Best GI Foods - Not All Low-GI Foods Are Healthy To Eat

Most modern "convenience" foods are high-GI because their carbohydrates have been highly processed and are therefore very quick to be digested and absorbed into the bloodstream causing a blood glucose spike.

On the other hand, foods that contain carbohydrates in a more natural form (e.g. whole grains and legumes) are low-GI and take a lot longer to digest and have a more stable effect on blood glucose. They also have the added benefit of making you feel full for a lot longer.

The easiest way to adopt a GI diet is to swap high-GI foods for similar low-GI foods. Here are some low-GI food choices that you can incorporate into your daily plan.

Breakfast

Avoid processed cereals and eat a proper breakfast. Porridge with fresh fruit, boiled eggs on high-fibre multigrain toast, low-fat smoothies, yoghurt and fruit or baked beans are all low-GI options.

Lunch

Quick and easy sandwiches can be made using a range of low-GI wholegrain or multigrain bread or crispbreads with toppings such as reduced-fat cheese, lean meats, tinned fish and salad vegetables.

Snack

The best type of snack is fresh fruit or vegetable sticks. Other healthy snacks include yoghurt, muffins, small handfuls of nuts or reduced-fat cheese cubes.

Dinner

As with lunch, dinner should consist of lean protein, non-starchy vegetables or salad, plus low-GI carbohydrates such as pasta, noodles, Basmati rice, legumes, sweet corn, peas, sweet potato or carrots. If you are having takeaway, Asian stir-fries made with lean meat, vegetables and noodles are a healthy alternative but avoid white rice. Plus opt for grilled rather than battered fish and swap the chips for salad.

Keeping your blood glucose stable is essential to maintaining long-term health. By increasing the proportion of low GI foods and decreasing high GI foods, you will be better able to regulate your blood glucose and reduce the side effects that occur from poor food choices.