What is the Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load?

Balanced blood sugar is something you should strive for everyday throughout the day.

This helps maintain your energy level, keeps you from getting “hangry,” decreases over eating, and plays a role in preventing and managing diseases or conditions like prediabetes and diabetes.

You have likely heard of the glycemic index or glycemic load– but what do these phrases actually mean and how can you apply them to improve your day-to-day blood sugar?

Read on to learn how to apply GI and GL in your daily life to improve energy, mood, weight, hormones, and more!

Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load

The glycemic index (GI) is a value assigned to foods containing carbohydrates; this value measures how rapidly a food raises a person’s blood sugar over a 2-hour period. The GI scale centers on pure glucose sugar having a GI=100. Glycemic index values for individual foods are either high (GI ³ 70), medium (GI 56 to 69), or low (GI £ 55). Foods that have a high GI value will cause blood sugar to rise quickly after they are consumed, whereas the opposite is true for low GI foods.

However, the GI value of a food only gives you part of the picture. Additional factors are involved in how a food or meal will impact blood sugar, and it’s called the glycemic load (GL).  This measurement is more useful in determining a food’s effect on blood sugar. GL is a numeric calculation, derived multiplying GI by the serving size of a particular food, and is calculated as follows:

Glycemic Load (GL) = [(GI value)  x  (#of grams (g) of carbohydrates per serving size)]/100

GL values are classified as high (GL ³ 20), intermediate (GL 11 to 19), or low (GL£ 10). For example, a small banana has a high GI of 70, but it has a low-intermediate GL of 11 because a banana contains fiber.  Because of this, consider these factors when considering foods to help balance your blood sugar, including:

  • Serving size
  • Fiber content
  • Processing level (e.g., fresh vegetables have no processing, white bread is highly processed)
  • Added sugars
  • Preparation method (fried, baked, steamed, peeled/unpeeled, etc.)
  • Ripeness (applies mostly to fruits and vegetables like bananas, pineapple, etc.)
  • Food pairings

Pairing carbs with healthy fats or protein, or with high fiber foods, can help to lower the GI and GL value because it takes longer for these foods to digest. This causes a slower rise in blood sugar, leading to more balanced blood sugar for a longer period of time. It will also keep you satiated for longer, and can prevent you from overeating.

📚 Related: Why You Should Eat the Carbs

low glycemic foods

How to incorporate low glycemic foods into an everyday eating plan?

The simplest way to incorporate low-to-moderate glycemic foods into your everyday eating pattern is to:

  • Eat foods that are minimally or not highly processed
  • Focus on foods high in fiber. For example, non-starchy vegetables help to improve the fiber content of your meal; vegetables can be prepared steamed, boiled, microwaved, or raw, and can be fresh, canned, or frozen.

Fruits, whole grains, and legumes also add fiber. It’s important to be aware of serving or portion size:

  • Fruits: a small apple or 1 cup of berries is a serving size;
  • Starches and grains: around 1/3 to ½ cup.  

What does a typical low glycemic eating plan look like? Here what a 1-day eating plan might look like:

Glycemic Breakfast Plan:

  • 2 eggs or 3 egg whites, scrambled with sauteed spinach, tomato, and mushrooms
  • 1 slice 100% whole wheat bread with 1 tsp. butter or olive oil +
  • ½ cup of unsweetened greek or cashew yogurt
  • 1 cup mixed berries (fresh or frozen)

Glycemic AM Snack Eating Plan:

  • 6 oz plain Greek yogurt with ½ small banana and small handful of raw almonds

Lunch:

  •  Large vegetable salad with a variety of mixed greens and raw vegetables, and 3 oz. of protein of your choice (grilled chicken, canned tuna or salmon, cooked beans, tofu, etc.), 1/3 cup cooked quinoa or other grain (brown rice, barley, bulgur), avocado (optional), dressed with olive oil and vinegar (or lemon juice)
  • 1 whole wheat roll or 4 whole grain crackers
  • Small piece of fruit (or small handful of grapes)

PM Snack:

  • 1 small to medium sized apple with 2 tbsp. peanut butter
low glycemic dinner plan

Low Glycemic Dinner Plan:

  • 3 oz chicken breast or lean beef (or other lean protein), baked, steamed, grilled, or broiled with olive or avocado oil
  • 1/3 cup brown rice or starch (whole wheat pasta, ½ small, sweet potato with skin, small serving of corn or green peas)
  • Large mixed green and raw vegetable salad dressed with olive oil and vinegar/lemon
  • Small serving of dessert: small piece of fruit with ½ cup low-sugar frozen yogurt or ice cream (you can have this as an occasional treat!)

conclusion

In summary, both glycemic index and glycemic load are helpful tools for meal. But these values alone are just a small part of establishing and planning a healthful, nutritious eating pattern and balancing your blood sugar. Please speak with your dietitian if you’d like more information.

Natalie Olsen, MS, RDN, LD, ACSM-EP

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