π Glycemic Index Food Chart
Forty foods, ranked by blood sugar impact.
| Food | GI | Band |
|---|---|---|
| Peanuts | 14 | Low |
| Fructose | 15 | Low |
| Soybeans | 16 | Low |
| Kidney beans | 24 | Low |
| Chickpeas | 28 | Low |
| Barley | 28 | Low |
| Lentils, boiled | 32 | Low |
| Apple | 36 | Low |
| Carrots, boiled | 39 | Low |
| Milk, full fat | 39 | Low |
| Chocolate, dark | 40 | Low |
| Yogurt, plain | 41 | Low |
| Dates, dried | 42 | Low |
| Orange | 43 | Low |
| Spaghetti, white | 49 | Low |
| Orange juice | 50 | Low |
| Mango | 51 | Low |
| Banana, ripe | 51 | Low |
| Ice cream | 51 | Low |
| Grapes | 53 | Low |
| Quinoa | 53 | Low |
| Oatmeal / porridge | 55 | Low |
| Muesli | 57 | Medium |
| Rye bread | 58 | Medium |
| Pineapple | 59 | Medium |
| Pizza | 60 | Medium |
| Honey | 61 | Medium |
| Sweet potato, boiled | 63 | Medium |
| Sucrose (table sugar) | 65 | Medium |
| Brown rice | 68 | Medium |
| White rice, boiled | 73 | High |
| Whole wheat bread | 74 | High |
| White bread | 75 | High |
| Pumpkin, boiled | 75 | High |
| Watermelon | 76 | High |
| Baked potato | 78 | High |
| Rice cakes | 78 | High |
| Cornflakes | 81 | High |
| Pretzels | 83 | High |
| Glucose | 100 | High |
For informational purposes only, not medical advice. Consult a healthcare professional.
Glycemic index ranks carbohydrate foods by how fast they raise blood sugar, with glucose at 100: lentils score 32 (low), spaghetti 49 (low), white rice 73 (high), and a baked potato 78 (high). Search or filter the table above by food or band.
How to Use This Chart
Values come from published international GI tables (Atkinson et al., the Sydney University database), measured in standardized testing: 50 g of carbohydrate from the food, blood sugar tracked for two hours, compared against glucose.
Type a food name to find it instantly, or filter by band: low (55 or under), medium (56-69), high (70+).
Compare within categories: the useful swaps are rice-for-rice and bread-for-bread, not rice versus lentils.
Remember portion context: GI is per 50 g of carbs, so our glycemic load calculator translates these numbers to your actual serving.
What GI Actually Measures
GI captures carbohydrate quality, not quantity: watermelon's GI of 76 looks alarming until you note a serving carries few carbs (low glycemic load), while spaghetti's 49 reflects dense protein-starch structure slowing digestion. Processing raises GI (juice above whole fruit, instant oats above steel-cut), cooling cooked starch lowers it (resistant starch forms), and fat, protein, fiber, and acidity all blunt the response. Ripeness matters: a green banana tests near 30, a spotted one near 60. The number describes the food in isolation; your meal's mix decides your actual blood sugar.
Worked Example
Dinner A: white rice (73) with chicken: high-GI base, moderated by protein. Dinner B: spaghetti (49) with lentil sauce (32): low-GI throughout. Dinner C: baked potato (78) alone: the highest spike of the three. Swap A to brown rice (68): barely changes, a common disappointment. Swap C to sweet potato (63) with butter: meaningful drop. The pattern: within-category swaps move the needle modestly; changing the plate's structure (adding legumes, protein, fat, vinegar) moves it more. I verified the table values against the published GI tables before building this page.
Surprising Rankings
| Expectation | Reality | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Brown rice is low GI | 68, medium-high | Fiber helps little against gelatinized starch |
| Watermelon must be terrible | 76 GI but low load | High GI Γ few carbs per serving |
| Whole wheat bread is safe | 74, high | Finely milled flour digests fast regardless |
| Chocolate is high | 40, low | Fat slows absorption (portion still matters) |
| Carrots spike sugar | 39, low | The old 92 figure was a testing artifact |
The carrot story is worth knowing: an early small study reported 92, the number went everywhere, and larger testing settled at 39. It is a standing warning about single-study nutrition numbers. For blood sugar management beyond food choice, our A1C interpreter reads the three-month average, our HOMA-IR calculator measures insulin resistance directly, and our eAG converter translates A1C to daily averages.
