What Is the Glycemic Index: Complete Food List and Tracking Guide

The glycemic index is one of the most referenced yet most misunderstood concepts in nutrition. Originally developed in 1981 by Dr. David Jenkins and colleagues at the University of Toronto, the glycemic index ranks carbohydrate-containing foods on a scale of 0 to 100 based on how quickly and how much they raise blood glucose levels after eating. Pure glucose serves as the reference point at 100.

Understanding the glycemic index gives you a practical tool for making smarter food choices, whether you are managing diabetes, trying to lose weight, or simply want steadier energy throughout the day. This guide provides the most comprehensive GI and GL food reference available, along with the science behind the numbers and practical strategies for applying them.

How the Glycemic Index Is Measured

Measuring GI follows a standardized protocol (ISO 26642:2010). Ten or more healthy volunteers fast overnight, then consume a portion of the test food containing exactly 50 grams of available carbohydrate. Blood glucose is measured at intervals over two hours, and the area under the curve (AUC) is calculated. On a separate day, the same participants consume 50 grams of pure glucose as the reference, and GI is calculated as: (AUC of test food / AUC of glucose) x 100.

The result is an average across all participants, which is important because individual responses vary significantly. The University of Sydney maintains the most authoritative GI database in the world with over 4,000 tested foods (glycemicindex.com). The values in the tables below are drawn primarily from this database and published peer-reviewed research.

GI Classifications

Foods are categorized into three groups:

Classification	GI Range	Blood Sugar Effect
Low GI	55 or less	Slow, gradual rise
Medium GI	56 to 69	Moderate rise
High GI	70 or above	Rapid spike

Glycemic Index vs. Glycemic Load: Why GL Matters More

The glycemic index has a significant limitation: it does not account for how much carbohydrate you actually eat. GI is measured using a fixed 50-gram carbohydrate portion, which can be misleading. For example, watermelon has a high GI of 76, but you would need to eat roughly 780 grams of watermelon to consume 50 grams of carbohydrate. A typical serving contains far less.

This is where glycemic load (GL) becomes essential. GL is calculated as:

GL = (GI x grams of carbohydrate per serving) / 100

GL classifications:

Classification	GL Range
Low	10 or less
Medium	11 to 19
High	20 or above

Using the watermelon example: a 150-gram serving contains about 11 grams of carbohydrate. GL = (76 x 11) / 100 = 8.4, which is low. Watermelon is therefore perfectly fine in normal portions despite its high GI.

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) acknowledges that while both GI and GL can provide additional benefit over carbohydrate counting alone, GL is the more practical metric for day-to-day dietary decisions (ADA Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes, 2024).

Factors That Affect the Glycemic Index

The GI of a food is not fixed. Multiple factors can raise or lower it significantly.

Cooking Method and Duration

Heat breaks down starch granules, making them easier to digest and raising GI. The longer you cook a starchy food, the higher its GI tends to become.

Food	Preparation	Approximate GI
Pasta (spaghetti)	Al dente (8 min)	46
Pasta (spaghetti)	Soft-cooked (20 min)	64
Potato (boiled)	Served hot	78
Potato (boiled)	Cooled then eaten cold	56
Rice (white)	Freshly cooked	73
Rice (white)	Cooked, cooled, reheated	60
Oats (rolled)	Raw in overnight oats	42
Oats (rolled)	Cooked as porridge	55
Carrots	Raw	16
Carrots	Boiled	33

When starchy foods cool, some starch retrogrades into resistant starch, which is not digested in the small intestine. This is why cold potato salad has a lower GI than hot baked potatoes, and day-old reheated rice has a lower GI than freshly cooked rice.

Ripeness

As fruit ripens, starches convert to sugars and cell walls break down, increasing GI. A green banana has a GI of about 30, while a ripe banana with brown spots can reach 62.

Food Combinations

Eating carbohydrates alongside fat, protein, or fiber slows gastric emptying and digestion, lowering the effective glycemic response.

• Adding peanut butter to white bread reduces the glycemic response by roughly 30%.
• Vinegar or lemon juice can lower the glycemic response by 20-30% (Ostman et al., 2005).
• High-fiber additions slow carbohydrate absorption and blunt glucose spikes.

Processing and Particle Size

Grinding, milling, and refining increase GI. Whole wheat kernels (GI 30) become whole wheat flour bread (GI 71) once milled. Steel-cut oats (GI 42) beat instant oats (GI 79) because larger particles slow digestion.

Starch Type

Foods contain two starch types: amylose (straight chains, slower to digest) and amylopectin (branched, faster). Basmati rice has more amylose than jasmine rice, giving it a lower GI (58 vs. 89).

Comprehensive GI and GL Food Tables

The following tables list GI values (glucose = 100 reference), typical serving sizes, carbohydrates per serving, and glycemic load per serving. Values are drawn from the University of Sydney GI database and published clinical studies.

