The glycemic index (GI) ranks carbohydrate foods by how quickly they raise blood glucose compared with pure glucose, which scores 100. Foods with a GI of 55 or less are low, 56 to 69 are medium, and 70 or more are high. Search the chart below, or filter it by band.
| Food | Group | GI | Band |
|---|---|---|---|
| White wheat bread | Breads and grains | 75 | High |
| Whole wheat bread | Breads and grains | 74 | High |
| Unleavened wheat bread | Breads and grains | 70 | High |
| Wheat roti | Breads and grains | 62 | Medium |
| Specialty grain bread | Breads and grains | 53 | Low |
| Chapati | Breads and grains | 52 | Low |
| Corn tortilla | Breads and grains | 46 | Low |
| White rice, boiled | Breads and grains | 73 | High |
| Brown rice, boiled | Breads and grains | 68 | Medium |
| Couscous | Breads and grains | 65 | Medium |
| Udon noodles | Breads and grains | 55 | Low |
| Rice noodles | Breads and grains | 53 | Low |
| Sweet corn | Breads and grains | 52 | Low |
| Spaghetti, white | Breads and grains | 49 | Low |
| Spaghetti, whole wheat | Breads and grains | 48 | Low |
| Barley | Breads and grains | 28 | Low |
| Cornflakes | Breakfast cereals | 81 | High |
| Instant oat porridge | Breakfast cereals | 79 | High |
| Rice porridge (congee) | Breakfast cereals | 78 | High |
| Wheat flake biscuits | Breakfast cereals | 69 | Medium |
| Millet porridge | Breakfast cereals | 67 | Medium |
| Muesli | Breakfast cereals | 57 | Medium |
| Porridge, rolled oats | Breakfast cereals | 55 | Low |
| Watermelon | Fruit and juice | 76 | High |
| Pineapple | Fruit and juice | 59 | Medium |
| Banana | Fruit and juice | 51 | Low |
| Mango | Fruit and juice | 51 | Low |
| Orange juice | Fruit and juice | 50 | Low |
| Strawberry jam | Fruit and juice | 49 | Low |
| Orange | Fruit and juice | 43 | Low |
| Peaches, canned | Fruit and juice | 43 | Low |
| Dates | Fruit and juice | 42 | Low |
| Apple juice | Fruit and juice | 41 | Low |
| Apple | Fruit and juice | 36 | Low |
| Potato, instant mashed | Vegetables | 87 | High |
| Potato, boiled | Vegetables | 78 | High |
| Pumpkin, boiled | Vegetables | 64 | Medium |
| French fries | Vegetables | 63 | Medium |
| Sweet potato, boiled | Vegetables | 63 | Medium |
| Plantain or green banana | Vegetables | 55 | Low |
| Taro, boiled | Vegetables | 53 | Low |
| Vegetable soup | Vegetables | 48 | Low |
| Carrots, boiled | Vegetables | 39 | Low |
| Rice milk | Dairy and alternatives | 86 | High |
| Ice cream | Dairy and alternatives | 51 | Low |
| Yogurt, fruit | Dairy and alternatives | 41 | Low |
| Milk, full fat | Dairy and alternatives | 39 | Low |
| Milk, skim | Dairy and alternatives | 37 | Low |
| Soy milk | Dairy and alternatives | 34 | Low |
| Lentils | Legumes | 32 | Low |
| Chickpeas | Legumes | 28 | Low |
| Kidney beans | Legumes | 24 | Low |
| Soybeans | Legumes | 16 | Low |
| Rice crackers | Snacks and drinks | 87 | High |
| Popcorn | Snacks and drinks | 65 | Medium |
| Soft drink | Snacks and drinks | 59 | Medium |
| Potato chips | Snacks and drinks | 56 | Medium |
| Chocolate | Snacks and drinks | 40 | Low |
| Glucose | Sugars | 103 | High |
| Table sugar (sucrose) | Sugars | 65 | Medium |
| Honey | Sugars | 61 | Medium |
| Fructose | Sugars | 15 | Low |
No food matches that search.
What the glycemic index tells you
Each value comes from tests in which a group of people ate a portion of the food containing 50 grams of available carbohydrate, and their glucose was measured over the next two hours. The area under that curve is compared with the same amount of pure glucose. A GI of 40 means the food raised glucose 40% as much as glucose itself did.
The numbers in this chart are averages from published tests, rounded to whole numbers. The same food can score differently depending on its variety, ripeness, how it was cooked and processed, and how long it was stored, so treat them as a guide rather than an exact figure.
Why portion size matters just as much
The glycemic index says how fast a food's carbohydrate arrives, not how much of it there is. Watermelon has a high GI of about 76, but a cup of it has only around 12 grams of carbohydrate, so its effect is modest. A large plate of pasta has a lower GI and a much bigger effect.
Glycemic load (GL) combines the two: GL = GI × grams of available carbohydrate in the portion ÷ 100. A GL of 10 or less is low, 11 to 19 is medium, and 20 or more is high. For example, three cups of popcorn (GI 65, about 15 grams of available carbohydrate) have a GL of around 10. Read more in does popcorn raise blood sugar?
What you eat alongside a food changes things too. Protein, fat, fiber and acidity (vinegar, lemon) tend to slow digestion, so the same slice of bread can behave differently on its own and as part of a meal.
Using the chart day to day
- Use it to compare similar foods: rolled oats against instant oats, boiled potatoes against lentils, white rice against barley.
- Don't avoid a food only because its GI is high, or eat as much as you like because it is low. Portion and the whole meal count.
- Your own response is what matters in the end. People respond differently to the same food, and the only way to know yours is to measure it.
Your own glycemic response
A published GI is an average from a small group of people. InRange measures the one person that matters: log what you eat, and once you have eaten a dish a few times, it gets its own numbers from your sensor's readings, how far it raises you, when it peaks and how long it takes you to get back in range.
Common questions
What is a low glycemic index?
55 or less. Medium is 56 to 69, and high is 70 or more, on a scale where pure glucose is 100.
Is a low GI diet good for diabetes?
Choosing lower GI carbohydrates can help smooth the rise after meals, and studies show a modest improvement in A1C. It works best together with attention to portion size and the overall meal.
What is the difference between glycemic index and glycemic load?
Glycemic index describes how fast a food's carbohydrate raises glucose. Glycemic load also accounts for how much carbohydrate is in the portion you actually eat.
Why does the same food have different GI values in different charts?
Variety, ripeness, cooking, processing and testing all change the result, so published values for one food can differ by several points.
Sources
- Atkinson FS, Foster-Powell K, Brand-Miller JC. International tables of glycemic index and glycemic load values: 2008. Diabetes Care. 2008;31(12):2281–2283.
- Atkinson FS, Brand-Miller JC, Foster-Powell K, Buyken AE, Goletzke J. International tables of glycemic index and glycemic load values 2021: a systematic review. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2021;114(5):1625–1632.
- University of Sydney. Glycemic Index Research and GI News, glycemicindex.com.