The GL is the best measure of a food’s effect on blood sugar. Here, we’ve listed some common foods and grouped them into three categories: low GL (10 and under), medium GL (11 to 19), and high GL (20 and up). You want to aim for as many low-GL foods as possible and eat high-GL foods more sparingly.
Since carbohydrate foods are the ones that contribute most to the GL of your diet, we’ve focused on those foods here. Foods that are mostly protein or fat—such as meats, fish, and cheeses—have little or no GL, so you won’t find many of them in this list, although you will find them in the Magic foods entries in Part 2. Including protein-rich foods and “good” fats in your meals and snacks will help keep your GL score for the day moderate.
Remember that portion size makes a big difference: If you eat two servings of a medium-GL breakfast cereal, it suddenly qualifies as a high-GL food. On the other hand, if you just love a food in the high-GL category, go ahead and eat a small portion, preferably along with a small portion of a low- or medium-GL food.
Breads, Tortillas, Grains |
Serving size |
GL |
Coarse barley bread (75% intact kernels) |
2 slices |
10 |
Soy and flaxseed bread |
2 slices |
10 |
Whole grain pumpernickel bread |
2 slices |
10 |
Pearled barley |
1 cup |
8 |
Popcorn |
2 cups |
8 |
Wheat tortillas |
2 6” (15 cm) |
6 |
Breakfast Cereals |
Serving size |
GL |
Alpen Muesli |
1/3 cup (1 oz [30 g]) |
10 |
Oatmeal, instant |
1 cup prepared (1 oz [30 g dry]) |
10 |
All Bran |
1/2 cup (1 oz [30 g]) |
9 |
Bran Buds |
1/3 cup (1 oz [30 g]) |
7 |
Oatmeal made from rolled oats |
1 cup prepared (1 oz [30 g dry]) |
7 |
Beans and Peas |
Serving size |
GL |
Lima beans |
1 cup |
10 |
Pinto beans |
1 cup |
10 |
Chickpeas |
1 cup |
8 |
Baked beans |
1 cup |
7 |
Kidney beans |
1 cup |
7 |
Navy beans |
1 cup |
7 |
Butter beans |
1 cup |
6 |
Green peas |
1 cup |
6 |
Split peas, yellow |
1 cup |
6 |
Lentils, green or red |
1 cup |
5 |
Dairy and Soy Drinks |
Serving size |
GL |
7 oz (200 ml) |
9 |
|
Soy milk |
1 cup (8 oz [250 ml]) |
7 |
Nonfat milk |
8 oz (250 ml) |
3 |
Low-fat yogurt with fruit, no added sugar |
7 oz (200 ml) |
2 |
Fruits and Vegetables |
Serving size |
GL |
Prunes, pitted, chopped |
1/3 cup (2 oz [60 g]) |
10 |
Apricots, dried, chopped |
1/3 cup (2 oz [60 g]) |
9 |
Peaches, canned in light syrup |
1/2 cup (4 oz [125 g]) |
9 |
Grapes, medium bunch (about 50) |
4 oz (125 g) |
8 |
Mango, sliced |
2/3 cup (4 oz [125 g]) |
8 |
Pineapple, diced |
2/3 cup (4 oz [125 g]) |
7 |
Apple |
1 small |
6 |
Kiwifruit, sliced |
2/3 cup (4 oz [125 g]) |
6 |
Beets, sliced |
1/2 cup |
5 |
Orange |
1 small |
5 |
Fruits and Vegetables |
Serving size |
GL |
Peach |
1 small |
5 |
Plums |
2 small |
5 |
Pear |
1 small |
4 |
Strawberries |
about 6 medium |
4 |
Watermelon, chopped |
2/3 cup (4 oz [125 g]) |
4 |
Carrots, raw |
1 large |
3 |
Cherries |
about 16 (4 oz [125 g]) |
3 |
Grapefruit |
1/2 |
3 |
Beverages |
Serving size |
GL |
Orange juice, unsweetened |
3/4 cup (6 oz [180 ml]) |
10 |
Grapefruit juice, unsweetened |
3/4 cup (6 oz [180 ml]) |
7 |
Tomato juice |
3/4 cup (6 oz [180 ml]) |
4 |
Sweets |
Serving size |
GL |
M&Ms with peanuts |
25 (1 oz [30 g]) |
6 |
Nutella (chocolate hazelnut spread) |
2 Tbsp |
2 |
Nuts |
Serving size |
GL |
Mixed nuts, roasted |
1/3 cup (1.5 oz [45 g]) |
4 |
Cashew nuts |
