Maintaining stable blood sugar levels is crucial for overall health, especially for individuals with diabetes or those aiming to manage their weight. The glycemic index (GI) is a valuable tool for making informed food choices, and incorporating low glycemic snacks into your diet can be a game-changer. This article delves into the science behind the glycemic index, explores the benefits of low GI snacks for weight loss, and provides a comprehensive list of delicious and healthy options to incorporate into your meal plan.
Understanding the Glycemic Index (GI)
The Glycemic Index (GI) is an indicator of how quickly blood sugar levels rise after eating a particular food. The glycemic index (GI) is a measurement system that ranks foods according to their effect on your blood sugar levels. It ranks foods on a scale from 0 to 100, with higher values indicating a more rapid increase in blood sugar. It was created in the early 1980s by Dr. David Jenkins, a Canadian professor. The rates at which different foods raise blood sugar levels are ranked in comparison with the absorption of 50 grams of pure glucose. Pure glucose is used as a reference food and has a GI value of 100.
The three GI ratings are:
- Low: 55 or less
- Medium: 56 to 69
- High: 70 or more
Foods with a low GI value are the preferred choice. They’re slowly digested and absorbed, causing a slower and smaller rise in blood sugar levels. On the other hand, foods with a high GI value should be limited. They’re quickly digested and absorbed, resulting in a rapid rise and fall of blood sugar levels. Understanding the GI is crucial for managing blood sugar levels, especially for individuals with diabetes or those aiming to maintain healthy blood sugar levels.
How the Glycemic Index Works
When you eat any type of carb, your digestive system breaks it down into simple sugars that enter the bloodstream. Not all carbs are the same, as different types have unique effects on blood sugar. The rate at which foods raise blood sugar levels depends on three factors: the types of carbs they contain, their nutrient composition, and the amount you eat.
Read also: Navigating the Low Glycemic Diet
A number of factors can influence the GI value of a food or meal, including:
- The type of sugar it contains: The GI of sugar ranges from as low as 23 for fructose to up to 105 for maltose. Therefore, the GI of a food partly depends on the type of sugar it contains.
- The structure of the starch: Foods with a higher amylose content will have a lower GI.
- How refined the carb is: Generally speaking, the more processed a food is, the higher its GI.
- Nutrient composition: Adding protein or fat to a meal can slow digestion and help reduce the glycemic response to a meal.
- Cooking method: Generally, the longer a food is cooked, the faster its sugars will be digested and absorbed, raising the GI.
- Ripeness: The riper the fruit, the higher its GI. For example, an unripe banana has a GI of 30, while an overripe banana has a GI of 48.
Glycemic Load (GL)
The glycemic load (GL) rating was developed to solve the problem of GI not taking into account the number of carbs you eat. The GL is a measure of how a carb affects blood sugar levels, taking both the type (GI) and quantity (grams per serving) into account.
The GL ratings are:
- Low: 10 or less
- Medium: 11 to 19
- High: 20 or more
The easiest way to aim for a GL under 100 is to choose low GI foods when possible and consume them in moderation.
Health Benefits of Low Glycemic Foods
A low glycemic diet offers numerous health benefits, making it a smart choice for anyone looking to improve their overall well-being.
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- Improved blood sugar control: By choosing low GI foods, you can better regulate your blood sugar levels, reducing the risk of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Research suggests that low GI diets reduce blood sugar levels in people with diabetes. A 2019 review of 54 studies concluded that low GI diets reduced hemoglobin A1C (a long-term marker of blood sugar control), body weight, and fasting blood sugar levels in people with prediabetes or diabetes.
- May help you lose weight: Some evidence from 2020 suggests that low GI diets can promote fat loss. However, more research is needed to determine whether low GI diets are effective for long-term weight loss.
- Improved cholesterol levels: A 2019 study showed that low GI diets reduce total cholesterol and LDL (bad) cholesterol. LDL is associated with an increased risk of heart disease and stroke.
- May reduce the risk of cancer: Some research suggests that people who consume high GI diets are more likely to develop certain types of cancer, including endometrial, colorectal, and breast cancer, compared with people on low GI diets.
