Glycemic Index (GI)
A measure of how quickly a food causes our blood sugar levels to rise.
The Glycemic Index (GI) is a rating system for foods containing carbohydrates. It shows how quickly each food affects your blood sugar (glucose) level when that food is eaten on its own. Foods are ranked on a scale of 0 to 100.
Pure glucose is given a value of 100. Foods with a high GI are quickly digested and absorbed, causing a rapid rise in blood sugar. Low-GI foods, on the other hand, are digested and absorbed more slowly, leading to a gradual rise in blood sugar and insulin levels. Understanding GI is a helpful tool for blood sugar management.
GI Classification
Visual guide to Glycemic Index levels.
Low
≤ 55
Medium
56-69
High
≥ 70
Low GI
≤ 55
Foods that are slowly digested, causing a gradual rise in blood sugar.
High GI
≥ 70
Foods that are rapidly digested, causing a sharp spike in blood sugar.
Food Glycemic Index Table
A comprehensive list of foods and their corresponding Glycemic Index values, categorized for easy reference.
| Image | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dairy & Alternatives | ||
 | Cheese | 0 |
 | Cream cheese | 0 |
 | Egg | 0 |
 | Butter | 0 |
 | Cottage cheese | 10 |
 | Greek yogurt | 12 |
 | Tofu | 15 |
 | Yogurt | 19 |
 | Milk | 31 |
 | Powdered milk | 32 |
| Yogurt (fruit) | 33 | |
 | Kefir | 36 |
 | Soy milk | 37 |
 | Whey | 43 |
| Grains, Beans & Pasta | ||
 | Fenugreek | 0 |
 | Kidney beans | 22 |
 | Lentil | 29 |
| Lentils | 32 | |
 | Beans | 33 |
 | Rye | 34 |
 | Vermicelli | 35 |
 | Chickpeas | 36 |
 | Navy beans | 39 |
 | Cellophane noodles | 39 |
 | Baked beans | 40 |
 | Penne | 43 |
 | Tagliatelle | 46 |
 | Fettuccine | 47 |
 | Pasta | 49 |
 | Spaghetti | 49 |
 | Noodles | 50 |
 | Buckwheat | 51 |
 | Semolina | 54 |
 | Bran | 56 |
 | Oats | 59 |
 | Rice | 60 |
 | Couscous | 65 |
 | Brown rice | 66 |
 | Triticale | 66 |
 | Cornmeal | 68 |
 | Millet | 71 |
| White Rice | 73 | |
| Soups, Sauces & Condiments | ||
 | Turmeric | 0 |
 | Vinegar | 0 |
 | Olive oil | 0 |
 | Grape seed oil | 0 |
 | Sunflower oil | 0 |
 | Vegetable oil | 0 |
 | Hummus | 6 |
 | Peanut butter | 14 |
 | Tomato sauce | 31 |
 | Tomato soup | 38 |
 | Lentil soup | 44 |
 | Fruit preserves | 51 |
 | Chicken soup | 52 |
| Meat, Fish & Poultry | ||
 | Chicken meat | 0 |
 | Chicken gizzards | 0 |
 | Chicken hearts | 0 |
 | Chicken liver | 0 |
 | Bologna sausage | 0 |
 | Roast beef | 0 |
 | Pork | 0 |
 | Pork chop | 0 |
 | Pork bacon | 0 |
 | Beefsteak | 0 |
 | Beef tenderloin | 0 |
 | Flank steak | 0 |
 | Haddock | 0 |
 | Pollock | 0 |
 | Swordfish | 0 |
 | Sea bass | 0 |
 | Halibut | 0 |
 | Tuna | 0 |
 | Whitefish | 0 |
 | Lamb | 0 |
 | Rib eye steak | 0 |
 | Steak | 0 |
 | Beef | 0 |
 | Hot dog | 28 |
 | Chicken fingers | 46 |
| Nuts & Seeds | ||
 | Walnut | 0 |
 | Peanut | 13 |
 | Mixed nuts | 24 |
| Beverages | ||
 | Gin | 0 |
 | White wine | 0 |
 | Light beer | 0 |
