Glycemic Index of Snacks & Sweets

Popcorn, pretzels, dark chocolate, shortbread cookies, rice cakes and jelly beans

Snacks hold the biggest surprises on the glycemic index. “Healthy” choices like rice cakes (82) and pretzels (83) test higher than potato chips (56) and chocolate (23–43), because fat slows digestion and puffed, baked starch doesn’t. That doesn’t make chips a health food. It means a low GI and a good snack aren’t always the same thing.

Below are GI, GL, and carbs for 16 snacks and sweets and 5 common prepared foods, the swaps that matter most, and a shopping list you can print.

Lowest GI: dark chocolate, 70% and up (23)

Highest: fruit leather (99)

Biggest surprise: rice cakes (82) test higher than potato chips (56)

Glycemic index of snacks and sweets: 16 compared

Snack GI GL Carbs Serving Fits these plans
Dark chocolate, 70%+ Dark chocolate, 70%+
Lowest GI here; limited testing		 23 2 10 g 30 g Low-GI; small portions on keto
Chocolate hazelnut spread Chocolate hazelnut spread 33 4 12 g 20 g Low-GI
Milk chocolate Milk chocolate 43 12 28 g 50 g Low-GI
Potato chips Potato chips
Fat lowers the GI		 56 12 21 g 50 g —
Granola bar, chewy Granola bar, chewy 61 12 19 g 30 g —
Rye crispbread Rye crispbread
Best cracker pick		 63 10 16 g 25 g Mediterranean
Corn chips Corn chips 63 16 26 g 50 g —
Shortbread cookies Shortbread cookies 64 10 16 g 25 g —
Popcorn, plain Popcorn, plain
Lowest GL of the salty snacks		 65 7 11 g 20 g —
Saltine crackers Saltine crackers 74 13 17 g 25 g —
Graham crackers Graham crackers 74 13 18 g 25 g —
Vanilla wafers Vanilla wafers 77 14 18 g 25 g —
Jelly beans Jelly beans 78 22 28 g 30 g —
Rice cakes Rice cakes 82 17 21 g 25 g —
Pretzels Pretzels 83 17 20 g 30 g —
Fruit leather Fruit leather
Highest GI here		 99 24 24 g 30 g —

Sorted lowest to highest GI. GI: low 55 or less, medium 56–69, high 70+. GL per serving: low 10 or less, medium 11–19, high 20+. A 25–30 g serving is about a small handful, or 4–6 crackers. Cookies, cakes, and pastries are covered on our bread and baked goods page.

Common prepared foods

Food GI GL Carbs Serving Fits these plans
Tomato soup, canned Tomato soup, canned 38 6 17 g 250 ml Low-GI, Mediterranean
Fish sticks Fish sticks 38 7 19 g 100 g Low-GI
Chicken nuggets Chicken nuggets 46 7 16 g 100 g Low-GI
Sushi, salmon Sushi, salmon 48 17 36 g 100 g Low-GI
Pizza, cheese Pizza, cheese 60 16 27 g 1 slice (100 g) —

Breaded and fried foods often test low because the fat and protein slow digestion. The GI says nothing about sodium, fat, or overall nutrition.

Why snacks surprise

Fat lowers GI. Chocolate, chips, and breaded foods test lower than you’d expect because fat slows how quickly the stomach empties. Low GI here is a side effect, not a health signal.

Puffing raises it. Rice cakes and pretzels are made from starch that’s been puffed or baked into an airy, easy-to-digest form. That’s why these “light” snacks land at 82–83.

Fruit snacks aren’t fruit. Fruit leather tests at 99, close to pure glucose, because it’s mostly concentrated sugar with the fiber gone.

Popcorn is better than its GI. At 65 it’s medium, but a 20 g serving (about 2–3 cups) has only 11 g of carbs, so its GL is just 7.

Best and worst picks

Better choices

  • Dark chocolate, 70%+ (23)
  • Plain popcorn (GL 7)
  • Rye crispbread (GL 10)
  • Nuts and seeds (see our nuts page)
  • Hummus with vegetables

Occasional

  • Milk chocolate (43)
  • Potato and corn chips (56–63)
  • Granola bars (61)
  • Shortbread (64)

Limit

  • Fruit leather (99)
  • Pretzels (83)
  • Rice cakes (82)
  • Jelly beans (78)
  • Vanilla wafers and saltines (74–77)

Smart swaps

Instead of Try The difference
Pretzels Plain popcorn GL 17 → 7
Rice cakes Rye crispbread GI 82 → 63
Milk chocolate Dark chocolate, 70%+ GL 12 → 2
Fruit leather A piece of fresh fruit GI 99 → 36–43
Saltine crackers Cucumber slices with hummus GL 13 → near zero
Jelly beans A few squares of dark chocolate GL 22 → 2

Better snacks shopping list

  • Dark chocolate, 70% cocoa or higher

  • Plain popcorn kernels

  • Rye crispbread

  • Mixed nuts, unsalted or lightly salted

  • Hummus

  • Cheese sticks

Reading the label:

  • For dark chocolate, the cocoa percentage matters most. Higher cocoa means less sugar.

  • Microwave popcorn often comes coated in butter flavoring and sugar. Plain kernels popped at home are simplest.

  • “Made with real fruit” on a fruit snack usually means a small amount of fruit concentrate plus sugar.

Tips to help you succeed

  • Plate it. I put a serving in a small bowl and put the bag away. Eating from the package is where portions disappear.

  • Pair carbs with protein. Crackers with cheese or apple slices with peanut butter hit your blood sugar more gently than either carb alone.

  • Keep a better default within reach. I keep a bar of dark chocolate and a jar of nuts in the pantry, so a sweet craving has an answer that isn’t candy.

  • Don’t trust “light.” Rice cakes and pretzels sound like diet food, but they’re among the highest-GI snacks you can buy.

Frequently asked questions

What snacks are low glycemic?

Nuts, seeds, cheese, hummus with vegetables, and dark chocolate are the best low-GI snacks. Of the packaged snacks on this page, dark chocolate (23) tests lowest, and plain popcorn has the lowest GL (7).

Are rice cakes good for blood sugar?

Not on their own. Rice cakes test at 82, among the highest of any snack. Topping one with nut butter or cheese helps, but rye crispbread (63) is a better base.

Is popcorn a good low-GI snack?

Reasonably. Its GI is medium (65), but a 2–3 cup serving has only about 11 g of carbs, so its GL is low at 7. Plain or lightly salted is best.

Is dark chocolate low glycemic?

Yes. Dark chocolate with 70% cocoa or more tests around 23, with a GL of about 2 per 30 g. Milk chocolate tests higher (43) with more sugar.

Printable snacks list

A free one-page version of this list is coming soon. For the full printable set covering every food group, 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.