If you have noticed that some foods tend to leave you feeling hungrier than others, you have observed the reasoning behind the glycemic index or GI. The GI scale determines how much a certain food impacts your blood sugar. Proponents of a low-GI diet claim that it helps to control blood sugar levels, leaving you feeling fuller longer and helping you to lose weight.
Basics
A low-GI meal plan is not necessarily a low-carbohydrate or low-calorie meal plan. Because only carbohydrate-containing foods impact your blood sugar levels, the only foods rated on the GI are carbohydrates such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables and sugar-containing foods. You must then fill in the nutritional blanks with sources of healthy fats and proteins to create a well-rounded meal plan. The GI diet might be of some benefit to you if you believe you have blood sugar imbalances that affect your diet or if you wish to eat healthier, according to MayoClinic.com.
Rankings
To create a low-GI meal plan, you must choose foods as low on the GI as possible. The GI tends to divide foods into three categories. The first is "high" GI foods, which rate from 70 and upward. These foods include white rice, plain white bread, skinless baked potato and watermelon. Foods between 55 and 69 rank at "medium" on the GI and include bananas, raw pineapple, raisins and sweet corn. Those ranked "low" on the GI rate less than 55; you should generally select carbohydrates from these choices. They include raw carrots, peanuts, grapefruit, skim milk, lentils and kidney beans.
eDiets Example
One example of a low-GI meal plan comes from eDiets, a health website that describes different diet approaches. The low-GI meal plan on eDiets features 40 percent of calories from low-GI carbohydrates, 30 percent from lean proteins and 30 percent from healthy sources of fats. Breakfast consists of an egg-and-cheese burrito with honeydew melon followed by a lunch of curried turkey salad with walnuts and flat bread. For dinner, eat baked fish with couscous and balsamic tomatoes. Snacks for the day include yogurt with raspberries and almonds and a mini pita pizza.
Menu Principles
Keep a few principles in mind when creating a low-GI diet. First, start your day with a breakfast cereal made from oats, barley or bran, which are all low on the GI. For lunch and dinner, reduce the amount of potatoes, rice, pasta and noodles in your diet. Instead, increase your intake of fruits and vegetables, which are often low on the GI.
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