Carbohydrates in food are your body's primary source of sugar. The glycemic index ranks foods according to their effect on your blood sugar levels. Foods with a low glycemic index take longer to digest and cause a smaller rise in blood sugar. Foods with a high glycemic index digest more quickly, causing a rapid rise in blood sugar. People with diabetes use the glycemic index to prevent swings in blood sugar. It is also used as a weight loss tool for hunger and appetite control.
Low Glycemic Foods
Low glycemic foods have a glycemic ranking of 55 or less. Examples of foods with a low glycemic index include rolled oats, whole grain breads, pasta, brown rice, barley, buckwheat, yams and sweet potatoes, wheat tortillas, legumes, peas, corn, carrots, milk, yogurt and most fruits including apples, grapes, oranges, pears, peaches and cherries. For better blood sugar control, include more low glycemic foods at meals.
Breakfast
Meats and fats do not contain carbohydrates and therefore do not have a glycemic ranking, but they should be included in your meals for balance. In fact, meats and fats slow stomach emptying and can also aid in better blood sugar and hunger control. A low glycemic breakfast meal may include two slices of whole wheat bread with margarine, a scrambled egg, nonfat milk and a fresh orange. Or, you can have rolled oats with strawberry slices, low-fat yogurt and one slice of whole wheat toast with peanut butter.
Lunch
You can still eat foods with a high glycemic index, according to the American Diabetes Association, if you combine them with a low glycemic index food to balance the effect on your blood sugar. A sample low glycemic lunch meal may include a cold pasta salad made with whole wheat penne pasta tossed with cooked broccoli and carrots and diced chicken breast with olive oil and Parmesan cheese, served with fresh pineapple and a container of low-fat yogurt. Another lunch idea may include a tuna fish sandwich on two slices of whole grain bread, served with a garden salad, whole grain crackers and a fresh pear.
Dinner
Certain factors, including ripeness and cooking, can affect a food's glycemic index. For example, the more ripe a piece of fruit or vegetable the higher its glycemic index, and the longer you cook pasta -- al dente vs. softer -- the higher its glycemic index. A low glycemic dinner meal might include roasted turkey breast, a baked sweet potato with margarine, peas, a garden salad and nonfat milk. Or, you can have a bean burrito made with black bean paste spread in a whole wheat tortilla with cheese, served with brown rice and beans and a side of steamed green beans.
Member Comments