The glycemic index refers to the rate at which carbohydrate foods elevate blood sugar and insulin levels. Low glycemic index, or low GI, foods have a glycemic index of 55 and under, medium GI foods have a glycemic index between 56 and 69, and high GI foods are ranked 70 and above. The Glycemic Index Foundation, a commercial website produced by the Sydney University Glycemic Index Research Service, purports that a low glycemic diet reduces risks for heart disease and diabetes. The chief selling point of the GI diet is its weight-loss potential. Because weight loss success depends predominantly on a negative energy balance, marry calorie counting with the glycemic index diet for a more effective strategy.
Grains
Choose whole grains for the lowest glycemic index. One slice of whole wheat bread carries a glycemic index of 52 and contains roughly 100 calories. Bran cereals have a GI between 30 and 50, depending on the brand, and contain about 100 calories per 1/2-cup serving. Barley offers an even lower GI value of 22 and contains slightly fewer than 100 calories per 1/2-cup serving.
Vegetables
Vegetables score well in the glycemic index ranking, with several varieties containing GI values of 15 or lower, including eggplant, broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce, green beans and red peppers. These vegetables contain 25 or fewer calories per 1/2-cup serving. Still in the low GI range, butternut squash, sweet corn and yams all have GI values between 50 and 55 and contain 41, 65 and 79 calories, respectively, per 1/2-cup serving.
Fruit
Fruits have a slightly higher GI value than vegetables due to their sweetness. Because of their high fiber content, many fruits still remain below the low GI threshold of 55. Choose apples, peaches, oranges or pears for a GI rating of 40 or less. These fruits score well on calories as well, with about 70 calories per fruit. Almost as low, mangoes and bananas have GI ratings below 50 and provide about 100 calories per serving.
Dairy
Unlike plant-based carbohydrate sources, dairy products' GI values and calorie counts are inversely correlated. For example, whole milk has a low GI value of 11 but contains 146 calories per 8 oz. serving, whereas skim milk has a higher GI of 37 but contains only 86 calories per serving. In this case, fat, not fiber, mitigates the rise in blood glucose levels. Either way, both still qualify as a low glycemic foods, as does sweetened yogurt, with a GI value of 33 and approximately 170 calories per 6 oz. serving, depending on the brand.
Legumes
While they have more than twice the calories in vegetables, legumes feature a low glycemic index. Lentils, chickpeas and kidney beans are all low glycemic foods with indexes of 30, 42 and 52, respectively. They contain roughly 120 calories each per 1/2-cup serving.
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