 | Tea | 0 |
 | Carrot juice | 43 |
 | Chocolate milk | 45 |
 | Apple juice | 46 |
 | Orange juice | 50 |
 | Juice | 50 |
 | Coca-Cola | 63 |
 | Iced tea | 72 |
 | Beer | 104 |
| Fruits | ||
 | Prickly pear | 7 |
 | Dried fruit | 31 |
 | Apple | 36 |
 | Papaya | 38 |
 | Pear | 38 |
 | Avocado | 40 |
 | Dates | 42 |
 | Peach | 42 |
 | Orange | 45 |
 | Mandarin orange | 47 |
 | Banana | 48 |
 | Grape | 49 |
 | Mango | 51 |
 | Figs | 61 |
 | Persimmon | 61 |
 | Melon | 62 |
 | Honeydew | 62 |
 | Raisin | 64 |
 | Rose hips | 64 |
 | Watermelon | 76 |
| Vegetables | ||
 | Nopales | 7 |
 | Carrot | 39 |
 | Yam | 51 |
 | Corn | 52 |
 | Pumpkin | 52 |
 | Peas | 54 |
 | Taro | 54 |
 | Sweet potato | 70 |
| Potatoes (boiled) | 78 | |
 | Russet potato | 82 |
 | Potato | 86 |
 | Red potato | 89 |
 | Cassava | 94 |
| Snacks & Sweets | ||
 | Chocolate | 23 |
 | Custard | 35 |
 | Sugar substitute | 40 |
 | White chocolate | 41 |
 | Corn chips | 42 |
 | Pudding | 47 |
 | Chocolate pudding | 51 |
 | Candy bar | 51 |
 | Snickers | 51 |
 | Potato chips | 56 |
 | Sherbet | 59 |
 | Rice pudding | 59 |
 | Honey | 61 |
 | Popcorn | 62 |
 | Ice cream | 62 |
 | Chocolate ice cream | 62 |
 | Mars | 62 |
 | Crackers | 63 |
| Mars™ bar | 65 | |
 | Brown sugar | 71 |
 | Saltine cracker | 74 |
| Jellybeans | 78 | |
 | Soft serve | 79 |
 | Jelly bean | 80 |
 | Pretzel | 83 |
 | Pretzels | 83 |
 | Corn syrup | 90 |
| Dishes & Meals | ||
 | Lasagne | 28 |
 | Taco | 39 |
 | Coleslaw | 39 |
 | Baby food | 56 |
 | Pizza | 60 |
 | French fries | 70 |
 | McDonald's french fries | 70 |
 | Mashed potato | 87 |
| Bakery, Breads & Cereals | ||
| All-Bran™ | 38 | |
 | Sweet roll | 40 |
 | Chocolate cake | 41 |
 | Apple pie | 41 |
 | Chocolate brownie | 42 |
 | Biscuit | 44 |
 | Chocolate chip cookie | 50 |
 | Tortilla | 52 |
 | Granola | 53 |
 | Pound cake | 54 |
 | Kellogg's Frosted Flakes Cereal | 55 |
 | Arepa | 55 |
 | Croissant | 56 |
 | Muffin | 59 |
 | Rye bread | 60 |
 | Wheat Bread | 60 |
 | Raisin Bran Cereal | 61 |
 | Multigrain bread | 62 |
 | Bran cereal | 63 |
 | Porridge | 66 |
 | Pancake | 66 |
 | Lucky Charms Cereal | 69 |
 | Kellogg's Special K | 69 |
 | Cereal | 69 |
 | Kellogg's Honey Smacks Cereal | 71 |
 | Lavash (Armenian Bread) | 72 |
 | White bread | 73 |
 | General Mills Cheerios | 75 |
 | Grape-Nuts Cereal | 75 |
 | Doughnuts | 75 |
 | French bread | 78 |
 | Oatmeal | 79 |
 | Kellogg's Corn Flakes | 80 |
 | Kellogg's Corn Pops Cereal | 80 |
 | Kellogg's Rice Krispie Treats | 83 |
 | Gingerbread | 86 |
Sources
The data presented on this page is based on scientific research and public databases.
- Atkinson, F. S., Foster-Powell, K., & Brand-Miller, J. C. (2008). International tables of glycemic index and glycemic load values: 2008.Diabetes care, 31(12), 2281-2283.
- The University of Sydney's Glycemic Index Research Service (SUGiRS). Data retrieved from various publications.Official Website.