FMSW: Glycemic Index of Food

The glycemic index is a number that indicates how much a particular food will raise the blood sugar if eaten, i.e., how rapidly it is broken down into glucose. Foods with a high glycemic index signal the body to produce large amounts of insulin. Not all of these foods taste “sweet.” Even some complex carbohydrates are broken down quickly into sugar, especially if they have been ground into flour.

High glycemic index foods should be avoided by people who are trying to lose weight, people who may be at high risk for diabetes, and people who have “hypoglycemic symptoms”, i.e., who develop shakiness, “spaciness” or fatigue several hours after eating. If you have any of these conditions, try to avoid foods with a high glycemic index and emphasize foods with GI below 45 (exceptions might be carrots and watermelon, since the Glycemic Load is still low for these foods). For more information, see http://www.mendosa.com/gi.htm or read The GI Diet by R. Gallop or The New Glucose Revolution.

High glycemic index foods Special K 54 Food Glycemic Index Potato chips 54 Hamburger Bun 61 Spaghetti, durum 55 Ice Cream 61 Orange juice 57 New potato 62 Blueberry 59 Semolina 64 Rice, white 59 Shortbread 64 Pizza, cheese 60 Raisins 64 Macaroni and cheese 64 Rye flour 65 Low glycemic index foods Couscous 65 Yogurt, lowfat, 14 Sucrose (table sugar) 65 unsweetened, plain Cream of Wheat 66 Soybeans 18 Life cereal 66 Cherries 22 Muesli 66 Plum 24 Pineapple 66 Grapefruit 25 Angel food cake 67 Kidney beans 27 Croissant 67 Peach, fresh 28 Grape-nuts cereal 67 Lentils 29 English muffin 69 Green beans 30 Life savers 70 Black beans 30 Popcorn 72 Skim milk 32 Corn chips 73 Chickpeas 33 Honey 73 Apple 36 French fries 75 Spaghetti, whole wheat 37 Donut 76 Tomato 38 Corn flakes 84 Tortilla, corn 38 French baguette 95 All-bran cereal 42 Grapes 43 Moderate Glycemic index foods Orange 43 Capellini 45 Baked beans 48 Green peas 48 Corn 49 Chocolate 49 Ice cream, low fat 50 Yam 51 Banana 53

Glycemic Index information from another source:

BEANS DESSERTS baby lima 32 Angel Food Cake 67 baked 43 bran muffin 60 black 30 Danish 59 brown 38 fruit bread 47 chickpeas 33 pound cake 54 kidney 27 sponge cake 46 navy 38 pinto 42 FRUIT red lentils 27 apple 38 split peas 32 apricot, canned 64 soy 18 apricot, dried 30 banana 62 BREADS banana, unripe 30 bagel 72 cherries 22 Kaiser roll 73 fruit cocktail 55 pita 57 grapefruit 25 pumpernickel 49 grapes 43 rye 64 kiwi 52 rye, whole 50 mango 55 white 72 orange 43 whole wheat 72 pear 36 waffles 76 pineapple 66 plum 24 CEREALS raisins 64 All Bran 44 strawberries 32 Bran Chex 58 watermelon 72 Cheerios 74 Corn Bran 75 GRAINS Corn Chex 83 barley 22 Cornflakes 83 brown rice 59 Cream of Wheat 66 buckwheat 54 Crispix 87 bulger 47 Grapenuts 67 chickpeas 36 Grapenuts Flakes 80 cornmeal 68 Life 66 hominy 40 Muesli 60 millet 75 NutriGrain 66 rice, instant 91 Oatmeal 53 rice, parboiled 47 Puffed Wheat 74 rye 34 Puffed Rice 90 sweet corn 55 Rice Bran 19 wheat, whole 41 Rice Chex 89 white rice 88 Rice Krispies 82 wh. rice, high amylose 59 Shredded Wheat 69 Special K 54 JUICES Swiss Muesli 60 apple 41 Team 82 grapefruit 48 Total 76 orange 55 pineapple 46 COOKIES oatmeal 55 MILK PRODUCTS shortbread 64 chocolate milk 34 Vanilla Wafers 77 ice cream 50 milk 34 yogurt 38 CRACKERS Kavli Norwegian 71 PASTA rye 63 brown rice pasta 92 saltine 72 linguine, durum 50 macaroni & cheese 64 spaghetti, whole wheat 40 spag. prot. enrich. 28 vermicelli, rice 58