Glycaemic index and glycaemic load: build your plate
Add the foods in your meal to see their glycemic index, total glycemic load and carbohydrates, portion by portion.
Short answer
The glycaemic index (GI) tells you how quickly a food raises blood glucose; glycaemic load (GL) accounts for the amount eaten. A GI is low up to 55 and high from 70. A serving has a low GL up to 10 and a high GL from 20. GL is the more useful guide in practice.
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Average GI
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glycemic index
Glycemic load
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total for the meal
Carbohydrates
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grams
Level
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Glycemic impact
What the tool measures
Why glycaemic load matters more than glycaemic index
The glycaemic index compares the rise in blood glucose caused by 50 g of carbohydrates from a food with that caused by 50 g of glucose. It was proposed in 1981 by David Jenkins in Toronto. Its drawback: it does not account for portion size. Watermelon has a high GI, but a slice contains little carbohydrate.
Glycaemic load corrects this drawback: GL = GI × carbohydrates in the serving ÷ 100. In a large cohort of US nurses, a diet with a high glycaemic load and low cereal fibre was associated with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes.
Within a meal, fibre, protein, fat and the order in which foods are eaten affect the response. This tool's values are reference points, not a measurement of your blood glucose.
Interpreting the result
Interpret without overpromising
- Low GI: 55 or less. Medium: 56 to 69. High: 70 and above.
- GL per portion: low up to 10, moderate from 11 to 19, high from 20.
- Meal GL: the sum of the portions. A full meal often exceeds 20; comparing two versions of a meal is what matters.
The displayed average GI is weighted by the carbohydrate content of each food.
Calculation and assumptions
Methodology
- GL of a food = GI × carbohydrates in the displayed portion ÷ 100.
- Meal GL = sum of the GL of each portion added.
- Average GI = carbohydrate-weighted average of the GIs.
- The GI values come from the international tables published in 2008. Carbohydrates per portion are rounded average values.
The meal's color thresholds use those for a single portion: they are for comparison, not for labeling a meal as good or bad.
Sources consulted
Sources
- Jenkins et al. (1981) : Glycemic index of foods, a physiological basis for carbohydrate exchange
Paper introducing the glycemic index.
- Salmerón et al. (1997) : Dietary fiber, glycemic load, and risk of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus in women
Nurses' cohort: high glycemic load and low cereal fiber intake associated with more type 2 diabetes.
- Atkinson et al. (2008) : International tables of glycemic index and glycemic load values
Reference tables for the GI and GL of more than 2,400 foods.
- Reynolds et al. (2019) : Carbohydrate quality and human health, systematic reviews and meta-analyses
Meta-analyses for the WHO: fibre and whole grains are more strongly linked to health than GI or GL.
Scope of validity
Limitations to know
- A food's GI varies with cooking, ripeness, variety and preparation.
- The glycemic response varies from person to person and with the rest of the meal.
- If you have diabetes, this tool does not replace diabetes self-management education or blood glucose self-monitoring.
Frequently asked questions
Before using the result
What is the difference between glycaemic index and glycaemic load?
Glycaemic index measures how quickly blood glucose rises for the same amount of carbohydrate. Glycaemic load accounts for the portion actually eaten: GI × carbohydrates ÷ 100.
What is a low glycaemic index?
A GI of 55 or less. From 56 to 69, it is medium, and from 70 upwards, it is high. Legumes, most whole fruits and al dente pasta have a low GI.
How can you lower a meal's glycemic index?
Add vegetables, legumes and protein, choose whole grains, cook pasta al dente and reduce portions of high-GI starchy foods. A short walk after the meal also helps.
Does pasta have a high glycaemic index?
No, al dente pasta has a fairly low GI, around 50. It rises with longer cooking. Portion size matters: a large plate has a high glycaemic load.