- May reduce the risk of heart disease: Research has strongly associated high GI and GL diets with an increased risk of heart disease.
- Macrosomia Risk Reduction: Moreover, the low GI diet has been shown to reduce the risk of macrosomia.
Creating a Low Glycemic Meal Plan
Creating a low glycemic meal plan can be easy and delicious. There’s no need to count calories or track your protein, fat, or carbs on the low GI diet. Instead, the low GI diet involves swapping high GI foods for low GI alternatives. There are plenty of healthy and nutritious foods to choose from.
You should build your diet around the following low GI foods:
- Bread: whole grain, multigrain, rye, sourdough
- Breakfast cereals: steel cut oats, bran flakes
- Fruit: apples, strawberries, apricots, peaches, plums, pears, kiwi, tomatoes
- Vegetables: carrots
- Starchy vegetables: sweet potatoes with an orange flesh, corn, yams, winter squash
- Legumes: lentils, chickpeas, baked beans, butter beans, kidney beans
- Pasta and noodles: pasta, soba noodles, vermicelli noodles, rice noodles
- Rice: basmati, Doongara, long grain, brown
- Grains: quinoa, barley, pearl couscous, buckwheat, freekeh, semolina
- Dairy and dairy replacements: milk, cheese, yogurt, coconut milk, soy milk, almond milk
The following foods contain few or no carbs and therefore don’t have a GI value. These foods can be included as part of the low GI diet:
- Fish and seafood: including salmon, trout, tuna, sardines, prawns
- Other animal products: including beef, chicken, pork, lamb, and eggs
- Nuts: such as almonds, cashews, pistachios, walnuts, macadamia nuts
- Fats and oils: including olive oil, butter, avocado
- Herbs and spices: such as garlic, basil, dill, salt, pepper
- Non-starchy vegetables: such as broccoli, cauliflower, celery, and zucchini
Foods to Limit on a Low GI Diet
Nothing is strictly banned on the low GI diet. However, try to replace these high GI foods with low GI alternatives as much as possible:
- Bread: white bread, bagels, naan, Turkish bread, French baguettes, Lebanese bread
- Breakfast cereals: instant oats, Rice Krispies, Cocoa Krispies, Corn Flakes, Froot Loops
- Starchy vegetables: Désirée and Red Pontiac potato varieties, instant mashed potatoes
- Pasta and noodles: corn pasta and instant noodles
- Rice: Jasmine, Arborio (used in risotto), Calrose, medium-grain white
- Dairy replacements: rice milk and oat milk
- Fruit: watermelon
- Savory snacks: rice crackers, Corn Thins, rice cakes, pretzels, corn chips
- Cakes and other sweets: scones, doughnuts, cupcakes, cookies, waffles, cakes
- Other: jelly beans, licorice, Gatorade, Lucozade
Low-GI Snacks for Healthy Eating
Low-glycemic snacks in appropriate portions can take the edge off hunger and help you eat mindfully at meal times, supporting better overall health and sustainable weight management. There’s no one-size-fits-all way to eat healthy, so keeping a variety of snacks on hand is beneficial. Single-food snacks are convenient and accessible, while two can add variety and enhance your eating experience.
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Single Food Low-Glycemic Snack Ideas
Single-food snacks are helpful to keep on hand, especially for busy work days and traveling. Check out these nutritious and convenient snack ideas:
- Nuts: A small handful of them -- about 1.5 ounces -- can pack a big nutritional punch with a low carb count. Toss back almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, macadamia nuts, cashews, pistachios, or peanuts for a high-fiber snack full of healthy fats. (Just be sure to hold the salt!) A one-ounce serving of nuts provides a good amount of magnesium-vital for energy production and support of muscle and nerve functions-not to mention they’re a high-protein and high-fiber food. Add pistachios, cashews, Brazil nuts, almonds, walnuts, and macadamia nuts to your shopping list for easy, low-glycemic snacks that travel well. Just keep your portions small, as these calorically dense bite-sized beauties can be easy to overeat. Walnuts have a GI of 15 and are loaded with omega-3s and polyunsaturated fatty acids that promote cognitive function and heart health. Walnuts also help with managing weight and lowering blood pressure.