Grains, Bread, and Cereals

Food	GI	Serving (g)	Carbs (g)	GL
White bread	75	30	14	11
Whole wheat bread	71	30	12	9
Sourdough bread (white)	54	30	14	8
Sourdough bread (whole grain)	48	30	12	6
Pumpernickel bread	46	30	10	5
Rye bread (whole grain)	50	30	12	6
Pita bread (white)	68	30	17	12
Bagel (white)	72	70	35	25
Corn tortilla	52	24	11	6
White rice (boiled)	73	150	43	31
Basmati rice (white)	58	150	42	24
Brown rice	68	150	40	27
Jasmine rice	89	150	42	37
Wild rice	57	150	32	18
Quinoa	53	150	30	16
Bulgur wheat	48	150	26	12
Couscous	65	150	35	23
Pearl barley	28	150	32	9
Rolled oats (porridge)	55	250	21	12
Steel-cut oats	42	250	22	9
Instant oatmeal	79	250	26	21
Muesli (natural)	49	30	20	10
Cornflakes	81	30	25	20
Bran flakes	74	30	18	13
All-Bran	42	30	14	6
Spaghetti (white, al dente)	46	180	48	22
Spaghetti (whole wheat)	42	180	42	18
Macaroni	47	180	48	23
Rice noodles	53	180	44	23

Fruits

Food	GI	Serving (g)	Carbs (g)	GL
Apple	36	120	16	6
Apricot (fresh)	34	120	9	3
Banana (ripe)	62	120	27	17
Banana (slightly green)	42	120	25	11
Blueberries	53	120	17	9
Cherries	22	120	15	3
Dates (dried)	42	60	40	17
Grapefruit	25	120	11	3
Grapes	46	120	18	8
Kiwi	50	120	12	6
Mango	51	120	17	9
Orange	43	120	13	6
Papaya	59	120	10	6
Peach (fresh)	42	120	11	5
Pear	38	120	14	5
Pineapple	59	120	13	8
Plum	39	120	12	5
Raisins	64	60	44	28
Strawberries	41	120	8	3
Watermelon	76	150	11	8

Vegetables

Food	GI	Serving (g)	Carbs (g)	GL
Beetroot (boiled)	64	80	7	4
Butternut squash	51	80	6	3
Carrots (boiled)	33	80	5	2
Carrots (raw)	16	80	5	1
Corn on the cob	52	80	17	9
Green peas	48	80	7	3
Parsnips	52	80	10	5
Potato (baked, Russet)	85	150	30	26
Potato (boiled, white)	78	150	25	20
Potato (boiled, cooled)	56	150	25	14
Potato (new/waxy)	62	150	21	13
Potato (mashed)	87	150	24	21
Potato (french fries)	63	150	36	23
Sweet potato (boiled)	63	150	24	15
Pumpkin	64	80	4	3
Yam	37	150	36	13

Most non-starchy vegetables (broccoli, spinach, lettuce, cucumber, peppers, mushrooms, zucchini, cauliflower, cabbage, celery, tomatoes, onions) contain so little carbohydrate that their GI is either untestable or effectively zero in practical terms. You can eat these freely without glycemic concern.

Legumes

Food	GI	Serving (g)	Carbs (g)	GL
Black beans	30	150	23	7
Butter beans (lima)	31	150	21	7
Chickpeas (canned)	42	150	22	9
Chickpeas (boiled)	28	150	24	7
Kidney beans	24	150	20	5
Lentils (red, boiled)	26	150	20	5
Lentils (green, boiled)	22	150	18	4
Pinto beans	39	150	22	9
Soybeans (boiled)	16	150	6	1
Split peas	32	150	21	7
Baked beans (canned)	48	150	19	9
Hummus	6	30	5	0

Legumes are consistently among the lowest GI foods available. Their high fiber and protein content slows digestion considerably. A Cochrane review by Thomas and Elliott (2010) found that low-GI diets rich in legumes improved glycemic control in people with diabetes more than conventional high-fiber diets.

Dairy and Alternatives

Food	GI	Serving (g)	Carbs (g)	GL
Whole milk	27	250 ml	12	3
Skim milk	32	250 ml	13	4
Plain yogurt (full fat)	27	200	10	3
Greek yogurt (plain)	12	200	6	1
Flavored yogurt (low fat)	33	200	27	9
Ice cream (regular)	51	50	13	7
Ice cream (premium, high fat)	38	50	10	4
Soy milk (unsweetened)	17	250 ml	4	1
Oat milk	69	250 ml	16	11
Rice milk	86	250 ml	22	19
Almond milk (unsweetened)	25	250 ml	1	0

