Glycemic index food list: GI and GL of 67 common foods
The glycemic index (GI) ranks carbohydrate foods by how quickly they raise blood sugar compared with pure glucose, which scores 100. The glycemic load (GL) adjusts for how much carbohydrate a normal serving contains, so it tells you more about a real portion. Search or filter the table below, then open any food for tips on eating it with less of a spike.
What counts as low, medium and high
- Low
GI 55 or less · GL 10 or less per serving
- Medium
GI 56–69 · GL 11–19 per serving
- High
GI 70 or more · GL 20 or more per serving
GI and GL of every food
Showing 67 of 67 foods
| GI band | Serving | Details | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agave syrup | 13 | Low | 1 teaspoon (6.9 g) | 5 | 1 (low) | Details |
| Apple juice | 46 | Low | 1 cup, 8 fl oz (248 g) | 28 | 13 (medium) | Details |
| Apples | 36 | Low | 1 medium apple, 3-inch diameter (182 g) | 21 | 8 (low) | Details |
| Baked beans | 48 | Low | ½ cup (127 g) | 22 | 11 (medium) | Details |
| Baked potatoes | 86 | High | 1 medium potato (173 g) | 33 | 28 (high) | Details |
| Bananas | 51 | Low | 1 medium banana, 7 to 7⅞ inches long (118 g) | 24 | 12 (medium) | Details |
| Basmati rice | 60 | Medium | 1 cup cooked (158 g) | 44 | 26 (high) | Details |
| Blueberries | 53 | Low | 1 cup (148 g) | 18 | 10 (low) | Details |
| Boiled potatoes | 73 | High | 1 medium potato (167 g) | 30 | 22 (high) | Details |
| Brown rice | 68 | Medium | 1 cup cooked (202 g) | 48 | 33 (high) | Details |
| Carrots | 32 | Low | ½ cup slices (78 g) | 4 | 1 (low) | Details |
| Cashews | 25 | Low | 1 oz, a small handful (28 g) | 8 | 2 (low) | Details |
| Chickpeas | 28 | Low | 1 cup cooked (164 g) | 33 | 9 (low) | Details |
| Cola | 63 | Medium | one 12 fl oz can (370 g) | 38 | 24 (high) | Details |
| Corn tortillas | 46 | Low | 1 tortilla (24 g) | 9 | 4 (low) | Details |
| Cornflakes | 80 | High | 1 cup (30 g) | 23 | 18 (medium) | Details |
| Couscous | 65 | Medium | 1 cup cooked (157 g) | 34 | 22 (high) | Details |
| Croissants | 56 | Medium | 1 medium croissant (57 g) | 25 | 14 (medium) | Details |
| Dark chocolate | 29 | Low | 1 oz (28 g) | 10 | 3 (low) | Details |
| Dates | 54 | Low | 2 Medjool dates, pitted (48 g) | 33 | 18 (medium) | Details |
| French fries | 63 | Medium | 10 strips (74 g) | 19 | 12 (medium) | Details |
| Granola | 53 | Low | 1 single-serve portion, about ¼ cup (30 g) | 18 | 10 (low) | Details |
| Grapes | 54 | Low | 1 cup (151 g) | 26 | 14 (medium) | Details |
| Green peas | 36 | Low | ½ cup (80 g) | 8 | 3 (low) | Details |
| Honey | 60 | Medium | 1 tablespoon (21 g) | 17 | 10 (low) | Details |
| Hummus | 22 | Low | 2 tablespoons (30 g) | 3 | 1 (low) | Details |
| Ice cream | 51 | Low | ½ cup (66 g) | 15 | 8 (low) | Details |
| Instant noodles | 51 | Low | 1 package of noodles, without the flavor packet (81 g) | 46 | 23 (high) | Details |
| Instant oatmeal | 82 | High | 1 cup cooked (234 g) | 23 | 19 (medium) | Details |
| Jasmine rice | 89 | High | 1 cup cooked (158 g) | 44 | 39 (high) | Details |
| Kidney beans | 24 | Low | 1 cup cooked (177 g) | 29 | 7 (low) | Details |
| Lentils | 16 | Low | 1 cup cooked (198 g) | 24 | 4 (low) | Details |
| Mangoes | 51 | Low | 1 cup pieces (165 g) | 22 | 11 (medium) | Details |
| Maple syrup | 54 | Low | 1 tablespoon (20 g) | 13 | 7 (low) | Details |
| Mashed potatoes | 79 | High | 1 cup (210 g) | 34 | 27 (high) | Details |
| Milk | 37 | Low | 1 cup (244 g) | 12 | 4 (low) | Details |
| Milk chocolate | 45 | Low | one 1.55 oz bar (44 g) | 25 | 11 (medium) | Details |
| Multigrain bread | 56 | Medium | 1 regular slice (26 g) | 9 | 5 (low) | Details |
| Oatmeal (rolled oats) | 58 | Medium | 1 cup cooked (240 g) | 23 | 13 (medium) | Details |
| Orange juice | 48 | Low | 1 cup, 8 fl oz (249 g) | 28 | 13 (medium) | Details |
| Oranges | 43 | Low | 1 orange, 2⅝-inch diameter (131 g) | 12 | 5 (low) | Details |
| Pearl barley | 30 | Low | 1 cup cooked (157 g) | 38 | 11 (medium) | Details |
| Pears | 33 | Low | 1 medium pear (178 g) | 22 | 7 (low) | Details |
| Pineapple | 59 | Medium | 1 cup chunks (165 g) | 19 | 11 (medium) | Details |
| Popcorn | 62 | Medium | 3 cups air-popped (24 g) | 15 | 9 (low) | Details |
| Potato chips | 56 | Medium | 1 oz, about 22 chips (28 g) | 14 | 8 (low) | Details |
| Pumpkin | 64 | Medium | 1 cup mashed (245 g) | 9 | 6 (low) | Details |
| Quinoa | 53 | Low | 1 cup cooked (185 g) | 34 | 18 (medium) | Details |
| Raisins | 55 | Low | one 1.5 oz box (43 g) | 32 | 18 (medium) | Details |
| Rice cakes | 87 | High | 2 cakes (18 g) | 14 | 12 (medium) | Details |
| Rice milk | 86 | High | 1 cup, 8 fl oz (240 g) | 21 | 18 (medium) | Details |
