Making healthy food choices gets tricky with all the options. Knowing which foods are lower in glycemic index (GI) can help manage blood sugar. But, with information scattered everywhere, hard to keep track. Need a simple, printable chart putting it all in one place for easy reference.
We got you covered with a glycemic index (GI) food chart that's easy to print. It groups foods by low, medium, and high GI, so making healthier choices becomes a breeze. Handy for grocery shopping or meal planning, it helps in managing blood sugar levels effectively. Keep it on your fridge for a quick glance before meal prep!
How to Make a Food Chart?
Making a food chart by yourself might be quite a task. As you should take notes of various information you find and make it easy to read and understand. Fortunately, in this digital world, you can make it in a blink of an eye.
All you gotta do is to download the ready-to-use printable template of the GI food chart. Print them in a size you want and you can paste it whenever you like as a guidance and reminder. This way is obviously easier and simpler, which will save you a lot of time.
Why Should We Make a Food Chart?
Making and using a food chart is a simple and easy strategy for us to manage our sugar intake. This chart also benefits many people, such as parents, caregivers, athletes, or someone who strives to eat healthily. Especially, for people or the family of people who suffer with diabetes or prediabetes.
What are the Categories of GI in Food?
Understanding the GI of our daily meal is essential as we can keep track of the nutrition of our foods and keep our physique healthy and fit. There are some foods that contain low Gi levels and others that have high GI levels. Hence, learning the categories of GI scale for our daily meal consumption is essential.
- Less than 55 is a low category.
- 55-69 is GI with the moderate category.
- 70 or above is the high category.
What are the Examples of Food with Low and High GI?
After understanding the importance of watching the GI of our meals, here are some examples of the food with low, medium, and high GI for your knowledge.
- Low GI Foods: Apples, apricot, chickpeas, artichoke, eggplant, mushroom, barley, wild rice, wheat pasta, skim milk, shellfish, egg whites, skinless chicken, yogurt, lean red meat.
- Medium (Moderate) GI Foods: Grapes, bananas, figs, kiwi, beets, carrots, sweet potato, brown and white rice, macaroni, white spaghetti, cashews, macadamia, popcorn, couscous.
- High GI Foods: Corn flakes, rice krispies, watermelon, pineapple, soda, tea with sugar, potato, canned corn, bagels, bread sticks, candy, chips, jelly, pretzels, foods from white flour.
Why Managing GI of Food is Important?
Understanding how to manage the Glycemic Index (GI) of your meals is a key step in maintaining healthy blood sugar levels for both you and your loved ones, helping to safeguard against the risks of diabetes. Being health-conscious is crucial because it directly influences your body's functioning and supports your daily activities. By keeping an eye on the GI of your daily meals, you’re taking a significant step towards a healthier lifestyle. Remember, incorporating low-GI foods can make a big difference in your overall well-being.
How to Manage the GI of Food?
Understanding the Glycemic Index (GI) of the foods you eat is crucial for maintaining a balanced and healthy lifestyle. It's important to know that leading a healthy life doesn't require you to consume only greens throughout your day. Instead, it's about finding the right balance in what you eat. So, as you embark on this journey towards better health, remember that variety and moderation are key. Incorporate a diverse range of foods into your diet to ensure you're getting all the necessary nutrients while keeping an eye on their GI, to maintain that perfect harmony.
You might be a little clueless on how to start to manage the GI of your foods. Worry not, here are some suggestions that you can follow. You can use these suggestions for you and your family’s daily meal planning.
More Whole Grains on the Plate
Many health experts recommend people to consume whole grains-based food to manage their blood sugar. The Grains & Legumes Nutrition Council states that consuming grains can help people to reduce insulin levels and resistance. For people with diabetes, it is recommended for them to include grains into their diet.
Less Meals with High Sugar
Sugary foods, with their delightful sweetness, have a special way of bringing joy, particularly when enjoyed as desserts. However, for the sake of your health and to keep your blood sugar levels in check, it's advisable to monitor and manage your sugar consumption carefully.
Make a Food Chart with GI Information
As there are various types of meals and food that you can consume, sometimes it can be quite overwhelming to remember all of them. Hence, you can use a food chart with GI information to help you. You can simply paste it in your kitchen to remind you while you are preparing the meal.
