If you've ever crashed hard an hour after lunch — foggy, irritable, reaching for something sweet — the glycemic index might explain why. Low glycemic index foods release glucose slowly into your bloodstream, keeping energy steady instead of spiking it and letting it plummet. Understanding which foods rank low on this scale is one of the simplest ways to improve your energy, reduce cravings, and stabilize blood sugar.
What Is the Glycemic Index?
The glycemic index (GI) is a scale from 0 to 100 that ranks carbohydrate-containing foods by how quickly they raise blood glucose. Pure glucose sits at 100 as the reference point.
The three categories:
- Low GI: 55 or below — slow, gradual rise in blood sugar
- Medium GI: 56 to 69 — moderate rise
- High GI: 70 or above — rapid spike followed by a crash
A food's GI depends on its fiber content, how it's processed, its fat and protein content, and even how it's cooked. Al dente pasta, for instance, has a lower GI than pasta cooked until soft because the firmer texture slows digestion.
Low Glycemic Index Foods by Category
Grains and Starches
Heavily processed grains spike blood sugar fast, but intact and minimally processed grains tend to score low:
- Barley (pearled): GI ~28 — one of the lowest-GI grains. Works well as a base for grain bowls.
- Steel-cut oats: GI ~42 — significantly lower than instant oats (GI ~79), which are processed into thinner flakes that digest faster.
- Millet: GI ~54 — a good source of fiber that pairs well with legumes for complete protein. Works as a versatile base grain for bowls and side dishes.
- Whole wheat pasta (al dente): GI ~42 — cook it firm. Overcooking raises the GI by 10-15 points.
- Basmati rice: GI ~50-58 — lower than jasmine rice (GI ~89) due to its higher amylose starch content.
- Sourdough bread: GI ~54 — fermentation produces acids that slow glucose absorption compared to white bread (GI ~75).
Legumes
Legumes are consistently among the lowest-GI foods. Their combination of protein, fiber, and resistant starch slows digestion:
- Kidney beans: GI ~24 — a half-cup delivers 8g of protein and 6g of fiber.
- Chickpeas: GI ~28 — versatile in salads, curries, or roasted as a snack.
- Lentils (green or brown): GI ~32 — cook in about 25 minutes with no soaking required.
- Black beans: GI ~30 — 7g of protein and 8g of fiber per half-cup.
- Split peas: GI ~32 — excellent base for soups that hold well for meal prep.
Fruits
Most whole fruits have a low to medium GI, thanks to fiber and fructose (which has a lower GI than glucose):
- Cherries: GI ~22 — among the lowest-GI fruits. One cup has about 18g of carbs.
- Grapefruit: GI ~25 — half a grapefruit is roughly 13g of carbs with 2g of fiber.
- Apples: GI ~36 — eat with the skin for extra fiber, which further slows glucose absorption.
- Pears: GI ~38 — a medium pear has 6g of fiber, one of the highest among common fruits.
- Oranges: GI ~43 — whole fruit is far better than juice (GI ~50+), which strips out the fiber.
- Strawberries: GI ~41 — low in carbs (about 11g per cup) and high in vitamin C.
Vegetables
Most non-starchy vegetables have a GI so low it's often not measured — typically under 15:
- Broccoli, arugula, romaine, peppers, mushrooms, zucchini, cauliflower: All GI under 15 with very few carbs per serving.
- Carrots (raw): GI ~16 — much lower than sometimes reported. Cooking raises it to around 33, still low.
- Butternut squash: GI ~51 depending on preparation — boiled scores lower than baked.
The starchy vegetables to watch are white potatoes (baked GI ~78) and parsnips (GI ~52).
Dairy
Dairy scores low because lactose digests relatively slowly, and the fat and protein slow absorption further:
- Greek yogurt (plain): GI ~11 — higher protein (15-20g per serving) and lower carbs than regular yogurt.
- Plain yogurt (whole milk): GI ~14 — flavored yogurt jumps to GI 24-36 depending on added sugar.
- Milk (whole): GI ~39 — skim milk scores slightly higher (~41) because removing fat speeds digestion.
- Cheese: GI close to 0 — minimal carbohydrate makes most cheeses negligible on the GI scale.
How to Use the Glycemic Index Practically
Knowing GI values is useful, but context matters. Three principles make this actionable:
Combine high-GI with low-GI foods. White rice with lentils and vegetables lowers the overall glycemic load of the meal compared to rice alone.
Watch portions. Watermelon has a high GI (~76), but a typical serving contains so little carbohydrate that the actual blood sugar impact is modest. This is where glycemic load — which factors in serving size — gives a more complete picture.
Prioritize whole over processed. The less a food is processed, the lower its GI. Whole apple beats applesauce beats apple juice.
For a quick-reference version you can save to your phone, check out our low glycemic foods list. And for practical snack ideas built around these foods, our guide to low glycemic snacks covers every scenario from pre-workout to late-night.
Find Low-GI Options When You Eat Out
Whether you're dining out or ordering in, DinePick can help you find low-glycemic options on any menu — join the waitlist to try it first.