selection of asian foods

Glycaemic Index of Asian and Non-Western Foods

By Tracey Walton wlr team

Eating low GI helps keep blood sugar levels steady, important for weight loss, hunger control and for people with insulin related issues. So it’s helpful to see a widening list of foods whose Glycaemic Index is known.

The lists here cover foods from Asia and other non-western countries where staples are aften high in carbohydrates. The lists will enable you to find low GI carbs and the graphic at the top shows you how to combine foods to make a meal or snack low GI.

Thanks to Dr Professor Christiani Jeyakumar Henry, Senior Advisor of Singapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology Innovation (SIFBI), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) and his team for researching and producing the data.

We have arranged the tables alphabetically to make specific foods easier to find.

Contents

How to Lower the GI of Carb-Based Meals and Snacks

Chinese Foods Glycaemic Index

Indian Foods Glycaemic Index

Japanese Foods Glycaemic Index

Korean Foods Glycaemic Index

Lebanese Foods Glycaemic Index

Thai Foods Glycaemic Index

 

How to Lower the GI of Carb-Based Meals and Snacks

ways to combine foods to reduce glycaemic index
Figure shows how combination of food ingredients and foods may be used to reduce the glycaemic response of rice-based staples.
Image Credit: Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology Innovation (SIFBI), Clinical Nutrition Research Centre (CNRC)

Combining foods can make a big difference to the GI of your meal or snack. Adding fat and/or protein, and choosing vegetables that are higher in fibre will all help to turn high GI into low GI carbs.

Glycaemic Index (GI) of Chinese Foods

Food in China

GI

Adlay cooked for 30 min

91

Adlay cooked for 60 min

100

Adzuki bean cooked for 40 min

21

Adzuki bean cooked for 70 min

29

Bread (refined wheat)

88

Bread (whole wheat with dried fruit)

47

Bread (whole wheat)

69

Brown rice (cooked)

87

Cake crisp

59

Cooked millet

64

Cooked rice

83

Cooked rice + cooked cauliflower

73

Cooked rice + cooked eggplant

67

Cooked rice + cooked pak choy

71

Cooked rice + homogenised cooked Cauliflower

85

Cooked rice + homogenised cooked eggplant

78

Cooked rice + homogenised cooked pak choy

91

Cooked rice + homogenised raw Cauliflower

83

Cooked rice + homogenised raw eggplant

93

Cooked rice + homogenised raw pak choy

84

Corn granule

52

Corn powder porridge

68

Dried apples

43

Dried apples + rice

65

Dried apples + rice + almonds

60

Dried apricots

56

Dried apricots + rice

75

Dried apricots + rice + almonds

64

Dried jujubes

55

Dried jujubes + rice

77

Dried jujubes + rice + almonds

52

Dried lily bulb cooked for 30 min

83

Dried lily bulb cooked for 60 min

85

Dumpling (shallot + meat)

28

Foxtail millet cooked for 30 min

93

Foxtail millet cooked for 60 min

89

Instant rice (cooked 6 min)

87

Instant rice (in hot water 3 min)

46

Lotus seed cooked for 30 min

45

Lotus seed cooked for 60 min

51

Majia pomelo

78

Majia pomelo

72

Millet porridge

94

MP-1, no. 1 millet pancake (75.0% millet flour and 25.0% extrusion flour)

83

MP-2, no. 2 millet pancake (without extrusion flour)

76

MSB, millet steamed bread

90

Oat biscuit

55

Potato (cooked)

66

Potato (steam)

62

Potato crisp (oil fry)

60

Potato mashed

73

Raisins

56

Raisins + rice

77

Raisins + rice + almonds

54

Resistant starch rice

48

Rice

81

Rice porridge

69

Rice + almonds

70

Steamed stuffed bun (shallot + meat)

39

Sticky rice (cooked)

87

Sticky rice (higher amylose)

50

Sweet corn (cooked)

55

Waxy black rice cooked for 30 min

100

Waxy black rice cooked for 60 min

109

Wheat noodle (dried)

46

Wheat pancake

80

White rice cooked for 30 min

83

Whole-wheat pancake

42

Wild-type rice

77

WoTao (corn + wheat)

65

Yam (cooked)

54

Yam (steam)

51

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Glycaemic Index (GI) of Indian Foods

Food in India

GI

Alkali-treated maize (with whole bengal gram)

69

Appam

60

Apple

45

Banana (Chenkadali)

82

Banana (Nendran)

87

Banana (Njalipoovan)

96

Banana (Poovan)

83

Banana (Robusta)

82

Banana (yallakki)

43

Bati (added 5% Ficus religiosa bark)

53

Biscuit (refined wheat flour with 12% green gram husk)

46

Biscuit (refined wheat flour)

69

Biscuits (100% refined wheat flour)

84

Biscuits (45% barnyard millet + 55% refined wheat flour)

68

Biscuits (45% foxtail millet + 55% refined wheat flour)

