Additional authors include Candace Tucker, MS, NDTR; and Hannah Wilson, PhD, RDN, LD.
Glycemic Index
The glycemic index (GI) tells you how carbohydrate foods raise blood glucose compared to either glucose alone or white bread.
- Glycemic index ranges from 0 to 100, where 100 is pure glucose (sugar).
- GI is based on 50 g of carbohydrates from each food.
- The lower a food’s GI, the slower blood sugar rises after eating that food.
- The higher a food’s GI, the quicker blood sugar rises after eating that food.
- Glycemic index considers effects of the carbohydrate content of food but not the overall nutritional value of a food.
- GI is determined using reference lists, charts, or books. An individual cannot calculate a glycemic index independently.
| Glycemic index (GI) level of a food | Assigned GI value |
|---|---|
| Low GI | 55 or less |
| Medium GI | 56 to 69 |
| High GI | 70 or higher |
Research is mixed on whether choosing foods based on their glycemic index helps control your blood sugar over time. Speak with your healthcare provider to determine if and how you should use glycemic index to manage your blood glucose.
| Food | GI value |
|---|---|
| 100% whole grain bread | 51 |
| Apple | 39 |
| Baked beans | 40 |
| Baked russet potato | 111 |
| Banana, ripe | 62 |
| Brown rice | 50 |
| Carrots | 35 |
| Corn tortilla | 52 |
| Grapes | 59 |
| Green peas | 51 |
| Ice cream, regular | 57 |
| Instant oatmeal | 83 |
| Macaroni | 47 |
| Microwave popcorn, plain | 55 |
| Milk, full fat | 41 |
| Milk, skim | 32 |
| Oatmeal | 55 |
| Orange | 40 |
| Peach | 42 |
| Peanuts | 7 |
| Raisins | 64 |
|
Spaghetti, white, boiled |
58 |
| Sweet potato | 70 |
| Watermelon | 72 |
| Wheat tortilla | 30 |
| White bagel | 72 |
| White pita bread | 68 |
| White rice | 89 |
| White wheat flour bread | 71 |
| Whole wheat bread | 71 |
Glycemic Load
Glycemic load (GL) takes into account the GI of a food and how much of that food you eat (planned portion size). GL can be calculated for any size serving of a single food, a mixed meal of several foods, or an entire day’s meals.
Glycemic load = (carbohydrate content in grams x GI) / 100
| Glycemic load (GL) level | Assigned GL value |
|---|---|
| Low GL | 10 or less |
| Medium GL | 11 to 19 |
| High GL | 20 or higher |
References
American Diabetes Association Professional Practice Committee. (2024). Facilitating positive health behaviors and well-being to improve health outcomes: Standards of care in diabetes. Diabetes Care, 47(Supplement_1), S77–S110. https://doi.org/10.2337/dc24-S005
Atkinson, F. S., Foster-Powell, K., & Brand-Miller, J. C. (2008). International tables of glycemic index and glycemic load values. Diabetes Care, 31(12), 2281–2283. https://doi.org/10.2337/dc08-1239