Snacks and Sweets

Food	GI	Serving (g)	Carbs (g)	GL
Dark chocolate (70%+)	23	30	13	3
Milk chocolate	43	30	17	7
Popcorn	65	20	11	7
Potato chips/crisps	56	30	15	8
Rice cakes	82	25	21	17
Corn chips	63	30	17	11
Pretzels	83	30	22	18
Granola bar	61	30	18	11
Honey	61	25	21	13
Table sugar (sucrose)	65	10	10	7
Maple syrup	54	25	17	9
Agave syrup	19	25	17	3
Jelly beans	78	30	28	22
Doughnut	76	47	23	17
Croissant	67	57	26	17
Muffin (blueberry)	59	57	29	17
Pancakes (from mix)	67	80	23	15

Beverages

Food	GI	Serving (ml)	Carbs (g)	GL
Orange juice (fresh)	50	250	26	13
Apple juice (unsweetened)	41	250	28	11
Cranberry juice cocktail	68	250	36	24
Coca-Cola	63	250	26	16
Gatorade	78	250	15	12
Coconut water	54	250	10	5
Beer (regular)	66	355	13	9
Tomato juice	38	250	9	3

Low GI Swaps for Common High GI Foods

One of the most practical applications of GI knowledge is making simple substitutions that significantly lower the glycemic impact of your meals without dramatically changing what you eat.

Instead of	GI	Try	GI
White bread	75	Sourdough whole grain	48
Cornflakes	81	Steel-cut oats	42
Jasmine rice	89	Basmati rice	58
Baked potato	85	Boiled new potato, cooled	56
White rice	73	Quinoa	53
Instant oatmeal	79	Rolled oats	55
Rice cakes	82	Whole grain rye crackers	53
Mashed potato	87	Mashed sweet potato	63
Overcooked white spaghetti	64	Whole wheat spaghetti al dente	42
Rice milk	86	Soy milk unsweetened	17
Pretzels	83	Mixed nuts	15
Watermelon	76	Cherries	22
Couscous	65	Pearl barley	28

Who Should Pay Attention to GI

People with Type 2 Diabetes or Pre-Diabetes

A meta-analysis by Brand-Miller et al. (2003) analyzed 14 randomized controlled trials and found that low-GI diets reduced HbA1c by 0.43 percentage points compared to conventional diets, a clinically meaningful improvement. The ADA includes GI and GL as tools that may provide additional benefit beyond carbohydrate counting alone.

People with PCOS

Polycystic ovary syndrome is closely linked to insulin resistance. Marsh et al. (2010) found that low-GI diets improved insulin sensitivity and menstrual regularity in women with PCOS.

Athletes and Active Individuals

High-GI foods after intense exercise accelerate glycogen replenishment. Low-GI foods 2-3 hours before exercise provide sustained energy without a crash.

People Managing Weight

A Cochrane review by Thomas et al. (2007) examining six randomized controlled trials found that overweight participants on low-GI diets lost more body fat than those on conventional diets, though longer-term studies are needed.

Limitations and Criticisms of the Glycemic Index

GI is a useful tool, but it has real limitations that deserve honest discussion.

Individual variability. A 2015 study by Zeevi et al. published in Cell monitored 800 participants and found enormous person-to-person variation in blood glucose responses to identical foods. GI values are population averages and may not reflect your individual response.

Testing conditions do not reflect real meals. GI is measured for single foods eaten in isolation after fasting. In reality, we eat mixed meals with protein, fat, and fiber, all of which modify the glycemic response considerably.

Portion distortion. High-GI foods in small amounts may have less glycemic impact than large portions of low-GI foods. This is why glycemic load is the more practical metric.

Not all low-GI foods are healthy. Premium ice cream (GI 38) and Snickers bars (GI 55) are low GI thanks to fat content, but they are not health foods. GI should never be the sole criterion for food choices.

Limited data. Despite the University of Sydney database containing over 4,000 entries, many everyday foods and regional dishes have never been formally tested.

Practical Strategies for Using GI in Daily Life

Track Glycemic Load Alongside Calories

The most effective approach combines calorie awareness with glycemic awareness. Tools like Nutrola that track over 100 nutrients per food can help you identify patterns in your glycemic load over time. By logging your meals consistently, you can spot high-GI patterns in your diet that might be contributing to energy crashes, cravings, or blood sugar instability.

Apply the One-Third Rule

Aim to make at least one-third of your carbohydrate choices low GI at each meal. You do not need to eliminate all high-GI foods. Simply balancing them with lower-GI options significantly reduces the overall glycemic impact of the meal.

Use Protein and Fat Strategically

Adding protein or healthy fat to a high-GI food dramatically lowers the meal's glycemic response. A baked potato alone (GI 85) eaten with Greek yogurt and grilled chicken becomes a much lower glycemic meal.

Cook Smarter

Based on the cooking data presented earlier, simple changes like cooking pasta al dente, cooling and reheating rice, and eating potatoes cold in salads can meaningfully lower GI without changing what you eat.

