The glycemic index measures how a carbohydrate-containing food affects blood sugar. Foods with a low glycemic index take the body longer to digest and cause only a small increase in blood sugar, while a food with a high glycemic index digests very quickly, causing a rapid increase in blood sugar. A low-glycemic food plan can be used by people with diabetes to help them manage blood sugar and as a weight loss diet.
Breakfast
When following a low-glycemic food plan for diabetes, it is still important to pay attention to serving size, because both the type of carbohydrate food and the amount affects blood sugar. Talk to your doctor about how many grams of carbohydrates to eat at each meal. The American Diabetes Association suggests you start at 45 to 60 g. A sample breakfast food plan using low-glycemic foods and controlling the amount of carbohydrate may include 1 cup of cooked rolled oats with 1/4 cup of dried dried apricot pieces and 1 cup of nonfat milk. Another low-glycemic, carbohydrate-controlled breakfast meal would include 6 oz. of nonfat fruit-flavored yogurt with two slices of whole wheat toast, margarine and scrambled eggs.
Lunch
Because low-glycemic foods take the body longer to digest, they help to control appetite by delaying hunger, thus aiding in weight loss and weight control. A low-glycemic, carbohydrate-controlled lunch might include an entree salad with grilled salmon on a bed of mixed salad greens with 1/4 cup of chickpeas, 1/4 cup of chopped walnuts and 1 tbsp. of salad dressing, served with a small fresh apple and a 6 oz. container of nonfat fruit-flavored yogurt. Another low-glycemic lunch meal might include a cold pasta salad made with 1 cup of whole wheat pasta, 1/2 cup of mixed vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower and carrots, chopped chicken breast and 1 tbsp. of Italian salad dressing, served with 1 cup of whole strawberries.
Dinner
In general, the more cooked a food item is, the higher its glycemic index, according to the American Diabetes Association. For example, pasta cooked al dente has a lower glycemic index than pasta cooked softer. A food's ripeness also affects it glycemic index. A sample low-glycemic, carbohydrate-controlled dinner might include sliced turkey breast with a 6-oz. baked sweet potato, 1/2 cup of cooked peas and a tossed salad with 1 tbsp. of salad dressing. Another low-glycemic dinner idea is a bean burrito made with an 8-inch whole wheat tortilla filled with 1/4 cup of black bean puree and cheese, served with 1/3 cup of long-grain white rice, steamed broccoli and salsa.
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