51

Biscuits (crude refined wheat flour)

68

Biscuits [(refined wheat flour, barley flour and soy flour (25:50:25)]

39

Boiled Amaranth

112

Boiled maize (with whole bengal gram)

69

Brown ragi roti

61

Brown ragi roti + curry leaf powder (CLP)

56

Brown rice

58

Burfi (made with 100% bengal gram flour)

43

Burfi (made with 43% barnyard millet, 57% bengal gram flour)

45

Burfi (made with 43% foxtail millet, 57% bengal gram flour)

38

Chakli (added 5% kale powder)

49

Chapathi

54

Chapatti (whole wheat + rice bran-based)

68

Chapatti (whole wheat)

84

Chappati (multigrain flour)

28

Chikku

73

Dal samosa (added 10% Ficus religiosa leaves)

35

Dalia

38

DiaBliss herbal sugar (DHS)

47

Dosa

56

Dosa (foxtail millet-based)

59

Dosa (rice-based)

78

Extruded snack (100% whole-wheat flour)

70

Extruded snack (whole-wheat flour, barley and chickpea, 50:25:25)

49

Finger millet extruded snack

65

Fully polished white rice (WR) with 9.7% degree of polish

80

Green jackfruit (freeze-dried) porridge

65

Guava

78

High fibre white rice

61

Idiyappam

59

Idli

67

Idli

62

Idli (60% Kodo millet)

59

Indian branded basmati rice

55

Jackfruit

63

Kashi 7 whole-grain ‘pilaf’

59

Khichdi (barnyard millet)

35

Little millet flakes (ready to cook)

52

Maize

75

Mango (Raspuri)

35

Millet-based dosa

37

Millet-based dumpling

48

Millet-based roti

53

Minimally polished/under milled rice with 2.3% degree of polish (≈hand pounded rice)

73

Misi parantha

40

Misi parantha (15% green gram husk)

33

Mixed mini meal: wheat, pearl barley and Bengal gram flour (besan) mix with chana whole (unhusked chana + curd)

72

Namkeen sev (with dried bottle gourd pulp powder) [bengal gram flour + kidney bean flour + DBPP (40:40:20)]

22

Namkeen sev (without dried bottle gourd pulp powder) [bengal gram flour + kidney bean flour (50:50)]

33

Noodles (30% finger millet flour + refined wheat flour)

45

Noodles (refined wheat flour)

63

Orange

52

Papaya

19

Papaya bar (control)

65

Papaya bar (treated with inulin and fructooligosaccharides)

54

Pineapple

19

Plaintain (unripe)

74

Ponni (parboiled rice)

70

Poori

59

Popped Amaranth

44

Porotta

38

Preserved coconut sugar

52

Puttu

63

Raw Amaranth

102

Refined maize ugali flour

71

Refined wheat noodles

66

Refined wheat noodles (added bengal gram broken + broken rice)

46

Refined wheat noodles (added bengal gram seed coat + broken rice)

56

Rice flakes poha

74

Rice khichdi

63

Roasted Amaranth

85

Roasted maize (with whole bengal gram)

72

Roti (whole-wheat flour)

45

Salty enriched dalia (with carrot grits)

50

Semolina upma

62

Sewai upma

69

Sewai upma (60% Kodo millet)

65

Sona Masuri (parboiled rice)

72

Sorghum biscuits

54

Sorghum coarse semolina upma

53

Sorghum fine semolina upma

56

Sorghum flakes poha

45

Sorghum multigrain roti

68

Sorghum pasta

46

Surti Kolam (parboiled rice)

77

Tapioca

84

Thepla

58

Thepla (2% ashwagandha root powder)

37

Twisters (added 10% kale powder)

46

Uncle Ben’s whole-grain fast and natural instant brown rice

88

Upma (added decorticated finger millet with lower degree of polish)

85

Upma (added finger millet flakes)

82

Upma (added finger millet vermicelli)

66

Uzhunnu vada

22

Watermelon

37

Wheat biscuits

57

Wheat chapatti

48

Wheat chapatti enriched with carrot powder

53

Wheat coarse semolina upma

58

Wheat fine semolina upma

67

Wheat pasta

72

Wheat roti

64

White ragi flour roti + curry leaf powder (CLP)

63

White ragi roti

67

White rice

79

Whole maize ugali flour

75

Yam

56

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Glycaemic Index (GI) of Japanese Foods

Food from Japan

GI

1/3 Pre-germinated brown rice (mixture of pre-germinated brown rice to white rice)

67

2/3 Pre-germinated brown rice (mixture of pre-germinated brown rice to white rice)

64

Boiled Barleymax

24

Bread (International Standard Reference Food—white bread)

92

Brown rice

62

Butter rice

96

Cake made from whole soy

22

Herbal tea: lemon balm

100

Herbal tea: lemongrass

112

Herbal tea: rosemary

127

Herbal tea: spearmint

109

Herbal tea: thyme

106

Long grain rice

60

Low protein white rice (tei-tanpaku gohan)