- Air-popped popcorn: With a GI score of 55, air-popped popcorn is the healthiest alternative to many salty snacks as it’s high satiety and contains polyphenols, i.e., antioxidants that aid digestion. Put 3 cups of the air-popped kind into a sandwich bag as a grab-and-go option that doesn’t overload on carbs. With a dash of salt, it’s the perfect savory crunch for an afternoon pick-me-up.
- Cheese: Low-fat types like cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, or mozzarella are high-protein choices that help keep your blood sugar in check. Enjoy a quarter-cup of cottage cheese with a half-cup of fruit, a piece of low-fat string cheese, or ricotta spread on whole-grain crackers. Plain Cottage Cheese With Diced Fruit and Hemp Cottage cheese delivers protein and probiotics, making it an excellent ingredient to pair with diced fruit and hemp hearts or powdered hemp protein powder. The resulting snack will satisfy your hunger and lower your blood glucose and insulin concentrations.
- Eggs: A scrambled egg white is good for a quick protein fix at home. Or hard-boil a few to keep in the fridge as on-the-go snacks. Eggs, with just 78 calories each, are a nutrient-dense source of protein, carotenoids, lecithin, vitamins, and minerals. They’re a gluten-free, low-GI food that may improve glycemic control in those with diabetes or pre-diabetes. And when eaten in moderation, their impact on cholesterol is limited. Pre-cook hard-boiled eggs in a big batch for the week to tote with you for an on-the-go snack. Just don’t remove the shells until you’re ready to eat them!
- Plain Yogurt: Mix some fresh fruit into plain low-fat yogurt for a sweet treat that’s light on carbs and a great pre-workout snack. Or if you have a savory tooth, stir in soup mix and use as a dip for veggies or low-salt pretzels. While it contains plenty of probiotics to help maintain a healthy gut microbiota, plain low-fat or whole-milk yogurt is also an excellent source of protein. Plain, low-fat Greek yogurt has almost 20g of protein in each 7-ounce container.
- Blueberries: Blueberries are a nutrient-dense fruit that provides many antioxidant and anti-inflammatory health benefits. Researchers also uncovered an intriguing connection between the blue-hued fruit and blood glucose control. Blueberries can improve glucose management and your corresponding insulin response through their actions in the gastrointestinal tract. Compared to other fruits, blueberries have the highest amount of antioxidants. In fact, just one cup contains thousands of antioxidants like vitamin C and A and flavonoids. While the glycemic index of blueberries is 53, similar to bananas and kiwis, their antioxidant properties have solidified their place on this list.
- Raw Carrots: Raw carrots have a GI of 16.
- Apples: With a GI of 36, apples are relatively low on the glycemic index scale compared to most fruits. Eat them whole or pair them with peanut butter for added protein, apples are great for snacking in between meals or on the go travel.
- Red Grapes: With a GI score of 53, most of the antioxidants found in red grapes are in their skin and seeds. Red grapes aren’t just for winemaking, they’re a nutrient-dense fruit packed with antioxidants great for on-the-go snacking.
- Avocados: Avocados are also low in calories and fat, making them a healthy choice for snacking. Don’t let the high-fat content of this fruit deter you from including them in your diet - they have the type of fat you shouldn’t go a day without. Avocados have monounsaturated fats, i.e., healthy fats that lower cholesterol and metabolic syndrome.
- Veggie Chips: Non-starchy veggies are low in carbohydrates, meaning they’re not likely to spike blood sugar levels. Plus, fresh veggie chips are easy to prepare and travel with. Simply slice or chop your veggie of choice and keep them on hand for when you want a crunchy snack. They’re a delicious snack to eat on the go, providing more vitamins and minerals than your average chip.
