Glycemic Index & Glycemic Load Chart 2026: GI, GL & Formula

Glycemic index (GI) ranks how quickly a carbohydrate-containing food raises blood glucose compared with glucose. Common categories are low GI 55 or less, medium GI 56-69, and high GI 70 or more. GI is measured under test conditions, so food variety, ripeness, cooking method, processing, meal composition and individual response can move real-world results.

Glycemic load (GL) combines the food GI with the carbohydrate in a realistic serving: GL = GI x available carbs in grams / 100. Low GL is 10 or less, medium GL is 11-19, and high GL is 20 or more. GL is useful because a food can have a high GI but a small carb portion, or a moderate GI with enough carbs to create a larger load.

Low-GI or low-GL eating can help some people choose higher-fiber, less-processed carbohydrate foods and may support appetite control, blood-sugar planning, or diabetes meal planning. It is not a standalone weight-loss guarantee: total calories, protein, fiber, activity, sleep, medication use and medical context still matter.

Many low-GI choices are minimally processed carbohydrates with fiber or intact structure, such as lentils, chickpeas, beans, most non-starchy vegetables, many fruits, unsweetened dairy and some whole grains. Foods with little or no available carbohydrate, such as eggs, meat, fish, oils and many cheeses, usually do not have a meaningful GI in the same way carbohydrate foods do.

No. High-GI foods are not automatically bad, and low-GI foods are not automatically healthy or low-calorie. Context matters: portion size, total carbohydrates, fiber, protein, fat, training needs, diabetes medication, hypoglycemia treatment, and the rest of the meal can change what is appropriate.

Processing, particle size, ripeness and cooking time can change GI. Softer or more processed starches often digest faster, while intact grains, legumes, al dente pasta, cooled starches, fiber, acid, protein and fat in a mixed meal may reduce or slow the glucose response. Use table values as planning estimates, not exact personal predictions.

GI is useful for comparing foods, but it is not a personal glucose forecast. Individual response can vary with insulin sensitivity, medications, sleep, stress, prior meals, activity, gut microbiome and portion size. People with diabetes, hypoglycemia risk, pregnancy or prescribed diets should use clinician guidance and, when available, personal glucose data.