Apart from knowing your BMR, Fat percentage, Daily Protien requirement etc you also need to be aware of the Glycemic Index (or GI) of different food items so that your choice of food can be even more informed.
The GI score for each food will tell you about the rate at which the sugar in that food will be absorbed. The more the GI score, the faster the sugar is absorbed.
The lower the score, the better for you as it will mean sustained, slow-release of energy that is far less likely to cause sudden rise in blood sugar levels.
Food with low GI score will need more calories to be burned for digesting them as well. This increases your daily calorie expenditure too.
If your diet mainly consists of low GI food, it can also lead to melting fat deposits for energy needs especially when you incorporate exercising into your routine.
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The following tables give the GI values for the popular food groups.
Fruits
| Fruit | GI SCORE | Carbohydrates | GI TYPE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apple | 39 | 12g | Low |
| 40 | 10g | Low | |
| Apricots | 57 | 7.5g | Medium |
| Banana | 54 | 23g | Low- Medium |
| Cantaloupe Melon | 65 | 3g | Medium -High |
| Cherries | 22 | 10g | Low |
| Grapefruit | 25 | 6g | Low |
| Grapefruit Juice | 48 | 8g | Low |
| Grapes | 46 | 15g | Low-Medium |
| Kiwi Fruit | 52 | 9g | Low-Medium |
| Mango | 56 | 14.5g | Medium |
| Orange | 44 | 6g | Medium |
| Orange Juice | 47 | 9g | Medium |
| Peach | 42 | 7g | Medium |
| Pear | 42 | 7g | Medium |
| Pineapple | 66 | 10g | High-Medium |
| Pineapple Juice | 46 | 10g | Medium |
| Plum | 38 | 9g | Low |
| Raisins | 64 | 70g | Medium-High |
| Strawberries | 40 | 6g | Low |
| Sultanas | 56 | 66 | Medium |
| Watermelon | 72 | – | High |
Vegetables
| Vegetables | GI Score | Carbohydrate | GI type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Artichoke | 15 | 2g | Low |
| Asparagus | 14 | 1.5g | Low |
| Bell Peppers | 10 | 2.5g | Low |
| Broccoli | 10 | 1.5g | Low |
| Brussels Sprouts | 16 | 4g | Low |
| Beet | 63 | 8g | High |
| Carrot | 70 | 7g | High |
| Celery | 15 | 1g | Low |
| Cauliflower | 15 | 2.5g | Low |
| Cabbage | 10 | 2.5g | Low |
| Green Beans | 14 | 3.5g | Low |
| Lettuce | 10 | 1.7g | Low |
| Mushrooms | 10 | 0.5g | Low |
| Onion | 10 | 4g | Low |
| Parsnip | 98 | 11g | High |
| Potato boiled | 56 | 16.5g | Medium |
| Potato Mashed | 70 | 16g | Medium |
| Potato Baked | 84 | 12g | Medium |
| Potato Sweet | 50 | 20g | Low-Medium |
| French Fries/Chips (UK) | 75 | 37g | High |
| Swede | 71 | 1g | High |
| Sweet Corn | 55 | 19g | Medium |
| Yam | 50 | 32g | Low-Medium |
Grains
| Grain/Pasta | GI Score | Carbohydrate | GI Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barley | 35 | 18g | Low |
| Buckwheat | 55 | 72g | Medium |
| Couscous | 65 | 23g | Medium-High |
| Cornmeal | 70 | 77g | High |
| Rice White Rice | 72 | 30g | Medium-High |
| Basmati Rice | 58 | 90g | Medium |
| Brown Rice | 51 | 31g | Low-Medium |
| Wheat | 48 | 65g | Low-Medium |
| Wild Rice | 58 | 21g | Medium |
| Rye | 35 | 79 | Low |
| Millet | 70 | 24 | High |
| Oat Bran | 54 | 11g | Medium |
| Pasta regular | 49 | 28g | Medium |
| Pasta Gluten free | 54 | – | Medium |
| Capellini | 46 | 30g | Low-Medium |
| Fettuccine | 32 | 29g | Low |
| Gnocchi | 66 | 27g | Medium-High |
| Linguini | 52 | – | Medium |
| Instant Noodles | 46 | 13g | Medium |
| Rice Noodles | 61 | 25g | Medium-High |
| Macaroni | 45 | 19g | Medium |
| Spaghetti | 41 | 23g | Low-Medium |
| Barley | 35 | 28g | Low |
Dairy Products
| Dairy Product | GI Score | Carbohydrate | GI Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whole Milk | 27 | 4.5g (100ml) | Low |
| Semi-skim Milk | 34 | 5g (100ml) | Low |
| Skimmed Milk | 32 | 5g (100ml) | Low |
| Goats Milk | 24 | 4.5g | Low |
| Chocolate Milk | 34 | 10g | Low |
| Instant Non-fat Milk | 27 | 50g | Low |
| Evaporated Milk | 33 | 8.5g | Low |
| Flavored Soya Milk | 30 | 3.5g | Low |
| Sweetened & Condensed milk | 80 | 55g | Medium |
| Sweetened Condensed fat-free | 61 | 60g | Medium |
| Buttermilk | 35 | – | Low |
| Custard | 43 | 17g | Low-Medium |
| Yogurt natural | 35 | 18g | Low |
| Yogurt Low-fat natural | 14 | 7.5g | Low |
| Yogurt Low-fat sweetened | 33 | 18g | Low |
| Yogurt Low-fat non sweetened | 14 | 10g | Low |
| Ice Cream (average) | 61 | 20g (100g) | Medium |
| Ice Cream Low-fat | 50 | 24g | Low-Medium |
Breads & Cereals
| Bread/Cereal | GI Score | Carbohydrate | GI Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bagel | 72 | 65g | High |
| Baguette French | 95 | 55g | Very-High |
| Bun Hamburger | 61 | 49g | Medium-High |
| Bread White | 71 | 47g | High |
| Bread Wholemeal | 69 | 44g | High |
| Bread Gluten free | 89 | 34g | High |
| Bread High Fibre | 68 | 45g | Medium-High |
| Crispbread | 81 | 72g | High |
| Croissant | 67 | 38g | Medium-High |
| Crumpet | 69 | 45g | High |
| Donut | 76 | 50g | High |
| Linseed Rye Bread | 55 | 31g | Medium |
| Muffin | 44 | 26g | Low-Medium |
| Pastry | 60 | 47g | Medium-High |
| Pita Bread | 57 | 58g | Medium-High |
| Pizza | 60 | 35g | Medium-High |
| Rice Cakes | 85 | 78g | High |
| Rye Bread | 41 | 14g | Low-Medium |
| Ryvita | 69 | 55g | Medium-High |
| Waffles | 75 | 25g | High |
Breakfast Cereals
| Breakfast Cereal | GI Score | Carbohydrate | GI Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| All Bran | 42 | 47g | Low |
| Cheerios | 74 | 20g | High |
| Coco pops | 77 | 94g | High |
| Corn Flakes | 84 | 86g | High |
| Muesli | 56 | 70g | Medium |
| Oat bran | 55 | 68g | Medium |
| Porridge | 42 | 13g | Low |
| Rice Krispies | 82 | 90g | High |
| Sustain | 68 | – | Medium-High |
| Sultana Bran | 52 | 68g | Medium |
| Shredded Wheat | 67 | 68g | Medium-High |
| Special K | 64 | 82g | Medium-High |
| Weetabix | 69 | 76g | Medium-High |