Nutripedia

Food Insulin Index

An alternative to the glycemic index for managing insulin levels.

The food insulin index is a measure used to quantify the typical insulin response to various foods. This index is based on the insulin levels in the blood after ingesting a 1000-kilojoule (or 240-Calorie) portion of the test food. The main difference and advantage of the food insulin index over the glycemic index (GI) or glycemic load (GL) is that it directly measures the insulin response, which can be different from the glycemic response for certain types of food. Specifically, foods high in protein and fat require an insulin response for metabolism, despite producing a minimal glucose response.

The values in the table compare the insulin response to the test food with the response to an isoenergetic portion of a reference food (white bread). For example, an insulin index of 120 means the food causes a 20% greater insulin response than white bread for the same amount of energy.

Highest Response

160

Jellybeans

Sugary, refined foods typically cause the strongest insulin reactions.

Lowest Response

Beef

Protein-rich foods with minimal carbs have a much lower impact.

Reference

100

White Bread

The baseline food used to compare all other foods in the index.

Global Diabetes Prevalence

Estimated breakdown of diabetes cases worldwide (537M adults, 2021).

Why This Matters: The Global Diabetes Picture

Understanding the insulin index is crucial in the context of global health. Diabetes, particularly Type 2, is a growing epidemic. While Type 1 is an autoimmune condition, Type 2 is largely influenced by lifestyle factors, including diet.

Choosing foods with a lower insulin index can help manage blood sugar levels, reduce the body's demand for insulin, and may play a role in preventing or managing Type 2 diabetes. The chart illustrates the overwhelming prevalence of Type 2, highlighting the importance of dietary awareness.

Glycemic Index vs. Insulin Index

A comparison of how different foods affect blood sugar (Glycemic Index) vs. insulin response (Insulin Index).

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Grains & Bakery

White bread and breakfast cereals have a high impact, while whole grains like oatmeal show a more moderate response.

Protein Sources

Fish and beef show a moderate insulin response, demonstrating that protein also stimulates insulin, but less than carbs.

Fruits

Bananas and grapes have a higher insulin index among fruits, while apples and oranges are more moderate.

Dairy Products

Dairy products, especially yogurt, can elicit a higher insulin response than their carbohydrate content might suggest.

Starchy Vegetables

Boiled potatoes cause a very high insulin response, while non-starchy vegetables like broccoli have a very low impact.

Snacks & Confectionery

Unsurprisingly, sugary items like jellybeans and candy bars top the charts with the highest insulin responses.