86

Noodle-1 (Simabara-udon)

62

Noodle-1 (Simabara-udon)

80

Noodle-2 (Goto-udon)

38

Noodle-2 (Goto-udon)

49

Noodle-3 (Katokichi-udon)

55

Noodle-3 (Katokichi-udon)

67

Noodles made from dehulled yellow pea

50

Noodles made from dehulled yellow pea

40

Noodles made from dehulled yellow pea

40

Noodles made from unshelled yellow pea

69

Potato-1 (Nishiyutaka)

64

Potato-1 (Nishiyutaka)

65

Potato-2 (Ainoaka)

63

Potato-2 (Ainoaka)

63

Potato-3 (Dejima)

54

Potato-3 (Dejima)

52

Pre-germinated brown rice

57

Pre-germinated brown rice

54

Raw herb: corn salad

98

Rice cracker (osenbe)

111

Rice gruel (okayu)

99

Rice vermicelli (a)

55

Rice vermicelli (b)

50

Rice vermicelli (c)

35

Rice vermicelli (d)

59

Rice vermicelli (e)

60

Rice vermicelli (f)

62

Rice-1 (Sato-no-gohan)

71

Rice-1 (Sato-no-gohan)

86

Rice-2 (Nihonbare)

69

Rice-2 (Nihonbare)

82

Rice-3 (Hinohikari)

74

Rice-3 (Hinohikari)

82

Rice-4 (Koshihikari)

75

Rice-4 (Koshihikari)

88

Soybean paste soup (miso shiru) and rice

74

Spaghetti

56

Sponge cake (Castella)

65

Sponge cake (Castilla)

64

White bread (Yamazaki)

58

White bread (Yamazaki)

59

White rice

76

White rice

75

White rice

89

White rice and curry

82

White rice and fermented soybean (natto)

68

White rice and pickled food (beihan, sunomono) (taken before rice)

73

White rice and sated plum frout (umeboshi)

98

White rice and yoghurt (taken after rice)

71

White rice and yoghurt (taken before rice)

72

White rice with curry and cheese

67

White rice − reference food (beihan) + dried sea algae

100

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Glycaemic Index (GI) of Korean Foods

Food from Korea

GI

Acorn jelly

72

All-Bran (Kellogg’s Inc., South Korea)

51

Apple

34

Bagel

77

Baked chestnuts

54

Baked sweet potatoes

91

Barley powder

70

Buckwheat jelly

66

Buckwheat noodles

60

Buckwheat pancakes

50

Castella

60

Cornflakes (Kellogg’s Inc., South Korea)

52

Fine noodles

49

Fresh wheat noodles

48

Grapes

48

Green bean jelly

55

Hand-pulled dough

50

Oriental melon

51

Peach

57

Pear

36

Persimmon

43

Plainbread

71

Potato starch steamed

53

Puffed rice grains

72

Red bean gruel

39

Rice balls

97

Rice bread

73

Rice cakes

81

Rice gruel

93

Rye bread

65

Soft roll

56

Spaghetti

55

Steamed chestnuts

58

Steamed glutinous rice

76

Steamed maize

73

Steamed sweet pumpkin

52

Sweet potato starch vermicelli

60

Tangerine

50

Watermelon

54

Wheat pancakes

57

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Glycaemic Index (GI) of Lebanese Foods

Food from Lebanon

GI

Bourgoul A banadoura

50

Fattit hommos

37

Loubieh bzet

13

Meghleh

50

Mehshe malfouf

68

Pizza

56

Riz A dgeg

57

Riz Bi halib

57

Sfouf

49

Siyadieh

15

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Glycaemic Index (GI) of Thai Foods

Food from Thailand

GI

Big rice noodles from mixed sago palm flour (Metroxylon spp.) and Chiang rice flour

63

Brown rice (Leuang Awn)

66

Germinated parboiled brown rice (Leuang Awn)

61

Hom mali bread

131

Malaysian Long grain specialty brown rice-1 (LS1)—cooked in rice cooker

64

Malaysian Long grain specialty brown rice-1 (LS1)—pressure cooked

73

Malaysian Long grain specialty brown rice-2 (LS2)—cooked in rice cooker

72

Malaysian Long grain specialty brown rice-2 (LS2)—pressure cooked

65

Parboiled brown rice (Leuang Awn)

50

Polished rice (Leuang Awn)

83

Riceberry rice bread

69

Small rice noodles from mixed sago palm flour (Metroxylon spp.) and Chiang rice flour 60; 40

54

Thailand Chiang brown rice—cooked in rice cooker

65

Thailand Chiang brown rice—pressure cooked

58

Thailand Lepnok brown rice—cooked in rice cooker

62

Thailand Lepnok brown rice—pressure cooked

59

Thailand Sungyod brown rice—cooked in rice cooker

72

Thailand Sungyod brown rice—pressure cooked

81

Wheat bread

78

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