GLYCAEMIC
INDEX
What is
the Glycaemic Index of food?
The glycaemic index is a ranking of carbohydrates based on their
immediate effect on blood glucose (blood sugar) levels. It compares
foods gram for gram of carbohydrate. Carbohydrates that breakdown
quickly during digestion have the highest glycaemic indexes. The
blood glucose response is fast and high. Carbohydrates that breakdown
slowly, releasing glucose gradually into the blood stream, have
low glycaemic indexes.
What is
the significance of the Glycaemic Index?
.: Low GI diets can help people lose weight
.: Low GI diets can improve the body's sensitivity to insulin
.: Low GI can improve diabetes control
.: Low GI foods keep you fuller for longer
.: High GI foods can help re-fuel energy stores after exercise
How to Switch
to a Low GI Diet
.: Use breakfast cereals based on oats, barley and bran
.: Use "grainy" breads made with whole seeds
.: Reduce the amount of potatoes you eat
.: Enjoy all types of fruit and vegetables (except potatoes)
.: Eat plenty of salad vegetables with vinaigrette dressing
Low
GI |
Medium
GI |
High
GI |
| Cereals |
| Rice,
Bran, AllBran, Fruit ‘n oats, Toasted muesli, Frosties, rolled
oats, porridge, Guardian, oat bran.
|
Special
K, untoasted muesli, Bran Buds, Just Right, Mini Wheats, Vitabrits,
Nutrigrain, Sustain, Weetabix, Honey Smacks. |
Cornflakes,
Sultana Bran, Branflakes, Cocopops, Puffed Wheat, Rice Bubbles,
Rice Chex, Wheat bites, Breakfast bars. |
| Breads |
| Oat
bran bread, multigrain bread, soy-linseed bread, kibbled
barley, fruit loaf, pumpernickel, Ploughman’s loaf. |
Pita
bread, croissant, crumpet, white bread, hamburger bun, light
rye bread, sourdough, rye, wholemeal bread. |
Bagels,
Wonderwhite, Dark Rye bread, French baguette, melba toast,
Gluten-free bread. |
| Crackers/Crispbreads/Biscuits/Cakes |
| Jatz*,
oatmeal, Rich tea biscuits, banana cake, pound cake, apple
muffin. |
Ryvita,
Saos, Breton wheat, Stoned wheat thins, digestives milk
arrowroot, shredded wheatmeals, shortbread, flans, angel food
cake, muesli bars with fruit, bran muffins, Blueberry muffin. |
Kavli,
water crackers, Rice cakes, crackerbread, Morning Coffee,
vanilla wafer, Donuts (cinnamon). |
| Grains/Pasta |
| Noodles,
cracked wheat, egg fettucine, vermicelli, meat ravioli, spaghetti,
long grain white rice, pearl barley, buckwheat, bulgur, macaroni,
tortellini. |
Buckwheat,
brown rice, Doongara, Basmati, taco shells, gnocchi, couscous,
maize cornmeal, macaroni cheese (packet). |
Sunbrown
quick rice, Calrose shortgrain rice, Instant cooked,
tapioca, Corn chips, millet Rice pasta. |
| Legumes
|
| Soya
beans, kidney beans, lentils, butter beans, chick peas, haricot
beans, lentils, baked beans, bengal gram. |
Green
gram dahl, green pea soup. |
Broad
beans, lima beans, pinto beans. |
| Vegetables |
| Green
peas, sweet corn, sweet potato, carrots. |
New
canned potatoes, new potatoes, beetroot. |
French
fries*, baked potatoes, pumpkin, parsnip, Pontiacs, Desiree,
instant potato. |
| Fruit |
| Cherries,
plums, grapefruit, peaches, apples, pears, dried apricots,
grapes, kiwi fruit, oranges. |
Mango,
paw paw, sultanas, bananas (just ripe), raisins, rockmelon,
pineapple, fresh apricots. |
watermelon,
very ripe “medium fruits”. |
| Dairy
Foods |
| Whole
milk, skim milk, chocolate milk, low fat flavoured yoghurt,
low fat ice-cream, custard, Vitari fruit, ice-cream. |
Icecream
(full fat). |
Tofu
frozen dessert. |
| Sugars
|
| Fructose
(fruit sugar). |
Lactose
(milk sugar), Sucrose, honey. |
Glucose,
Glucodin, jellybeans, lifesavers, maltose. |
| Beverages |
| Apple
juice, grapefruit juice, orange juice, Sustagen. |
Cordial,
Fanta. |
Lucozade,
Gatorade, Sports Plus. |
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