THE LOW G.I. FOOD GLOSSARY

Posted: May 8th, 2009 | Author: admin | Filed under: Diabetes | No Comments »

This glossary describes of some of the key foods that can form part of a low G.I. diet.

BurgenTM Soy Lin, Soy and Unseed loaf (G.I. of 19) • A mixed grain bread from Tip Top Bakeries. Sydney. Available in supermarkets. It has the lowest G.I. of all mixed grain breads. Other varieties of Burgen™ bread also have a low G.I.

Cherries (G.I. of 22) • The G.I. for cherries is based on European cherries. Australian cherries which are 6.1 per cent glucose and 4.2 per cent fructose may have a higher G.L value.

Custard (G.I. of 43) • Made with milk, so provides calcium, protein and B vitamins plus a little sugar, vanilla flavouring and a starch thickener.

Doongara rice (G.I. of 59) • An Australian grown rice with a high amylose content and low G.I. Available in supermarkets and in bulk quantities from wholesalers and some Asian food stores. Fruit loaf (G.I. of 47) • Available in wholemeal and white varieties, but choose the heavy types. The G.I. of fruit loaf is probably lowered by part substitution of flour (high G.I.) with fruit (lower G.I.).

Grapefruit (G.I. of 25) • The low G.I. factor of grapefruit may be due to their high acid content which slows absorption from the stomach.

Grapes (G.I. of 46) • An equal mix of fructose and glucose and a high acid content are characteristics of fruits with a low G.I. Grapes are a good example.

Icecream (G.I. of 61) • Most dairy products have very low G.I. factors. When we eat dairy foods a protein curd forms in the stomach and slows down its emptying. This has the effect of slowing down absorption and lowering the G.I. factor.

Kiwifruit (G.I. of 52) • Kiwifruit contain equal proportions of glucose and fructose and high acidity giving a reasonably low G.I. They are also a wonderful source of vitamin C with one kiwifruit meeting the total recommended daily intake.

Legumes (G.I. range: 14 to 56) • Abo known as pulses. These include dried peas, beans and lentils, mostly have a G.L factor of 50 or less.

Canned varieties have a slightly higher G.I. than their home-cooked counterpart due to the higher temperature during processing. Soya beans (G.I. of 18) have one of the lowest G.I. values, possibly due to their higher protein and fat content. The viscous fibre in legumes reduces physical availability of starch to digestive enzymes.

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