Using the glycaemic index (GI) in everyday life

Using the glycaemic index (GI) in everyday life Tips for integrating low-GI foods into your diet. Low GI foods are classified as 55 or less.

Some low-GI foods

  • Barley - 25
  • Chickpeas - 28
  • Kidney beans - 28
  • Lentils - 30
  • Yams - 30
  • Low-fat milk - 31
  • Apples - 32
  • Pears - 34
  • Sweetcorn - 37
  • Plums - 39
  • All bran - 42
  • Grapes - 46
  • Kiwifruit - 47
  • Carrots - 47
  • Baked beans - 48

10 healthy low-GI snacks

  1. Sushi
  2. Fruit salad with reduced-fat yoghurt
  3. Apple or berry muffin – but beware cake masquerading as muffin! Try this Light and tasty Weet-Bix muffin recipe for a healthier option
  4. Baked beans on whole grain toast
  5. Avocado and salmon on rye sourdough bread
  6. Banana or berry smoothie with added oats for a nutty texture
  7. Small handful of dried fruit and nuts
  8. Swiss-style muesli (with whole grains)
  9. Carrot sticks with hummus dip
  10. Peanut butter sandwich on whole grain bread

Low-GI meal ideas

  • Dhal on basmati rice
  • Minestrone soup
  • Split pea soup
  • Chilli con carne – add a can of red kidney beans and chilli to your usual mince mixture and serve on brown rice.
  • Lasagne – add red lentils, canned tomatoes, carrot and silver beet to your usual mince mixture and layer with cottage cheese and lasagne; top with grated cheese and bake.
  • Stir-fry beef and vegetables with noodles

5 quick and easy low-GI desserts for summer eating

  1. Berries and ice cream: Mix strawberries or raspberries with a tablespoon of castor sugar in a small pan. Stir over a medium heat for about five minutes until the strawberries soften and syrup forms. Serve over lite vanilla ice cream.
  2. Fruit crumble: Make a crumble by topping cooked fruit with a crumble mixture of toasted muesli, wheat flakes, a little melted margarine and honey.
  3. Banana split: Cut a firm banana in half lengthways and top with two scoops of low-fat ice cream. Spoon fresh passion fruit pulp over the top and sprinkle with roasted almonds.
  4. Fruit and dip: Arrange a selection of fresh fruit such as watermelon, pineapple, strawberries, kiwifruit, mango, rock melon on a platter and serve with a 200g bowl of natural yoghurt combined with a tablespoon of honey.
  5. Cinnamon peaches: Top canned peach halves with a combination of shredded coconut, brown sugar and cinnamon. Drizzle with a little juice from the can then bake for 10 minutes.

Tips for integrating low-GI foods into a healthy diet

  • Include one low-GI carbohydrate at each meal: it will make it more filling and lasting.
  • Look at the carbohydrates you eat and simply swap some of the high-GI ones for low-GI alternatives; for example eat yam, sweetcorn or barley instead of potato.
  • Add dried beans, split peas, chickpeas, lentils, hummus to meals
  • Try potato salad instead of hot potatoes: as cooked potato cools, the carbohydrate structure changes to a more slowly digested form.
  • Eat dense whole grain bread or pumpernickel instead of white or wholemeal; dense breads are lower-GI.
  • Eat breakfast dishes based on oats, barley and bran, eg porridge, toasted muesli, oatmeal pancakes.
  • Choose whole grain rice instead of white rice.
  • Add vinaigrette dressing to salads: the acid in lemon juice or vinegar slows down stomach emptying.
  • Use reduced-fat milk and yoghurt.
The most important point to remember is that the glycaemic index is most relevant when comparing foods that contain a high percentage of carbohydrate, where substituting a high-GI for low-GI food will have a bigger impact on your body’s blood glucose response.
GI is a great help to healthy eating but it can’t be used on its own. It’s like the icing on the cake of an already healthy diet.

http://www.healthyfood.co.nz/articles/searchcategories?vocabulary_name=hfm.categories.foodandnutrients&catalog_index=foodandnutrients_categories&vocabulary_term=carbohydrates

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