Prioritize Whole and Minimally Processed Foods

As a general rule, the less processed a carbohydrate food is, the lower its GI. Whole grains over refined grains, whole fruit over fruit juice, steel-cut over instant oats. This single principle covers most GI decisions without memorizing a table.

Monitor How You Feel

If you are using an app like Nutrola for daily food logging, pay attention to how you feel 1-2 hours after meals. Persistent afternoon energy crashes, constant hunger between meals, or difficulty concentrating after lunch may indicate your meals are too glycemically concentrated. Looking back through your food logs with GI awareness can help identify which specific meals are causing issues.

Glycemic Index for Diabetes-Friendly Tracking

For people managing diabetes or pre-diabetes, glycemic index awareness adds a valuable layer on top of standard carbohydrate counting. The ADA's Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes acknowledges that substituting low-GI foods for higher-GI foods may modestly improve glycemic control.

A practical approach for diabetes management is to combine carbohydrate counting with GI awareness using a comprehensive nutrition tracker. Nutrola's detailed nutrient tracking across 100+ nutrients, combined with features like photo and barcode logging, makes it straightforward to maintain consistent food records while being mindful of both carbohydrate quantity and quality.

Whether you track glycemic load formally or simply apply the low-GI swap principles from the table above, paying attention to carbohydrate quality alongside quantity produces better outcomes for blood sugar management.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the glycemic index the same as the insulin index?

No. The glycemic index measures blood glucose response, while the insulin index measures insulin secretion in response to food. Most foods with a high GI also trigger high insulin responses, but some protein-rich and dairy foods cause disproportionately high insulin responses despite having low GI values. Beef and fish, for instance, have no measurable GI but do stimulate insulin secretion.

Can I use GI to lose weight?

GI can support weight loss but should not be the primary strategy. Calorie balance remains the fundamental driver. However, lower-GI foods may improve satiety and reduce cravings, making it easier to maintain a calorie deficit. Thomas et al. (2007) found modest additional fat loss on low-GI diets compared to conventional approaches.

Does GI matter if I eat a mixed meal?

The GI of individual foods matters less in the context of a balanced mixed meal because protein, fat, and fiber all slow gastric emptying and reduce the glycemic response. However, the overall glycemic load of the meal still matters, particularly for people with diabetes or insulin resistance.

Are all low-GI foods healthy?

No. Many candy bars, ice cream, and chips have low-to-medium GI values because of their fat content. Fat slows digestion and blunts the glucose response, but a food can be low GI and still be high in saturated fat, sodium, or added sugars. Always consider the overall nutritional profile, not just GI.

Why do GI values differ between sources?

GI values vary based on food variety, country of origin, growing conditions, processing methods, and testing methodology. Some older sources use white bread as the reference (GI = 100) instead of glucose, producing higher values. Always check whether values are on the glucose scale or bread scale, and prefer the University of Sydney GI database for consistency.

How does fiber affect GI?

Soluble fiber forms a gel in the digestive tract that slows carbohydrate absorption, directly lowering glycemic response. This is why whole fruits (with fiber) have much lower GI values than fruit juices (fiber removed), and why whole grains generally have lower GI than refined grains.

Is a low-GI diet the same as a low-carb diet?

No. A low-GI diet focuses on carbohydrate quality, not quantity. You can eat plenty of carbohydrates by choosing legumes, whole grains, fruits, and dairy. A low-carb diet restricts total carbohydrate intake regardless of GI. The two can be combined but are fundamentally different.

What is the GI of meat, fish, eggs, and cheese?

These foods contain little to no carbohydrate, so they do not have a meaningful GI value. They do not directly raise blood glucose. However, they do affect insulin levels, and when eaten with carbohydrates, they modify the glycemic response of the overall meal by slowing digestion.

References

• Jenkins, D.J.A., et al. (1981). Glycemic index of foods: a physiological basis for carbohydrate exchange. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 34(3), 362-366.
• Brand-Miller, J., et al. (2003). Low-glycemic index diets in the management of diabetes. Diabetes Care, 26(8), 2261-2267.
• Thomas, D.E., Elliott, E.J., & Baur, L. (2007). Low glycaemic index or low glycaemic load diets for overweight and obesity. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, (3).
• Thomas, D.E., & Elliott, E.J. (2010). Low-glycaemic index diets in diabetes control. British Journal of Nutrition, 104(6), 797-802.
• Zeevi, D., et al. (2015). Personalized nutrition by prediction of glycemic responses. Cell, 163(5), 1079-1094.
• Marsh, K.A., et al. (2010). Effect of a low glycemic index diet on polycystic ovary syndrome. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 92(1), 83-92.
• University of Sydney GI Research Service. glycemicindex.com.
• American Diabetes Association. Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes (2024).