The glycemic index is a measure of how different foods affect your blood sugar levels. Foods with high indices make blood sugar and insulin levels rise quickly and then crash. This cycle can lead to hunger pangs, according to Walter C. Willett, M.D. In general, refined grain products, such as white bread, white rice and baked potatoes, have a high glycemic value. Foods with a low glycemic index, or under 55, have slow and steady effects on blood sugar and insulin. These foods include whole grains, beans, vegetables and fruits.
Breakfast
If your wish is to include more low glycemic index foods in your breakfast, emphasize fruits and whole grains over cereals and refined breads. For example, a bowl of oatmeal made with water and mixed with blueberries is a low glycemic meal, with a glycemic index of just under 55. Compare this with white bread, with a glycemic index of 70, and Cornflakes cereal, 81. Almost all fruits have low glycemic indices. An apple scores a 38. Exceptions include bananas and dates. Oatmeal has a glycemic index of 58, which is lower than most cold cereals.
Lunch
As with breakfast, the first step to reducing the glycemic index of your lunch is to substitute whole grains for refined grains. You may wish to take it a step further. Beans are a tasty and nutritious lunchtime favorite, and their glycemic index is even lower than that of whole grains. Black-eyed peas, for instance, have a glycemic index of 33. Compare to brown rice's 66. Try mixing a cup of your favorite legume into a salad. Pureed beans make a great alternative to traditional dips. For dipping, use carrots or celery instead of chips.
Dinner
A dinner that includes a large proportion of vegetables is likely to have a low glycemic index. Starchier vegetables such as potatoes, however, have higher values, notes Willett. White potatoes without the skin have an index of 98, which is nearly equivalent of pure sugar, which scores 100. Come supper, emphasize leafy green vegetables in salads, and substitute eggplant and zucchini for potatoes. Animal products, which include meat, eggs and dairy, as well as alcoholic beverages, do not derive many calories from carbohydrate, and therefore do not have glycemic indices, according to GlycemicIndex.com.
Considerations
Several factors determine how rapidly the carbohydrates in food are broken down and the resulting glucose absorbed into your blood. Fiber and fat content plays a key role. The more of either in a given portion of food, the lower the glycemic index. For example, white bread has a glycemic index of 70. If you add avocado into your next sandwich, however, the added fat and fiber may reduce its glycemic index into the low range.
References
- "Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy"; Walter C. Willett, M.D.; 2005
- GlycemicIndex.com
- "Biochemistry: Pamela C. Champe et al; 2005
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