Glycemic Index (GI) is a measure of how quickly a food can make your blood sugar rise. Only foods that contain carbohydrates have a GI. Oils, fats, meat, eggs and fish don’t have a GI, though in people with diabetes, they can affect the blood sugar. We collected the glycemic index of the most common foods and put into an infographic and plain table format for you.
Click on the image to download it in high-res.
| High GI foods | GI |
|---|---|
| Rice crackers | 87 |
| Cereals | 81 |
| Potatoes | 78 |
| Low GI foods | GI |
|---|---|
| Bananas | 51 |
| Strawberry jam | 49 |
| Avocados | 40 |
| Carrots | 39 |
| Tomatoes | 38 |
| Apples | 38 |
| Legumes and beans | 16-32 |
| Meats & fish | 0 |
| Vegetables | GI |
|---|---|
| Chilli Pepper | 45 |
| Chinese cabbage | 32 |
| Cucumber | 15 |
| Dill | 25 |
| Eggplant | 30 |
| Endive | 45 |
| Fava beans | 79 |
| Fennel | 15 |
| French beans | 20 |
| Ginger | 10 |
| Green beans | 32 |
| Kidney bean | 22 |
| Leek | 32 |
| Lentil | 29 |
| Lettuce | 32 |
| Lima bean | 32 |
| Navy bean | 39 |
| Peanuts | 14 |
| Fruits | GI |
|---|---|
| Jackfruit | 75 |
| Jujube | 27 |
| Kiwi | 58 |
| Lychee | 48 |
| Mandarin | 47 |
| Mango | 51 |
| Melon | 62 |
| Nectarine | 43 |
| Orange | 45 |
| Papaya | 59 |
| Passion fruit | 16 |
| Peach | 42 |
| Pear | 38 |
| Persimmon | 61 |
| Pineapple | 66 |
| Plum | 53 |
| Prune | 29 |
| Raisin | 64 |
| Strawberry | 40 |
| Apples | 38 |
| Dairy & beverages | GI |
|---|---|
| Beer | 50 |
| Black tea | 0 |
| Carrot juice | 55 |
| Cherry juice | 45 |
| Cider | 35 |
| Hot chocolate | 43 |
| Coconut water | 3 |
| Coconut milk | 97 |
| Black coffee | 50 |
| Cranberry juice | 68 |
| Energy drink | 0 |
| Gatorade | 78 |
| Grapefruit juice | 48 |
| Green tea | 0 |
| Lemonade | 0 |
| Full-fat milk | 39 |
| Skim milk | 37 |
| Orange juice | 45 |
| Pineapple juice | 18 |
| Lowfat yogurt | 33 |
| Other | GI |
|---|---|
| Pizza | 30 |
| Spaghetti | 42 |
| Snickers bar | 55 |
| Brown rice | 55 |
| Honey | 55 |
| Oatmeal | 58 |
| Ice cream | 61 |
| White rice | 64 |
| Popcorn | 72 |
Glycemic index ranks foods on a scale from 0 to 100. Foods are classified as having a low, medium, or high GI:
- Low GI foods (55 or less) cause a slower, more gradual rise in blood sugar levels.
- Medium GI foods (56 to 75) cause a moderate increase in blood sugar.
- High GI foods (76 or above) result in a rapid rise in blood sugar.
GI is useful for people with diabetes or for those who want to control blood their sugar levels for other health reasons. The GI of a food can be affected by various factors, including its nutrient composition, the amount of fiber it contains, and the type of sugar it has. It’s also important how it was prepared and processed.
Choosing lower GI foods over higher GI alternatives is often a wise choice to maintain healthy blood sugar and cholesterol levels, and reduce the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Of course, checking only the glycemic index of common foods should not be the only aspect of your dietary choices. Nutritional quality and the amount of food you eat are also something you definitely need to take into account.
Read this article about healthier sugar alternatives that have lower glycemic index.