Image
Beverages
	Gin	N/A	N/A	1
	Distilled beverage	N/A	N/A	1
	White wine	N/A	N/A	3
	Beer	N/A	104	20
	Carrot juice	N/A	43	41
	Chocolate milk	N/A	45	46
	Orange juice	N/A	50	55
	Juice	N/A	50	55
	Coca-Cola	N/A	63	60
	Apple juice	N/A	46	64
	Light beer	N/A	N/A	88
	Iced tea	N/A	72	95
Dairy & Alternatives
	Butter	N/A	N/A	2
	Margarine	N/A	N/A	2
	Brie	N/A	N/A	7
	Soy milk	N/A	37	10
	Cream cheese	N/A	N/A	18
	Tofu	N/A	15	21
	Egg	N/A	N/A	23
	Milk	N/A	31	34
	Cottage cheese	N/A	10	40
	American cheese	N/A	N/A	42
	Cheese	N/A	N/A	45
	Yogurt	N/A	19	46
	Greek yogurt	N/A	12	46
	Kefir	N/A	36	112
	Yogurt (fruit)	200g	33	115
Soups, Sauces & Condiments
	Olive oil	N/A	N/A	3
	Mayonnaise	N/A	N/A	8
	Peanut butter	N/A	14	15
	Tomato sauce	N/A	31	41
	Hummus	N/A	6	52
Fruits
	Avocado	N/A	40	6
	Prickly pear	N/A	7	36
	Peach	N/A	42	39
	Raisin	N/A	64	42
	Pear	N/A	38	45
	Persimmon	N/A	61	47
	Apple	N/A	36	59
	Orange	N/A	45	60
	Mandarin orange	N/A	47	60
	Dates	N/A	42	64
	Banana	N/A	48	81
	Grape	N/A	49	82
	Watermelon	N/A	76	84
	Mango	N/A	51	112
	Melon	N/A	62	127
	Honeydew	N/A	62	127
	Papaya	N/A	38	129
Nuts & Seeds
	Walnut	N/A	N/A	7
	Mixed nuts	N/A	24	15
	Peanut	N/A	13	20
Meat, Fish & Poultry
	Pork bacon	N/A	N/A	9
	Bologna sausage	N/A	N/A	11
	Hot dog	N/A	28	16
	Chicken gizzards	N/A	N/A	19
	Chicken hearts	N/A	N/A	19
	Chicken liver	N/A	N/A	19
	Pork	N/A	N/A	19
	Pork chop	N/A	N/A	19
	Ham	N/A	N/A	19
	Lamb	N/A	N/A	21
	Tuna	N/A	N/A	22
	Chicken meat	N/A	N/A	23
	Barbecue chicken	N/A	N/A	23
	Beef Liver	N/A	N/A	37
	Chicken fingers	N/A	46	41
	Whitefish	N/A	N/A	43
	Roast beef	N/A	N/A	51
	Beefsteak	N/A	N/A	51
	Beef tenderloin	N/A	N/A	51
	Flank steak	N/A	N/A	51
	Rib eye steak	N/A	N/A	51
	Steak	N/A	N/A	51
	Beef	N/A	N/A	51
	Cod	N/A	N/A	59
	Haddock	N/A	N/A	59
	Pollock	N/A	N/A	59
	Swordfish	N/A	N/A	59
	Sea bass	N/A	N/A	59
	Halibut	N/A	N/A	59
Vegetables
	Pickled cucumber	N/A	N/A	20
	Broccoli	N/A	N/A	29
	Peas	N/A	54	37
	Carrot	N/A	39	42
	Cauliflower	N/A	N/A	48
	Red potato	N/A	89	52
	Corn	N/A	52	53
	Yam	N/A	51	64
	Taro	N/A	54	73
	Pumpkin	N/A	52	77
	Russet potato	N/A	82	78
	Sweet potato	N/A	70	96
	Potato	N/A	86	121
	Potatoes (boiled)	150g	78	121
Dishes & Meals
	Coleslaw	N/A	39	20
	Taco	N/A	39	24
	Lasagne	N/A	28	34
	McDonald's french fries	N/A	70	54
	Pizza	N/A	60	64
	French fries	N/A	70	74
	Mashed potato	N/A	87	118
	Baby food	N/A	56	149
Grains, Beans & Pasta
	Noodles	N/A	50	22
	Cellophane noodles	N/A	39	38
	Pasta	N/A	49	40
	Spaghetti	N/A	49	46
	Bran	N/A	56	51
	Buckwheat	N/A	51	53
	Lentil	N/A	29	58
	Lentils	150g (cooked)	32	58
	Brown rice	N/A	66	62
	Triticale	N/A	66	68
	Kidney beans	N/A	22	69
	Oats	N/A	59	75
	Rice	N/A	60	79
	White Rice	150g (cooked)	73	79
	Couscous	N/A	65	84
	Baked beans	N/A	40	88
	Beans	N/A	33	88
	Millet	N/A	71	104
	Navy beans	N/A	39	120
Bakery, Breads & Cereals
	Cereal	N/A	69	23
	Bran cereal	N/A	63	32
	All-Bran™	30g	38	32
	Tortilla	N/A	52	36
	Porridge	N/A	66	40
	Oatmeal	N/A	79	40
	Multigrain bread	N/A	62	41
	Lavash (Armenian Bread)	N/A	72	41
	Sweet roll	N/A	40	42
	Apple pie	N/A	41	47
	Biscuit	N/A	44	48
	Yellow cake	N/A	N/A	53
	Doughnuts	N/A	75	54
	Arepa	N/A	55	55
	Pancake	N/A	66	58
	Chocolate brownie	N/A	42	60
	General Mills Cheerios	N/A	75	63
	Kellogg's Honey Smacks Cereal	N/A	71	67
	Kellogg's Corn Flakes	N/A	80	69
	Lucky Charms Cereal	N/A	69	69
	Raisin Bran Cereal	N/A	61	69
	Muffin	N/A	59	69
	Kellogg's Frosted Flakes Cereal	N/A	55	72
	Gingerbread	N/A	86	73
	Kellogg's Corn Pops Cereal	N/A	80	79
	Croissant	N/A	56	79
	French toast	N/A	N/A	79
	Chocolate cake	N/A	41	82
	French bread	N/A	78	90
	Chocolate chip cookie	N/A	50	92
	Rye bread	N/A	60	93
	Kellogg's Rice Krispie Treats	N/A	83	94
	Kellogg's Special K	N/A	69	97
	Wheat Bread	N/A	60	100
	White bread	N/A	73	100
	Grape-Nuts Cereal	N/A	75	110
	Granola	N/A	53	111
Snacks & Sweets
	Chocolate	N/A	23	34
	Sugar substitute	N/A	40	35
	Snickers	N/A	51	37
	Corn chips	N/A	42	45
	Popcorn	N/A	62	54
	Custard	N/A	35	57
	Potato chips	N/A	56	61
	Honey	N/A	61	62
	White chocolate	N/A	41	63
	Ice cream	N/A	62	65
	Chocolate ice cream	N/A	62	71
	Sherbet	N/A	59	76
	Pretzels	N/A	83	79
	Chocolate pudding	N/A	51	80
	Pudding	N/A	47	80
	Brown sugar	N/A	71	83
	Crackers	N/A	63	87
	Saltine cracker	N/A	74	87
	Soft serve	N/A	79	89
	Pretzel	N/A	83	102
	Mars	N/A	62	122
	Mars™ bar	60g	65	122
	Jelly bean	N/A	80	160
	Jellybeans	30g	78	160

Sources

The data presented on this page is based on the following scientific research.

Holt, S. H., Miller, J. C., & Petocz, P. (1997). An insulin index of foods: the insulin demand generated by 1000-kJ portions of common foods.The American journal of clinical nutrition
Bao, J., de Jong, V., Atkinson, F., Petocz, P., & Brand-Miller, J. C. (2009). Food insulin index: physiologic basis for predicting insulin demand evoked by composite meals.The American journal of clinical nutrition
The University of Sydney's Glycemic Index Research Service (SUGiRS). Data retrieved from various publications.Official Website.
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.
FoodStruct. (n.d.). The Most Comprehensive Insulin Index Food List Chart.View Chart.
International Diabetes Federation. (2021). IDF Diabetes Atlas, 10th edn. Brussels, Belgium.