Low-Glycemic Index Foods Help Control Blood Sugar

If your favorite football teams are in a showdown to win the championship, and you’re not there to watch it live, what are you going to do? Check the score as often as you can. It’s the best way to keep tabs on how your team is doing. Hopefully, it’s a win. Right?

If you want to win at keeping your blood sugar levels under control, check the score when you eat using the Glycemic Index. Everything you eat has a Glycemic Index Score. It’s a simple way to measure how fast carbohydrates in food are digested and raise blood sugar levels.

You should avoid or limit foods with a high Glycemic Index score like white bread, candy bars, and sugary drinks, because they’ll cause rapid spikes in blood sugar levels, which you don’t want. 

Foods with a low Glycemic Index score, like whole grains, carrots, beans, or grapefruit, take longer to digest and help prevent rapid fluctuations in blood sugar levels. These are the foods that can help you control your blood sugar level and they should make up most of your diet when you have diabetes.

Here’s what to look for when you’re choosing foods based on the Glycemic Index::

• Low-Glycemic Index foods: Score less than 55
• Medium-Glycemic Index foods: Score 56 to 69
• High-Glycemic Index foods: Score 70 or higher
• Check out Oregon State's list of 60-plus common foods with a Glycemic Index score 

If you think it’s too much work to evaluate everything you eat based on the Glycemic Index, you’re not alone. It takes a little practice to get used to recognizing foods that have a low or medium Glycemic Index score.

Fortunately, there’s an easier way. Our Diabetic-Friendly meals, made with fresh ingredients, are made with foods that have a low or medium Glycemic Index score. That means all you have to do is pick your favorites, heat in the microwave, and enjoy.