Foods that contain no carbs are not assigned a GI and include meat, fish, poultry, nuts, seeds, herbs, spices, and oils. The lower the GI of a specific food, the less it may affect your blood sugar levels ( 1).įoods high in refined carbs and sugar are digested more quickly and often have a high GI, while foods high in protein, fat, or fiber typically have a low GI. The glycemic index (GI) is a value used to measure how much specific foods increase blood sugar levels.įoods are classified as low, medium, or high glycemic foods and ranked on a scale of 0–100.
