Glycemic Index from High to Low

When I did a post on the glycemic index a few weeks ago, many people asked me to give examples of common foods and their glycemic index. The glycemic index is a measure of how "sugary" a food is. It is on a scale from 0 to 100 where 100 is the glycemic index of glucose. Glucose is a simple sugar that our body uses for energy.

High Glycemic Index Examples (70 or more)

• White Bread / Bagels (72)

• Instant Oatmeal (79)

• White Rice (73)

• Potatoes (78)

• Watermelon (76)

• Pretzels (83)

• Popcorn (70)

• Candy (80-100)

Medium Glycemic Index Examples (56 to 69)

• Rye Bread (64)

• Pita Bread (57)

• Brown Rice (55)

• Wild Rice (57)

• Muesli (56)

• Shredded Wheat (69)

• Taco Shell (68)

• Pineapple (66)

• Mango (56)

Low Glycemic Index Examples (55 or less)

• 100% stone-ground whole wheat bread (51)

• Oatmeal - steel-cut (42)

• Pasta (50)

• Corn (52)

• Peas (22)

• Most fruits – Apples (39), Strawberries (41) and Grapes (53)

• Non-Starchy Vegetables – Broccoli & Cauliflower (15), Celery (15)