Low Glycemic Menus

A low-glycemic diet, based on low-glycemic-index carbohydrates, can help you feel fuller with fewer calories, which can help you achieve your desired weight more easily. Low-glycemic-index foods help you stabilize your blood sugar levels, leaving you with more energy throughout the day. Low-glycemic diets are also associated with a decreased risk of developing type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.

Breakfast

To start the day with a healthy and satiating low-glycemic breakfast, avoid traditional breakfast foods, such as breakfast cereals, bagels, breads, instant oatmeal and muffins. All breakfast cereals, even the ones that are free of sugar, and breads, whether it is made with white, whole wheat or whole grain flour, have a high glycemic index. Instead, choose sourdough bread and spread them with almond or peanut butter and complete your meal with a fruit, like an apple or strawberries, and a glass of milk. If you enjoy a warm breakfast, prepare a porridge with either steel-cut oats or quinoa. Add a dollop of plain yogurt or unsweetened apple sauce, a handful of almonds and raspberry for a complete low-glycemic breakfast.

Lunch and Dinner

Avoid high-glycemic carbohydrates, such as potatoes, french fries, white rice, granola bars, pizza dough and other processed grains. Base your low-glycemic meals on generous servings of nonstarchy vegetables like broccoli, green beans, leafy greens, tomatoes or mushrooms. Not only do they have a low glycemic index, but they are rich in fiber and nutrients. Accompany your vegetables with protein from fish, seafood, poultry, meat or cheese and a controlled serving of low-glycemic carbohydrates, such as barley, quinoa, sourdough bread, whole grain pasta, brown basmati rice, beans or lentils. You can drizzle your vegetables with a vinaigrette made with equal parts olive oil and balsamic vinegar, or use red wine vinegar in your marinade for your meat. Vinegar adds acidity to your meal, which contributes to lowering your dietary glycemic index.

Dessert

For dessert avoid foods that contained refined flours and sugar. Cakes, cookies, muffins and other similar processed foods tend to have high glycemic index values. Instead, choose whole foods like fresh fruits, plain yogurt, milk and nuts. For example, you could prepare a smoothie with plain yogurt and fresh or frozen fruits and a little bit of milk to get the right consistency. A berry-and-yogurt parfait makes an elegant low-glycemic-index dessert. Dark chocolate is also a great option that would fit well in your low-glycemic menu plan.

Snack

If you need a little something to get you going until your next meal, pick a snack that contains low-glycemic carbohydrates, ideally coupled with a source of protein. For example, nonstarchy vegetables with hummus, a pear with almond butter, an apple with cheese, a handful of trail mix, cottage cheese mixed with berries or yogurt mixed with some granola and nuts are good examples of healthy snacks for your low-glycemic menu.