Two Food Low-Glycemic Snacks
To avoid food fatigue, keep things interesting with these two-food, low-GI snacks:
- Hummus: Yes, it has carbs, but your body digests them slowly. That means they aren’t absorbed as quickly as other carbs and won’t spike your blood sugar. The chickpeas in hummus give it lots of fiber and protein to fill you up. Hummus is a dip made with chickpeas, olive oil, lemon juice, and tahini (ground sesame paste). It contains low-glycemic pulses that can support glycemic control and reduce feelings of hunger. Blitz your own batch at home and add pizzazz with roasted red peppers, caramelized onions, or chipotle peppers. With a GI of 28, chickpeas are versatile and can be used in salads, soups, or as a hummus spread.
- Hummus With Veggies: Serve hummus with carrots, bell peppers, jicama, or celery sticks. Raw carrots have a GI of 16 and when paired with hummus (chickpeas), you have a low glycemic snack that is the perfect trifecta of fiber, protein, and healthy fat.
- Apple With Peanut Butter: Pairing peanut butter with medium- and sometimes high-glycemic foods may positively impact your post-meal glycemic response. One study indicated that two tablespoons of peanut butter blunts the magnitude of a glucose spike in a high-GI meal. Enter apple slices and unsweetened peanut butter. Apples are considered a low-GI fruit, so this snack isn’t likely to cause an alarming spike in your blood sugar levels.
- Parmesan Cheese and Olives: Pair salty, buttery parmesan cheese with briny olives for a delicious and satiating snack. Even though it’s simple to prepare, this snack feels like a delicacy. One study showed that the bioactive compounds in olives improve insulin release after eating.
- Skinless Chicken With No-Sugar Sauce: Add interest to leftover chicken breast by dipping it in a sauce without added sugar. Pair the glycemic-controlling power of peanuts with an Asian flare to make your satay sauce: Whisk four tablespoons of no-sugar creamy butter with ½ cup unsweetened coconut milk, the juice of half a lime, one teaspoon tamari or coconut aminos, ½ teaspoon grated ginger, one grated garlic clove, ¼ teaspoon each of ground turmeric, salt, and pepper. Store the sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.
- Date and Nut Energy Balls: Dates are a natural, real-food sweetener that sweeten various recipes and provide a sticky, molasses-like flavor. To make your own energy balls: Combine 1 cup pitted dates with ½ cup nuts, ¼ teaspoon of sea salt, and a scoop or two of your favorite sugar-free protein powder (if desired). Pulse in a food processor or high-speed blender until the ingredients stick together. Use a melon baller or teaspoon to scoop a small amount of the dough into your hands, roll it into balls, and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Other Low Glycemic Snack Options
- KIND bars: Unlike most snack bars on the market, KIND bars are free of artificial sweeteners and contain whole ingredients such as fruit and seeds, with nuts being their number one ingredient.
- Simple Mills’ almond flour crackers: Toss out that box of Ritz and make room for Simple Mills’ almond flour crackers, the crackers made with low glycemic consumers in mind.
- Zucchini chips: With a GI of 15, this fruit promotes digestion as it contains mostly water and fiber, and is rich in B vitamins which help regulate blood glucose levels. Put your air fryer to use by preparing zucchini chips, a healthy alternative to commercial chip brands high in saturated fats and oils. Simply set your air fryer to 350 degrees F, slice the zucchini into coins, toss with salt and olive oil, and air fry for 10 minutes.
Drawbacks of the Low GI Diet
Although the low GI diet has several benefits, it also has a number of drawbacks.
- First, the GI doesn’t provide a complete nutritional picture. It’s important to also consider the fat, protein, sugar, and fiber contents of a food, regardless of its GI.
- Another drawback is that the GI measures the effect of a single food on blood sugar levels. However, most foods are consumed as part of a larger mixed meal, making the GI difficult to predict in these circumstances.
- Lastly, GI doesn’t take into account the number of carbs you eat. However, this is an important factor in determining their effect on your blood sugar levels. For example, watermelon has a high GI of 72 to 80 and wouldn’t be considered the best option when following a low GI diet. However, watermelon also has a low carb content, containing under 8 grams of carbs per 100 grams. A typical serving should have minimal effect on blood sugar levels. This highlights that using GI in isolation may not always be the best predictor of blood sugar levels.