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