- Prunes
Choose less often
- Banana (ripe, yellow)
- Cherries (bottled)
- Cherries (fresh)
- Cranberries (dried)
- Figs (fresh, dried)
- Grapes
- Kiwi
- Lychee
- Pineapples
- Raisins
Choose least often
- Banana (brown, overripe)
- Watermelon
Choose most often
Choose less often
Choose least often
- Apple
- Apricot (fresh, dried)
- Banana (green, unripe)
- Berries
- Cantaloupe
- Grapefruit
- Honeydew melon
- Mango
- Orange
- Peach
- Pear
- Plum
- Pomegranate
- Prunes
- Banana (ripe, yellow)
- Cherries (bottled)
- Cherries (fresh)
- Cranberries (dried)
- Figs (fresh, dried)
- Grapes
- Kiwi
- Lychee
- Pineapples
- Raisins
- Banana (brown, overripe)
- Watermelon
Friendly Tip:
Many fruits (and vegetables) fall in the low or medium GI categories.
Some fruits have not been assigned a GI because they contain less than 15 g of available carbohydrate
per serving (e.g., lemon and lime).
Adapted from Diabetes Canada, 2018.
Milk & Alternatives
Choose most often
- Almond milk
- Cow milk (skim, 1%, 2%, whole)
- Frozen yogurt
- Greek yogurt
- Soy milk
- Yogurt (skim, 1%, 2%, whole)
Choose less often
Choose least often
- Rice milk
Choose most often
Choose less often
Choose least often
- Almond milk
- Cow milk (skim, 1%, 2%, whole)
- Frozen yogurt
- Greek yogurt
- Soy milk
- Yogurt (skim, 1%, 2%, whole)
- Rice milk
Milk, alternatives and other beverages listed include flavoured (e.g., chocolate), sweetened and unsweetened varieties.
Adapted from Diabetes Canada, 2018.
Proteins
Choose most often
- Baked beans
- Chickpeas
- Kidney beans
- Lentils
- Mung beans
- Romano beans
- Soybeans/Edamame
- Split peas
Choose less often
- Lentil soup (ready-made)
- Split pea soup (ready-made)
Choose least often
Choose most often
Choose less often
Choose least often
- Baked beans
- Chickpeas
- Kidney beans
- Lentils
- Mung beans
- Romano beans
- Soybeans/Edamame
- Split peas
- Lentil soup (ready-made)
- Split pea soup (ready-made)
Meat, poultry and fish do not have a GI because they do not contain carbohydrate. When ½ cup or more of pulses (beans, lentils and peas) are eaten, they can be included in the Grains & Starches food group or the Proteins group.
Adapted from Diabetes Canada, 2018.
Benefits of a Low GI Diet
But you’re probably wondering, so what – why should I try to eat a low GI diet? Well, research suggests eating mostly low GI foods can help:
- Lower your risk of type 2 diabetes complications
- Lower your risk of heart disease and stroke
- Keep you feeling full and satisfied for longer
- With weight loss and weight maintenance goals
Based on these positive outcomes, why not swap some of your favourite high GI foods for lower GI options?
Friendly Tip:
See how simple it can be with the Swap It Tool.
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