about 13 (1.5 oz [45 g]) |
3 |
Peanuts |
1/3 cup (1.5 oz [45 g]) |
1 |
Bread, Tortillas, Crackers, Chips |
Serving size |
GL |
2 slices |
18 |
|
High-fiber white bread |
2 slices |
18 |
Corn chips |
2 oz (60 g) |
17 |
100% whole grain bread |
2 slices |
14 |
Sourdough rye bread |
2 slices |
12 |
Stone-ground wheat thins |
4 |
12 |
Corn tortillas |
2 6” (15 cm) |
11 |
Rye crispbreads |
2 1/2 |
11 |
Grains |
Serving size |
GL |
Brown rice |
2/3 cup cooked |
18 |
Wild rice |
2/3 cup cooked |
18 |
Converted long-grain white rice |
2/3 cup cooked |
16 |
Quinoa |
2/3 cup cooked |
16 |
Wheatberries |
2/3 cup cooked |
14 |
Bulgur |
2/3 cup cooked |
12 |
Pasta |
Serving size |
GL |
Spaghetti (cooked 15 minutes) |
1 cup |
17 |
Whole wheat spaghetti |
1 cup |
13 |
High-protein spaghetti |
1 cup |
12 |
Beverages |
Serving size |
GL |
Low-fat chocolate milk |
8 oz (250 ml) |
12 |
Pineapple juice, unsweetened |
6 oz (180 ml) |
12 |
Apple juice |
8 oz (250 ml) |
8 |
Fruits, Vegetables, Beans |
Serving size |
GL |
Sweet potato |
1 medium (5 oz [140 g]) |
16 |
Figs, dried, chopped |
1/3 cup (2 oz [60 g]) |
16 |
Sweet corn on the cob |
1 cob |
15 |
Banana |
1 small (4 oz [125 g]) |
11 |
Black-eyed peas |
1 cup |
11 |
Breakfast Cereals |
Serving size |
GL |
Kashi 7 Whole Grain Puffs |
1 cup (27 g) |
16 |
Post Grape-Nuts |
1/2 cup (1 oz [30 g]) |
16 |
Cheerios |
1 cup (1 oz [30 g]) |
15 |
Shredded Wheat |
1 large biscuit |
15 |
Special K |
1 cup (1 oz [30 g]) |
14 |
Raisin Bran |
1/2 cup prepared (1 oz [30 g]) |
12 |
Potatoes |
Serving size |
GL |
1 medium |
26 |
|
French fries |
5 oz (140 g) |
22 |
Grains |
Serving size |
GL |
Sticky white rice |
2/3 cup cooked |
31 |
Millet |
2/3 cup cooked |
25 |
Couscous |
2/3 cup cooked |
23 |
Long-grain white rice |
2/3 cup cooked |
23 |
Pasta |
Serving size |
GL |
Udon Japanese noodles |
1 cup cooked |
25 |
Spaghetti (cooked 20 minutes) |
1 cup |
22 |
Breads |
Serving size |
GL |
French baguette |
2 slices |
30 |
Middle Eastern flatbread |
1 large |
30 |
Italian white bread |
2 slices |
22 |
Hamburger roll |
1 |
21 |
Light rye bread |
2 slices |
20 |
Mini-bagel (Lender’s) |
1 |
20 |
Wonder Bread |
2 slices |
20 |
Breakfast Cereals |
Serving size |
GL |
Kellogg’s Cornflakes |
1 cup (1 oz [30 g]) |
24 |
Rice Chex |
1 1/4 cups (1 oz [30 g]) |
23 |
Nabisco Cream of Wheat, instant |
1 cup prepared (1 oz [30 g]) |
22 |
Rice Krispies |
3/4 cup (1 oz [30 g]) |
22 |
Corn Chex |
1 cup (1 oz [30 g]) |
21 |
Dried Fruit |
Serving size |
GL |
Raisins |
1/3 cup |
28 |
Dates, dried, chopped |
1/3 cup |
25 |
Beverages |
Serving size |
GL |
Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice Cocktail |
12 oz (375 ml) |
36 |
Coca-Cola |
12 oz (375 ml) |
24 |
Sweets |
Serving size |
GL |
Mars Bar |
2 oz (60 g) |
26 |
Jelly beans |
20 |
22 |
Betty Crocker chocolate cake with chocolate icing |
4 oz (125 g) |
20 |
Source: “International Table of Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load Values 2002,” Kaye Foster-Powell, Susanna H. A. Holt, and Janette C. Brand-Miller, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition vol. 76, no. 1 (2002), 5–56. Additional data from www.glycemicindex.com, www.mypyramid.gov, and www.ars.usda.gov.
Revised International Table of Glycemic Index (GI) and Glycemic Load (GL) Values—2008, http://www.mendosa.com/gilists.htm