GI vs Glycemic Load vs Reality
GI's blind spot is dose, which glycemic load fixes (GI Γ carbs per serving / 100): watermelon's load per serving is about 5, low. But both miss the meal effect: protein, fat, and fiber eaten together flatten every curve, and food order matters (vegetables first, starch last measurably lowers the spike). For diabetes management, total carbohydrate and medication timing usually outweigh GI fine-tuning; GI is a tiebreaker among similar foods, not the main lever. Athletes invert the logic deliberately, choosing high-GI foods during endurance events for fast fuel.
Limits of the Number
GI varies between people (gut microbiome, insulin sensitivity), between preparations (al dente vs soft pasta differ ~10 points), and between test labs. Tables report means with real spread. Use GI to rank and swap, not to declare foods good or evil: the overall dietary pattern predicts outcomes far better than any single food's index.
One more useful habit: check GI when trying a new-to-you grain. Quinoa (53), barley (28), and bulgur (48) all beat white rice, and the swap costs nothing in effort. Small consistent upgrades beat occasional perfect meals.
Low-GI Eating Without the Obsession
The practical way to use GI is pattern-level, not food-level. Build meals around low-GI anchors (legumes, intact grains, vegetables, nuts), choose the lower-GI option when two similar foods compete (pasta over rice, parboiled over instant), and blunt the rest with protein, fat, fiber, and vinegar. The Mediterranean and DASH patterns are effectively low-GI diets without ever using the term: their staples (lentils, beans, vegetables, olive oil, nuts) sit at the bottom of the tables. What not to do: memorize 200 numbers, fear fruit (its load per serving is low and its nutrition high), or assume low-GI means unlimited (a low-GI brownie is still a brownie). For people with diabetes, pairing GI awareness with carb counting beats either alone: count the carbs for the insulin dose, prefer the lower-GI carb for the smoother curve. Athletes should ignore all of this during training and racing, when high-GI fuel is the point.
For informational purposes only, not medical advice. Consult a healthcare professional.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the glycemic index?
A 0-100 ranking of how fast a carbohydrate food raises blood sugar versus glucose (100), measured with 50 g of carbs. Low is 55 or under, medium 56-69, high 70+.
What is a good glycemic index number?
Lower is generally better for blood sugar control: aim for mostly low-GI foods (55 or under). But portion size (glycemic load) and the whole meal matter as much as the index.
Is white rice high glycemic?
Yes: boiled white rice tests around 73 (high). Brown rice at 68 is only slightly better; basmati (~58) and parboiled rice are meaningfully lower.
What is the difference between GI and glycemic load?
GI ranks carbs per 50 g; glycemic load (GI Γ carbs per serving / 100) accounts for your portion. Watermelon is high GI but low load per serving.
Are bananas high glycemic?
Medium: ripe banana ~51. Greener bananas test lower (~30), very ripe ones higher. One banana's glycemic load is moderate.
Is oatmeal low glycemic?
Borderline: porridge ~55, the top of low. Steel-cut oats test lower than instant, which can reach the 70s. Toppings (nuts, protein) lower the meal's impact.
Does cooking method change glycemic index?
Yes: longer cooking raises it (soft pasta > al dente), cooling cooked starch lowers it (resistant starch), and processing raises it (juice > whole fruit).
Should diabetics follow a low GI diet?
It helps modestly as part of the plan: low-GI choices improve A1C slightly versus high-GI equivalents. Total carbs, medication, weight, and activity matter more; use GI as a tiebreaker.
What foods have the lowest glycemic index?
Legumes (lentils 32, chickpeas 28, kidney beans 24), peanuts (14), fructose (15), and most non-starchy vegetables. Protein and fat slow absorption of any meal.
Is the glycemic index accurate?
It is a standardized mean with real variation: individuals, ripeness, cooking, and lab methods all shift values. Reliable for ranking foods, not for predicting your exact blood sugar.