Low Glycemic Index Foods List

These are the foods that raise blood sugar slowly: every food on this list has a glycemic index of 55 or less. They’re grouped by food type and sorted from lowest GI to highest, with the GI next to each one. Below them is a second list of foods with so little carbohydrate that they have no GI at all.

Low GI: 55 or less · Medium GI: 56–69 · High GI: 70+

Remember portion size. A low-GI food can still carry a lot of carbs in a big serving. The full glycemic index chart shows glycemic load and serving sizes for every food.

104 low glycemic index foods

Fruit

  • Cherries, sweet 22
  • Grapefruit 25
  • Prunes 29
  • Apricots, dried 30
  • Apricots, fresh 34
  • Apple, raw 36
  • Pear 38
  • Plum 40
  • Strawberries 40
  • Peach, fresh 42
  • Dates, dried 42
  • Banana, slightly underripe 42
  • Orange 43
  • Mango 51
  • Banana, ripe (all yellow) 51
  • Peaches, canned in light syrup 52
  • Blueberries 53
  • Kiwi fruit 53
  • Fruit cocktail, canned 55

Non-Starchy Vegetables

  • Carrots, raw 16
  • Carrots, boiled 39

Potatoes & Starchy Vegetables

  • Cassava, boiled 46
  • Butternut squash 51
  • Green peas, boiled 51
  • Parsnips, boiled 52
  • Sweet corn, boiled 52
  • Taro, boiled 53
  • Yam, boiled 54

Legumes & Beans

  • Hummus 6
  • Soybeans / edamame, boiled 15
  • Kidney beans, boiled 24
  • Lentils, red, boiled 26
  • Chickpeas, boiled 28
  • Lentils, green/brown, boiled 30
  • Black beans, boiled 30
  • Butter / lima beans, boiled 31
  • Navy / haricot beans, boiled 31
  • Split peas, yellow, boiled 32
  • Chickpeas, canned 38
  • Pinto beans, boiled 39
  • Baked beans, canned 40
  • Black-eyed peas, boiled 42
  • Lentil soup, canned 44
  • Kidney beans, canned 52

Nuts & Seeds

  • Peanuts 14
  • Peanut butter, natural 14
  • Cashews, roasted 22
  • Chestnuts, roasted 54

Bread & Baked Goods

  • Flour tortilla (wheat) 30
  • Sponge cake 46
  • Banana cake / bread 47
  • Sourdough, rye 48
  • Multigrain bread (dense) 48
  • Pumpernickel (whole-grain rye) 50
  • Whole-grain kernel bread 50
  • Chapati / roti, wheat 52
  • Corn tortilla 52
  • Pound cake 54
  • Sourdough, wheat 54

Breakfast Cereals & Oats

  • All-Bran (original) 44
  • Oatmeal, steel-cut 52
  • Oat bran 55
  • Oatmeal / porridge, rolled oats 55

Rice & Grains

  • Pearl barley 28
  • Parboiled / converted rice 38
  • Whole wheat kernels (wheat berries) 41
  • Bulgur 48
  • Buckwheat groats 49
  • Quinoa 53

Pasta & Noodles

  • Spaghetti, white, al dente 38
  • Mung bean (glass) noodles 39
  • Ravioli, meat-filled 39
  • Fettuccine, egg 40
  • Spaghetti, whole wheat 42
  • Macaroni 47
  • Instant ramen noodles 47
  • Spaghetti, white, boiled (avg) 49
  • Rice noodles / vermicelli 53

Dairy & Alternatives

  • Milk, skim / low-fat 32
  • Yogurt, fruit, low-fat sweetened 33
  • Soy milk, unsweetened 34
  • Yogurt, plain 35
  • Chocolate milk, low-fat 37
  • Milk, whole 39
  • Ice cream, regular 51

Beverages

  • Tomato juice 38
  • Apple juice, unsweetened 41
  • Carrot juice 43
  • Pineapple juice 46
  • Grapefruit juice 48
  • Orange juice 50

Snacks & Sweets

  • Chocolate, dark (70%+) 23
  • Nutella / hazelnut spread 33
  • Chocolate, milk 43

Prepared & Fast Foods

  • Fish fingers / sticks 38
  • Tomato soup, canned 38
  • Chicken nuggets, frozen, reheated 46
  • Sushi, salmon 48

Sweeteners, Spreads & Condiments

  • Agave syrup 19
  • Fructose 19
  • Orange marmalade 48
  • Strawberry jam 51
  • Maple syrup 54
  • Coconut sugar 54

A note on sweet foods. Chocolate, ice cream, sweetened yogurt, juice, and sugars like agave test low because fat or fructose slows absorption. Low GI doesn’t make them everyday foods; keep them occasional.

Foods with no GI (very low carb)

These foods have so little carbohydrate that a GI can’t be measured. For blood sugar, they’re the safest foods there are.

  • Almond milk, unsweetened
  • Almonds
  • Artichoke
  • Asparagus
  • Avocado
  • Avocado oil
  • Beef, lean
  • Bell pepper
  • Brazil nuts
  • Broccoli
  • Brussels sprouts
  • Butter
  • Cabbage
  • Cauliflower
  • Celery
  • Cheese, hard
  • Chia seeds
  • Chicken breast
  • Coconut milk, canned
  • Coffee, black
  • Cottage cheese
  • Cream cheese
  • Cucumber
  • Eggplant
  • Eggs
  • Flaxseed
  • Green beans
  • Hazelnuts
  • Heavy cream
  • Hot sauce
  • Kale
  • Lamb
  • Leeks
  • Lemon and lime
  • Lettuce and salad greens
  • Macadamias
  • Mayonnaise
  • Mushrooms
  • Mustard
  • Okra
  • Olive oil
  • Olives
  • Onion
  • Pecans
  • Pesto
  • Pistachios
  • Pork, lean
  • Pumpkin seeds
  • Radishes
  • Ricotta cheese
  • Salmon
  • Salsa
  • Sardines and mackerel
  • Shrimp and shellfish
  • Soy sauce
  • Spinach
  • Stevia
  • Sunflower seeds
  • Tea, unsweetened
  • Tempeh
  • Tofu, firm
  • Tomato
  • Tuna, canned
  • Turkey
  • Vinegar
  • Walnuts
  • Water and sparkling water
  • White fish
  • Zucchini

Printable low GI food list

For a one-page printable version of this list, see the glycemic index food lists at Health List Now.

GI values vary between tests. This page is general information, not medical advice. Last reviewed October 2026.