High glycemic index foods, with a GI of 70 or more, raise blood sugar quickly. The usual suspects are here (white bread, sugary cereal, candy), but so are a few surprises: supermarket whole wheat bread, jasmine rice, brown rice pasta, rice cakes, and baked sweet potatoes.
Low GI: 55 or less · Medium GI: 56–69 · High GI: 70+
Not every high-GI food is a problem. Watermelon (76) and rutabaga (72) have a low glycemic load per serving because they contain little carbohydrate. See the full chart for GL values.
44 high glycemic index foods
Fruit
- Watermelon 76
- Lychee, canned in syrup 79
Potatoes & Starchy Vegetables
- Rutabaga (swede) 72
- Potato, boiled (white) 78
- Potato, mashed 83
- Potato, baked (russet) 85
- Potato, instant mashed 87
- Sweet potato, baked 94
Bread & Baked Goods
- Matzo 70
- Naan, white 71
- Bagel, white 72
- Kaiser roll 73
- Whole wheat bread (commercial) 74
- White bread 75
- Doughnut 76
- Waffles 76
- English muffin 77
- Baguette / French bread 95
Breakfast Cereals & Oats
- Grape-Nuts 71
- Bran flakes 74
- Cheerios 74
- Shredded wheat 75
- Oatmeal, instant 79
- Puffed wheat 80
- Cornflakes 81
- Rice Krispies 82
Rice & Grains
- Millet 71
- White rice, long-grain, boiled 73
- Instant white rice 87
- Jasmine rice 89
- Sticky / glutinous rice 92
Pasta & Noodles
- Corn pasta, gluten-free 78
- Rice pasta, brown 92
Dairy & Alternatives
- Rice milk 86
Beverages
- Sports drink 78
Snacks & Sweets
- Graham crackers 74
- Saltine crackers 74
- Vanilla wafers 77
- Jelly beans 78
- Rice cakes, puffed 82
- Pretzels 83
- Fruit leather / roll-ups 99
Sugars
- Glucose (reference food) 100
- Maltose 105
Easy swaps for high-GI foods
| Instead of | Try | GI |
|---|---|---|
| White or whole wheat bread | Sourdough or pumpernickel | 75 → 48–54 |
| Cornflakes or Rice Krispies | Rolled or steel-cut oats | 81 → 52–55 |
| Instant oatmeal | Rolled oats | 79 → 55 |
| Jasmine or instant rice | Parboiled or basmati rice | 87–89 → 38–58 |
| Baked russet potato | Boiled new potatoes | 85 → 57 |
| Baked sweet potato | Boiled sweet potato | 94 → 63 |
| Rice cakes or pretzels | Nuts or plain popcorn | 82–83 → no GI–65 |
| Sports drink | Water | 78 → none |
For a printable version, 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.