What foods are high on the glycemic index?

Are bananas high on the glycemic index?

According to the International GI Database, fully ripe bananas has a glycemic index of 51. This counts as a low glycemic index food, because its GI value is under 55. The maturity of your banana can have an effect on its GI rating.

Quick oats have a medium GI, with a value of 56-69. Corn flakes, puffed rice, bran flakes, and instant oatmeal are considered high GI foods, with a value of 70 or more. Instead of using instant hot cereal packets, consider making a batch of whole or steel-cut oats for the week and keeping it in the refrigerator.

The GI of honey. Most commercially blended honeys have a moderate Glycemic Index or GI of between 45 and 64 which is lower than sugar – white or brown – at 65. The GI varies with the level of fructose – the more fructose, the lower the GI.

Carrots have a GI of 71. If we multiply the 8 grams of carb in a half cup by .71, we get a GL value of roughly 6. Therefore, carrots are a low-GL food. This means that, unless you truly are going to eat a pound and a half at a time, carrots don’t have a big impact on blood glucose levels.

Potatoes have a bad reputation, in part, because they have a high glycemic index (GI), meaning that their carbohydrates are quickly broken down into sugar, causing blood sugar and insulin levels to rise rapidly. And not all varieties have such a high GI.

The purpose of a glycemic index (GI) diet is to eat carbohydrate-containing foods that are less likely to cause large increases in blood sugar levels. The diet could be a means to lose weight and prevent chronic diseases related to obesity such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Foods with a low glycemic load of 10 or less:

Kidney, garbanzo, pinto, soy, and black beans.

Fiber-rich fruits and vegetables, like carrots, green peas, apples, grapefruit, and watermelon.

Cereals made with 100 percent bran.

Lentils.

Cashews and peanuts.

Whole-grain breads like barley, pumpernickel, and whole wheat.

Low GI Foods (55 or less)

100% stone-ground whole wheat or pumpernickel bread.

Oatmeal (rolled or steel-cut), oat bran, muesli.

Pasta, converted rice, barley, bulgar.

Sweet potato, corn, yam, lima/butter beans, peas, legumes and lentils.

Most fruits, non-starchy vegetables and carrots.

High Glycemic Carbohydrates

Sugars (from high to low: Maltose, Glucose, Sucrose)

Honey.

Puffed cereals (white rice, wheat, corn, rice cakes)YES! RICE CAKES.

Potatoes ( regular russet, instant, mashed)

Candy.

Breads (especially white bread)

Instant products ( instant: rice, oatmeal, wheat, grits)

Carrots, corn, peas.

High-Glycemic Foods

Sugar.

Flour.

Rice.

White potatoes.

Some fruits: bananas, grapes, cherries, watermelon.

Raisins.

Many breakfast cereals, including puffed rice and corn flakes.

Bread.

A medium banana has 105 calories and 27 grams of carbohydrate. Or maybe bananas are maligned because they’re believed to have high glycemic index (GI), causing your blood sugar and insulin to spike quickly after eating one. False, again. Bananas are actually low on the GI scale, having a glycemic index value of 51.

According to the International GI Database, fully ripe bananas has a glycemic index of 51. This counts as a low glycemic index food, because its GI value is under 55. The maturity of your banana can have an effect on its GI rating.

Pineapple is considered a “medium” fruit on the glycemic index, so you should consume it in small portions. A serving of ¾ cup of fresh pineapple has a glycemic index score of 56. When using pineapple in meals, it’s best to pair it with foods that have a low or medium glycemic index score.

Egg whites are entirely protein and very low in calories. Since the glycemic index consists of mainly carbohydrate-based foods, eggs are usually not listed on the glycemic index. Foods and beverages that have high glycemic index rankings generally contain processed or refined carbohydrates.

Cherries. GI score: 20. GL score: 6.

Grapefruit. GI score: 25. GL score: 3.

Dried apricots. GI score: 32. GL score: 9.

Pears. GI score: 38. GL score: 4.

Apples. GI score: 39. GL score: 5.

Oranges. GI score: 40. GL score: 5.

Plums. GI score: 40. GL score: 2 (GL score is 9 for prunes)

Strawberries. GI score: 41. GL score: 3.

Glycemic index (GI) measures the rise in blood sugar in a person over the two to three hours following the consumption of an amount of food that contains 50 grams of carbohydrate. Meat, poultry, fish, cheese, and eggs do not have GI values themselves, because they contain little or no carbohydrate.

The pros of adding oatmeal to your diabetes diet include: It can help regulate blood sugar, thanks to the high fiber and low glycemic index. It’s heart-healthy and can lower cholesterol. It may reduce the need for insulin injections.

The Glycemic Index (GI) is a relative ranking of carbohydrate in foods according to how they affect blood glucose levels. Carbohydrates with a low GI value (55 or less) are more slowly digested, absorbed and metabolised and cause a lower and slower rise in blood glucose and, therefore usually, insulin levels.

Some examples of the GI rating of various carbohydrates include:

low GI (less than 55) – soy products, beans, fruit, milk, pasta, grainy bread, porridge and lentils.

medium GI (55 to 70) – orange juice, honey, basmati rice and wholemeal bread.

high GI (greater than 70) – potatoes, white bread and short-grain rice.

Use our low-glycemic vegetable list to start your journey to a healthier you:

Artichokes.

Artichoke hearts.

Asparagus.

Bamboo shoots.

Bean sprouts.

Broccoli.

Brussels sprouts.

Cauliflower.

Pasta has a low glycemic index. Unlike white bread or potatoes, pasta is pretty low in terms of its glycemic impact. The issue, of course, is the portion: Eating too much of any carbohydrate food will raise blood glucose.