Low glycemic index (GI) foods have a rating of 55 or less, causing a slow, gradual rise in blood sugar. Key examples include non-starchy vegetables, most fruits, legumes (lentils, chickpeas), nuts, and whole grains like quinoa and oats. These foods help manage diabetes and heart health by avoiding rapid glucose spikes.
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Glycemic Index Categories
GREEN
= LOW GI
(55 or less)
Choose MOST Often
YELLOW
= MEDIUM GI
(56 to 69)
Choose SOMETIMES
RED
= HIGH GI
(70 or more)
Choose LEAST
Often
Foods in the high GI category can
be swapped with foods in the
medium and/or low GI category.
Benefits of a low GI diet
• Decrease risk of type 2 diabetes.
• Help manage your blood sugar.
• Decrease risk of heart disease
and stroke.
• Feel full longer.
Meal planning ideas
• Cook your pasta al dente (firm).
Check your pasta package
instructions for cooking time.
• Make foods and drinks such as
fruits, and milk or alternatives
part of your meal. These foods
often have a low GI.
• Try lower GI grains, such as
barley and bulgur.
• Swap half of your higher
GI starch food serving with
beans, lentils or chickpeas. For
example, instead of having 1 cup
of cooked short grain rice, have
½ cup of cooked rice mixed with
½ cup of black beans.
The glycemic index (GI) is a scale that ranks a carbohydrate-containing
food or drink by how fast it raises blood sugar levels after a set amount is
eaten. Foods with a high GI tend to increase blood sugar faster than foods
with a low GI.
On top of the type of carbohydrate you choose, the quantity or serving
size also has a role to play in managing your blood sugar. Even low GI
foods need to be eaten in a specific amount or serving size to avoid a high
blood sugar response.
The GI of the food can change based on the serving size eaten, cooking
method and by combining the food with other ingredients in a meal
or snack. By pairing a high GI food with a combination of non-starchy
vegetables, lean protein and healthy fats at each meal or snack, you can
reduce the overall glycemic response.
While this is a tool to help people living with diabetes better understand
blood sugar changes in response to foods eaten, every body is different.
You may find that some high GI foods do not impact your blood sugar as
much while some low GI foods do!
The Glycemic
Index Guide
The Balanced Plate Method
Using a standard dinner plate, follow this model for a balanced meal.
Some carbohydrate-containing foods and drinks have so little
carbohydrate that they do not have a GI value. This means that they can
be included as part of a healthy diet with little to no impact on blood sugar.
Examples include animal based proteins, many vegetables, herbs, spices,
lemons and limes. These foods are not included in the lists below but can
be included in a balanced meal or snack.
Diabetes Canada recommends choosing lower GI foods and drinks more often to help control blood sugar. If possible,
work with a Registered Dietitian to add foods and drinks to your lists, create action plans that include choosing lower
GI foods, adapt your favourite recipes, and find ways to swap/substitute low GI foods into your meal plan.
Checking your blood sugar before, and 2 hours after a meal is the best way to know how your body
handles certain foods and drinks.
Items marked with an * are foods to be enjoyed occasionally. Some items are ranked based on the average of
multiple inputs from the International Tables of Glycemic Index & Glycemic Load. Reference provided below.
