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The GL Cheat Sheet: Common Foods Ranked by Glycemic Load

The Glyc Team · April 27, 2026

How to use this reference

Every GL value below is per standard serving size. Foods are rated as Low (10 or under), Medium (11 to 19), or High (20 or above). This list covers the foods most people eat regularly — the ones that matter most for day-to-day blood sugar management.

A few notes before diving in: GL values can vary based on preparation method, ripeness, brand, and growing conditions. The numbers here are averages from published glycemic index research and USDA nutrition data. Use them as reliable guidelines, not absolute values.

Grains and starches

  • White rice, 1 cup cooked — GL 33 (High)

  • Spaghetti, 1.5 cups cooked — GL 27 (High)

  • Baked potato, 1 medium — GL 26 (High)

  • Brown rice, 1 cup cooked — GL 23 (High)

  • Cornflakes, 1 cup — GL 21 (High)

  • Instant oatmeal, 1 packet — GL 17 (Medium)

  • White bread, 2 slices — GL 15 (Medium)

  • Basmati rice, 1 cup cooked — GL 15 (Medium)

  • Corn on the cob, 1 large ear — GL 15 (Medium)

  • Whole wheat bread, 2 slices — GL 14 (Medium)

  • Wild rice, 1 cup cooked — GL 13 (Medium)

  • Quinoa, 1 cup cooked — GL 13 (Medium)

  • Sweet potato, 1 medium — GL 12 (Medium)

  • Bulgur, 1 cup cooked — GL 12 (Medium)

  • Rolled oats, 1 cup cooked — GL 11 (Medium)

  • Barley, 1 cup cooked — GL 11 (Medium)

  • Sourdough bread, 2 slices — GL 10 (Low)

  • Steel-cut oats, 1 cup cooked — GL 8 (Low)

  • Cauliflower rice, 1 cup — GL 1 (Low)

Fruits

  • Dates, 3 — GL 18 (Medium)

  • Raisins, 1/4 cup — GL 16 (Medium)

  • Banana, 1 medium ripe — GL 13 (Medium)

  • Grapes, 1 cup — GL 11 (Medium)

  • Mango, 1 cup sliced — GL 9 (Low)

  • Pineapple, 1 cup — GL 7 (Low)

  • Orange, 1 medium — GL 5 (Low)

  • Apple, 1 medium — GL 6 (Low)

  • Pear, 1 medium — GL 4 (Low)

  • Peach, 1 medium — GL 4 (Low)

  • Plum, 2 medium — GL 3 (Low)

  • Blueberries, 1 cup — GL 5 (Low)

  • Strawberries, 1 cup — GL 1 (Low)

  • Raspberries, 1 cup — GL 1 (Low)

  • Cherries, 1 cup — GL 3 (Low)

  • Grapefruit, 1/2 — GL 3 (Low)

  • Watermelon, 1 slice (120g) — GL 5 (Low)

  • Avocado, 1/2 — GL 0 (Low)

Vegetables

  • Parsnip, 1 cup cooked — GL 12 (Medium)

  • Pumpkin, 1 cup cooked — GL 3 (Low)

  • Carrots, 1 cup cooked — GL 3 (Low)

  • Beets, 1 cup cooked — GL 5 (Low)

  • Green peas, 1 cup — GL 4 (Low)

  • Tomato, 1 medium — GL 1 (Low)

  • Broccoli, 1 cup — GL 1 (Low)

  • Cauliflower, 1 cup — GL 1 (Low)

  • Zucchini, 1 cup — GL 1 (Low)

  • Green beans, 1 cup — GL 1 (Low)

  • Spinach, 1 cup — GL 0 (Low)

  • Lettuce, 1 cup — GL 0 (Low)

  • Cucumber, 1 cup — GL 0 (Low)

  • Bell pepper, 1 medium — GL 1 (Low)

  • Mushrooms, 1 cup — GL 0 (Low)

  • Asparagus, 6 spears — GL 1 (Low)

Legumes

  • Baked beans, 1 cup — GL 7 (Low)

  • Chickpeas, 1 cup cooked — GL 8 (Low)

  • Black beans, 1 cup cooked — GL 7 (Low)

  • Kidney beans, 1 cup cooked — GL 7 (Low)

  • Lentils, 1 cup cooked — GL 5 (Low)

  • Soybeans / edamame, 1 cup — GL 1 (Low)

Dairy

  • Ice cream, 1 cup — GL 14 (Medium)

  • Milk, whole, 1 cup — GL 3 (Low)

  • Milk, skim, 1 cup — GL 4 (Low)

  • Greek yogurt, plain, 1 cup — GL 3 (Low)

  • Cheese, 1 oz — GL 0 (Low)

  • Cottage cheese, 1/2 cup — GL 2 (Low)

  • Butter, 1 tbsp — GL 0 (Low)

Protein

  • Chicken breast — GL 0 (Low)

  • Salmon — GL 0 (Low)

  • Beef — GL 0 (Low)

  • Pork — GL 0 (Low)

  • Eggs, 2 large — GL 0 (Low)

  • Shrimp — GL 0 (Low)

  • Tofu, firm, 1/2 cup — GL 0 (Low)

  • Turkey breast — GL 0 (Low)

Snacks and sweets

  • Jelly beans, 30 — GL 22 (High)

  • Chocolate bar, milk, 1.5 oz — GL 14 (Medium)

  • Popcorn, 3 cups air-popped — GL 6 (Low)

  • Dark chocolate, 85%, 1 oz — GL 3 (Low)

  • Almonds, 1 oz — GL 0 (Low)

  • Walnuts, 1 oz — GL 0 (Low)

  • Peanuts, 1 oz — GL 1 (Low)

  • Peanut butter, 2 tbsp — GL 1 (Low)

  • Hummus, 2 tbsp — GL 1 (Low)

Beverages

  • Coca-Cola, 12 oz — GL 16 (Medium)

  • Orange juice, 1 cup — GL 12 (Medium)

  • Apple juice, 1 cup — GL 12 (Medium)

  • Beer, 12 oz — GL 7 (Low)

  • Wine, red, 5 oz — GL 0 (Low)

  • Coffee, black — GL 0 (Low)

  • Tea, unsweetened — GL 0 (Low)

  • Water — GL 0 (Low)

Patterns worth noticing

A few things stand out when you look at the data as a whole:

  • Protein and fat have no GL. Meat, fish, eggs, cheese, nuts, and oils do not raise blood sugar. Building meals around these and adding controlled amounts of carbohydrate is the simplest strategy.

  • Most vegetables are effectively zero. You can eat large volumes of non-starchy vegetables without any meaningful glycemic impact.

  • Legumes are the best carbohydrate source. Beans, lentils, and chickpeas provide substantial carbohydrates with low GL values — the fibre and protein slow digestion naturally.

  • Grains vary enormously. The difference between steel-cut oats (GL 8) and cornflakes (GL 21) is nearly three-fold. Processing level matters more than the grain itself.

  • Liquid carbs are worse. Juice, soda, and sweetened drinks have higher effective GL than their whole-food equivalents because there is no fibre to slow absorption.

For recipes rather than individual ingredients, Glyc calculates the total GL per serving by combining all ingredients. This is more accurate than adding up individual food GL values because the interaction between protein, fat, fibre, and carbohydrate within a meal affects the overall glycemic response.