Glycemic Index Food Chart

With the increasing cases of diabetes in recent times, the carbohydrate content present in food has become one of the most important parameters for consideration. This content is measured experimentally and presented in the form of a glycemic index. Glycemic index (GI) refers to the ranking given to different food items on the basis of their carbohydrate content or the pace at which they raise the level of sugar in the blood. In this article, you can peek into the glycemic index of different commonly consumed Indian food items that will help you decide on an appropriate diet for yourself.

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Maintaining a healthy diet is a preventive measure we take for a healthy body. Why don't we pay the same importance to regular testing? If you are diagnosed with diabetes or are at risk of diabetes, look out for the signs of high blood glucose like frequent urination, fatigue, blurred vision, etc. Get a complete blood glucose analysis to regulate the levels as needed.

Glycemic Index Classification

Based on the carbohydrate content present in different food, there are three categories of the glycemic index. The glycemic index is calculated as per the international standards. According to the international standards, 50 grams of digestible carbohydrate is given to 10 or more people and the blood glucose level is measured after 2 hours to determine the effect of food on the blood glucose level. The glycemic index can be of three types:

• High Glycemic Index: When the GI of food ranges from 100 - 70, then it is considered as a high glycemic index food. Since these food items increase the sugar level, they are not considered good for a diabetic patient.

• Moderate Glycemic Index: When the GI of food ranges from 69 - 56, then it is considered as a moderate glycemic index food.

• Low Glycemic Index: When the GI of food ranges from 55 - 0, then it is considered as a low glycemic index food. Since these food items do not increase the blood sugar level, they must be included in your diet if you are a diabetic patient.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nS9x6_kibe8

Indian Foods with Low Glycemic Index:

The Indian food items which are calculated to have a low glycemic index, that is, less than 55 are listed below:

S.No.	Food Group	Food	Glycemic Index
1.	Cereals	Barley	28
2.		Oatmeal	55
3.		Bran	55
4.		Quinoa	53
5.		Corn	52
6.		Peanuts	13
7.		Spaghetti	46
8.		Poha	Low
9.		Whole wheat	54
10.		Daliya	55
11.	Pulses	Green gram	38
12.		Black-eye peas (Lobia)	33
13.		Chickpea (Chole)	28
14.		Soybean	15
15.		Kidney bean (Rajma)	29
16.	Vegetables	Ladyfinger	20
17.		Green beans	32
18.		Onion	10
19.		Cabbage	0 - 10
20.		Green peas	22
21.		Radish	8
22.		Brinjal	15
23.		Cauliflower	10
24.		Cucumber	15
25.		Carrot	16
26.		Broccoli	10
27.		Peppers	15
28.		Tomato	< 15
29.	Fruits	Apricots	34
30.		Apple	36
31.		Oranges	43
32.		Dates	42
33.		Strawberry	49
34.		Grapefruit	25
35.		Peaches	42
36.		Kiwi	39
37.		Prunes	29
38.		Plum	40
39.		Pears	30
40.		Berries	< 40
41.		Pomegranate	18
42.		Guava	12 (approx.)
43.		Banana	51
44.		Figs	51
45.		Mango	51
46.	Dairy products	Milk	39
47.		Curd	28
48.		Yoghourt	41
49.		Paneer	27
50.		Buttermilk	20 (approx.)
51.	Others	Cheese	0 - 10
52.		Walnuts	15
53.		Almonds	0
54.		Fish	0
55.		Sunflower or pumpkin seeds	25
56.		Meat	0
57.		Eggs	0
58.		Mutton	0
59.		Chicken	0
60.		Beef	0
61.		Dark Chocolate	23
62.		Milk chocolate	42

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLh3RbqInKLSM4jao0TkdeIcWp2cstUWk2

Indian Foods with High Glycemic Index:

The Indian food items which are calculated to have a high glycemic index, that is, greater than 70 are listed below: 

S.No.	Food Group	Food	Glycemic Index
1.	Cereals	White rice	73
2.		Puffed rice	82
3.		Bread	75
5.		Instant oats	83
6.		Jowar	77
7.		Wheat	74
8.		Refined flour (Maida)	71
9.	Vegetables	White potato	78
10.		Pumpkin	75
11.	Fruits	Grapes	59
12.		Watermelon	76
13.		Muskmelon	65
14.	Others	Jaggery	84.4
15.		Cake
16.		Cornflakes	93
17.		Cookies	70 (approx.)

Indian Foods with Moderate Glycemic Index:

The Indian food items which are calculated to have a moderate glycemic index, that is, between 55 - 70, are listed below: 

S.No.	Food Group	Food	Glycemic Index
1.	Cereals	Muesli	57
2.		Rye	64
3.		Brown rice	50
4.		Couscous	65
5.		Basmati rice	55
6.	Vegetables	Yam	54
7.		Beetroot	61
8.		Sweet potato	70
9.	Fruits	Papaya	60
10.		Cantaloupe	65
11.		Pineapple	59
12.		Raisins	64
13.	Dairy products	Ice-cream	57
14.	Others	Honey	61
15.		Table Sugar	63
16.		Brown sugar	64
17.		Noodles	53
18.		Soft drinks	65

Takeaway

Now, that you know what glycemic index is and how it can affect your health, you can surely have a much healthier diet without the need of any dietician. You will be able to observe a big change in your diabetes by simply replacing high glycemic index food with options that have low glycemic index. 

https://youtu.be/kqaO5JP_roE

Frequently Asked Question (FAQ)

1. How can I calculate the glycemic index of packaged food?

The glycemic index of a food is dependent upon the content of carbohydrates present in the food. Therefore, as the total carbohydrate content labeled at the back of the packaged food increases, the glycemic index of the food also increases.

2. What are the benefits of having a diet rich in low glycemic index food?

It is very important to have a diet that is rich in low glycemic index food not only for diabetic patients but for everyone. The major benefits of glycemic index food are;

• Low GI food controls the blood glucose level by increasing the sensitivity of the body to insulin.

• Low GI food controls cholesterol level

• Low GI food controls appetite

• Low GI food lowers the risk of heart disease

• Low GI food lowers the risk of type II diabetes

3. How can I include low glycemic index food in my diet?

Certain tips that can help you include more low GI food easily into your diet are:

• Prefer fresh fruits and vegetables instead of canned fruits and juices.

• Consume more whole pulses than washed pulses

• Avoid having refined grains that may include in your diet in the form of white rice, white bread, and low fiber cereals. Instead, you can prefer whole-grain food items like brown bread, chapati, pasta, cereals, and rice.

• Include fiber-rich vegetables in your diet like green beans, eggplant, carrot, cauliflower, tomato, cucumber, broccoli, and leafy green vegetables instead of having starchy vegetables like yam or potato.

• Consume nuts like walnuts, almonds, and peanuts.

• Include flax seeds and sunflower seeds in your diet as well.

• Low-fat dairy products and non-vegetarian food items like seafood, meat, and eggs also have a low GI and thus should be included in your diet.

• Avoid consuming processed food, street food, or fast food.