Foods with a high glycaemic index: complete list

The glycaemic index in food is mainly monitored by people with diabetes. They are most interested in which foods have a low glycaemic index. Today we will look at the opposite, foods with a high glycaemic index. Many of us are interested in these too, although we do not find much information about them unless we are looking at medical texts or publications.

What is the glycaemic index and why monitor it?

The glycaemic index(abbreviated GI) is a figure that shows us how quickly blood sugar levels rise after eating a particular food or several foods. This is because when we eat food, there is always a process in our body that is related to the rise in blood sugar. Every food contains essential nutrients, i.e. protein, carbohydrates and fats. These are absorbed into the bloodstream during digestion. After a certain period of time, a rise in blood sugar - glucose - occurs after eating the food or drink.
Our body has the ability to process the glucose in the blood. It depends, of course, on whether we are healthy and the body can cope with it without problems on its own, or whether we suffer from e.g. If we are suffering from diabetes - then there may be a problem and the body will need "help". Carbohydrates have the biggest impact on blood glucose levels. But if you want to be careful with sugars, you should also know that there are different types of sugars and not all of them are bad for us.

What are the types of carbohydrates?

According to the diabetes website, grape sugar is one of the so-called fastest sugars, i.e. a food with a high glycemic index. It has a GI of 100, which means that when you eat it, your blood sugar level rises quickly and you can feel a quick burst of energy at the same time. After all, that's what grape sugar is recommended for. In food, the most common sugar you will see is beet sugar, called sucrose, which is mostly used in industrial food production. At home, we sweeten various drinks with it. Its glycaemic index is GI 68. If, on the other hand, you are looking for a sugar that has a low glycaemic index, you should look for fructose, a fruit sugar with a GI of 30.

Foods with a high glycaemic index

In our table, which we've once again had help putting together from expert sources, you can see the foods with a high and medium glycaemic index. From there, you can see which ones can give you quick energy, but also which ones you might want to avoid if you want to keep your blood sugar low.

According to the glycaemic index, foods are divided into those that have a low, medium and high glycaemic index. High glycaemic index is considered to be from GI 70 and above. According to our table, you can already see that baked potatoes, chips or croissants have the highest glycaemic index, i.e. at GI 70. Other foods with a high glycaemic index include instant cereal, mashed potatoes, andbut also white pastries and then, of course, various wafers, candies and other sweets. Although we are interested in foods with a high glycemic index because if we want to lose weight or if we're working out and shaping our body, we're going towe're going to avoid those foods, we're going to list the ones that fall below the medium glycemic index. For some of us even that may be too much.
Foods with a medium glycemic index range from GI 50 to GI 70 and include pasta, rice, whole grain baked goodsoatmeal, the popular muesli bars and also fruit, especially grapes and bananas and then dried fruit.

How do high GI foods affect us?

If we are trying to lose weight, we should avoid foods with a high glycaemic index. We have already mentioned that eating them increases blood sugar levels, some quickly, others more slowly. The higher the glycemic index, the faster the onset of blood sugar. The moment the blood glucose rises, the body tries to balance it again. To do this, it needs to produce the hormone insulin. Therefore, diabetics must avoid these foods because their body does not produce enough insulin and they may experience collapse, nausea, etc.
Once our body starts producing insulin to lower blood sugar, it can't just stop. So it keeps producing insulin even when our body already has the right level. Therefore, in turn, blood glucose drops and so-called hypoglycaemia - deficiency - occurs. The result will therefore be that our body starts to trigger the need and craving for more sugars to bring the blood levels back into balance. This puts us on a never-ending merry-go-round of craving sweets again. By eating a high index food we will again drive it away, but again only for a while before the body sends the signal that it wants another supply of sugar. So if we want to lose weight, we should try to eat foods that are low on the glycemic index.

What if we can't do without sugar?

Learning to drink coffee without sugar is more a matter of willpower and discipline. In my experience, it can be done. On the other hand, if we have children who refuse unsweetened drinks, we can look for suitable substitutessugar substitutes that will not only give them a better taste, but also vitamins and other substances that are good for the body. Sugar is also needed when we cook certain foods. Sometimes we just can't do without it. What is possible, however, is to replace it with something else that is healthier.
We've covered sugar substitutes in our next article, where we also list the best ones. You'll find that sugar substitutes don't just have to be honey or chicory syrup, which are the most well-known. Maple syrup, popular in America, or even molasses are also suitable. Dried figs also add plenty of sweet flavour. For the best sugar substitutes, see our article on sugar alternatives.

How to replace some foods and meals?

You may now be thinking that you may need to cut some foods out of your diet. But how do you replace them if you're used to them? Let's go over some tips to help you with that. Are you used to having a white roll with jam for breakfast? Both have a high glycaemic index, so reach for rye bread with cheese and supplement your breakfast with vegetables.
Instead of a croissant or bun, have muesli and yoghurt for breakfast. You can also add chia or other seeds and fresh fruit.
Pasta with ketchup is a quick dinner, but it won't give you much besides high blood sugar. Replace it with risotto, which can be made just as quickly. Grate some cheese on top. It'll fill you up better. Who doesn't like steak and chips? But you can probably guess it's a real junk bomb. Try steamed potatoes, roasted meat, and of course, add vegetables.
You can learn to drink coffee and tea without sugar, or you can try one of the sugar substitutes we mentioned above. But if you can't resist sugary sodas, reach for fresh juice, ideally freshly squeezed at home. You can also buy juice in the store, but you'd better dilute it. Even these juices tend to be very sweet, even those without added sugars.
You can find tips on how to substitute foods with a high glycemic index on the I Know What I Eat website.