| Rice noodles | 53 | Low | 1 cup cooked (176 g) | 40 | 21 (high) | Details |
| Rye bread | 60 | Medium | 1 regular slice (32 g) | 14 | 8 (low) | Details |
| Sourdough bread | 70 | High | 1 oz (28 g) | 14 | 10 (low) | Details |
| Soy milk | 37 | Low | 1 cup (243 g) | 14 | 5 (low) | Details |
| Spaghetti (white pasta) | 47 | Low | 1 cup cooked, not packed (124 g) | 36 | 17 (medium) | Details |
| Steel-cut oats | 52 | Low | 1 cup cooked (240 g) | 23 | 12 (medium) | Details |
| Strawberries | 40 | Low | 1 cup whole (144 g) | 8 | 3 (low) | Details |
| Sweet corn | 53 | Low | 1 medium ear (103 g) | 19 | 10 (low) | Details |
| Sweet potatoes | 46 | Low | 1 medium sweet potato (151 g) | 23 | 11 (medium) | Details |
| Table sugar | 66 | Medium | 1 teaspoon (4.2 g) | 4 | 3 (low) | Details |
| Watermelon | 50 | Low | 1 cup diced (152 g) | 11 | 6 (low) | Details |
| White bread | 73 | High | 1 slice (29 g) | 14 | 10 (low) | Details |
| White rice | 73 | High | 1 cup cooked (158 g) | 44 | 32 (high) | Details |
| Whole-wheat bread | 75 | High | 1 slice (32 g) | 12 | 9 (low) | Details |
| Whole-wheat pasta | 50 | Low | 1 cup cooked, not packed (117 g) | 31 | 16 (medium) | Details |
| Yogurt | 33 | Low | one 6 oz container (170 g) | 12 | 4 (low) | Details |
How this list was built
Each GI is a published value. We use the average from the 2021 international tables of glycemic index and glycemic load (Atkinson et al.) when one exists, then the average from the 2008 edition. A few foods have only single standardized tests; their pages say so and give the range of other results. Available carbohydrate (total carbohydrate minus fiber) and fiber per serving come from USDA FoodData Central, and glycemic load is calculated as GI × available carbohydrate ÷ 100, rounded to the nearest whole number.
Want the GL of your own portion? Use the glycemic load calculator or browse all blood sugar tools.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good glycemic index?
On the scale where pure glucose is 100, foods with a GI of 55 or less are low, 56–69 are medium and 70 or more are high. Lower-GI foods raise blood sugar more gradually, but the amount you eat matters too — which is what glycemic load captures.
What is the difference between glycemic index and glycemic load?
GI compares foods using the same amount of carbohydrate, so it describes the type of carbohydrate. Glycemic load multiplies the GI by the available carbohydrate in a typical serving and divides by 100, so it reflects a real portion: 10 or less is low and 20 or more is high. Pumpkin, for example, has a medium GI of 64, but a serving of 1 cup mashed (245 g) holds only 9 g of available carbohydrate, so its glycemic load is 64 × 9 g ÷ 100 ≈ 6 — low.
Where do these numbers come from?
GI values are published averages from the international tables of glycemic index and glycemic load (Atkinson et al., 2021, and the 2008 edition where the 2021 tables report no average). A few foods rely on a single standardized test, which the food's page says. Carbohydrate and fiber per serving come from USDA FoodData Central, and glycemic load is calculated from those numbers.
Does a low-GI food mean it won't raise my blood sugar?
No. Low-GI foods still contain carbohydrate and still raise blood sugar, just more gradually. Portion size and the rest of the meal change the response too, so treat GI and GL as a guide rather than a guarantee.
Sources
Each food page links the exact table entry and USDA record behind its numbers.
- Atkinson FS, Foster-Powell K, Brand-Miller JC. International tables of glycemic index and glycemic load values: 2008. Diabetes Care. 2008;31(12):2281–2283, Table 1
- Atkinson FS, Brand-Miller JC, Foster-Powell K, Buyken AE, Goletzke J. International tables of glycemic index and glycemic load values 2021: a systematic review. Am J Clin Nutr. 2021;114(5):1625–1632, Supplemental Table 1
- Atkinson FS, Foster-Powell K, Brand-Miller JC. International tables of glycemic index and glycemic load values: 2008 — online appendix, Table A1
- Shukla AP, Iliescu RG, Thomas CE, Aronne LJ. Food order has a significant impact on postprandial glucose and insulin levels. Diabetes Care. 2015;38(7):e98 –e99
- American Diabetes Association, Diabetes Food Hub — Create-Your-Plate: Simplify Meal Planning with the Diabetes Plate
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, The Nutrition Source — Carbohydrates and Blood Sugar
- The University of Sydney, Glycemic Index Research Service — GI database search
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, FoodData Central (carbohydrate and fiber per serving)
Data last checked .