Enter each food’s GI and carbohydrate to see the glycemic load of a portion or a whole meal.
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How glycemic load works
GI tells you how quickly a carbohydrate raises blood sugar. GL also takes into account how much carbohydrate you actually eat: GL = GI × grams of carbohydrate ÷ 100.
| Rating | GI | GL |
|---|---|---|
| Low | 55 or less | 10 or less |
| Medium | 56 to 69 | 11 to 19 |
| High | 70 or more | 20 or more |
Why GL can be more useful than GI
Watermelon has a high GI, but a typical slice contains little carbohydrate, so its GL is low. A big bowl of a medium-GI food can have a high GL. Swapping to wholegrains, pulses and smaller portions of starchy foods lowers the GL of a meal.
Find GI values in a reliable table, such as the University of Sydney’s GI database, and carbohydrate from food labels.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good glycemic load?
10 or less for a single food is low. For meals, lower is generally better.
Where do I find GI values?
From published GI tables. Values vary by variety, ripeness and cooking.
Should people with diabetes use this?
It can help with food choices, but follow the advice of your diabetes team.
Is anything stored?
No, it runs in your browser.
Sources
- University of Sydney: Glycemic Index database
- Atkinson et al. (2008): International tables of GI and GL values
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