GRAINS & STARCHES
Low Glycemic Index
(55 or less)
Choose MOST Often
Medium Glycemic Index
(56 to 69)
Choose LESS Often
High Glycemic Index
(70 or more)
Choose LEAST Often
Breads:
English Muffin (Whole Wheat,
Multigrain)
Dosa (Foxtail Millet + Dhal)
Idli (Brown rice + Dhal)
Flaxseed/Linseed Bread
Mixed Grain Heavy Breads
Multigrain, Seeded Bread
Pumpernickel Bread
Sprouted Grain Bread
Tortilla (Whole Wheat, White, Corn)
Cereal:
All-Bran™ Cereal
All-Bran Buds™ With Psyllium Cereal
Red River Cereal
Oats (Steel Cut)
Oat Bran™
Grains:
Adlay, Job’s Tears, Chinese Barley
(Boiled, Flaked)
Barley
Buckwheat
Bulgur
Chickpea flour
Egg Noodles
Kamut
Mung Bean Noodles
Pasta (Wheat - Al Dente, Firm)
Pulse Flours
Quinoa
Rice (Brown)
Rice (Wild)
Breads:
Chapati (White, Whole Wheat)
Gluten-free Bread (Sourdough,
Buckwheat, Quinoa, Oat, Pulse)
Milk Bread
Oat Bread
Paratha
Pita Bread (White, Whole Wheat)
Spelt Bread
Sourdough (Whole Wheat, Rye)
Roti (White, Whole Wheat)
Rye Bread (Light, Dark, Whole Grain)
Whole Grain Whole Wheat Bread
Cereal:
All-Bran Flakes™ Cereal
Cornmeal porridge
Cream of Wheat™ (Regular)
Granola
Muesli
Oats (Large Flake, Rolled, Old
Fashioned)
Oats (Quick)
Raisin Bran™
Grains:
Amaranth
Cornmeal
Couscous (Regular, Whole Wheat)
Gluten Free Pasta
Millet (Foxtail, Little, Kodo, Proso,
Barnyard)
Ramen Noodles (Fresh, Buckwheat,
Whole Wheat)
Rice (Basmati)
Rice (Parboiled)
Rice (Long Grain)
Rice Noodles
Soba (Buckwheat) Noodles
Spelt
Tapioca
Teff
Udon Noodles
Breads:
Bread, Bagel, Baguette (White, Whole
Wheat)
Dosa (Rice Flour, Finger Millet + Dhal)
English Muffin (White)
Gluten-free Bread (White, Rice, Corn)
Idli (White rice + Dhal)
Matzo
Naan (White, Whole Wheat)
Rice Bread
Rice Cakes
Sourdough (White)
Cereal:
Cheerios™ Cereal
Corn Flakes™ Cereal
Cream of Wheat™ (Instant)
Puffed Wheat Cereal
Rice Krispies™ Cereal
Shredded Wheat™
Special K™ Cereal
Oats (Instant)
Grains:
Millet (Finger, Pearl)
Ramen (Instant)
Rice (Instant)
Rice (Jasmine)
Rice (Sticky, Sushi, Short Grain)
Rice Porridge (Congee)
Sorghum
GRAINS & STARCHES (continued)
Low Glycemic Index
(55 or less)
Choose MOST Often
Medium Glycemic Index
(56 to 69)
Choose LESS Often
High Glycemic Index
(70 or more)
Choose LEAST Often
Other:
Carrots (Cooked)
Melba Toast (Whole Grain, Rye, Oat)
Green Peas**
Plantain (Green, Boiled)
Popcorn (Air-popped)
Sunflower Oat Crisp Crackers (e.g.
Ryvita Crispbread™)
Sweet Potato (Boiled, Steamed)
Winter Squash
Other:
Ancient Grain Cracker
Beets (Cooked)
Breton™ Wheat Crackers
Chestnuts (Roasted, Steamed)
Corn
French Fries*
Parsnip
Potato (Cooked Cooled)
Pumpkin
Rye Crisp Crackers (e.g. Ryvita Rye
Crispbread™)
Semolina
Taro, Eddoe (Boiled)
Triscuit™ Original Crackers
Yam (Steamed, Boiled)
Other:
Cassava (Peeled, Boiled, Steamed)
Corn Starch
Gnocchi
Plantain (Ripe, Fried)
Potato (Instant Mashed)
Potato (Cooked Hot)
Pretzels
Rice Cakes
Rice Crackers
Soda Crackers
Sweet potato (Fried, Baked)
Yam (Roasted, Mashed)
FRUITS
Apple
Applesauce (Unsweetened)
Apricots (Fresh, Dried)
Banana (Green, Unripe)
Berries
Breadfruit (Boiled)
Cantaloupe
Cherries (Fresh)
Dates (Fresh, Dried)
Durian
Figs (Fresh)
Guava
Grapefruit
Honeydew Melon
Kiwi
Longan
Mandarin
Mango
Nectarines
Orange
Papaya
Passionfruit
Peach
Pear
Plum
Pomegranate
Pomelo
Prunes
Starfruit
Banana (Ripe, Yellow)
Cherries (Canned)
Cranberries (Dried)
Figs (Dried)
Grapes
Lychee (Fresh)
Jackfruit
Pineapple
Persimmons
Raisins
Watermelon
Banana (Brown, Overripe)
Breadfruit (Roasted)
Some fruits have not been assigned a GI because they contain less than 15 g of available carbohydrate per serving
(e.g. lemon and lime).
**Snow and snap peas are considered non-starchy vegetables so are not included in the chart.
