The Glycemic Index is the Key to Energy and Endurance
Slow Burning Foods Offer a Steady Energy Source and Regulate Insulin Production
Eating the right foods at the right time will help get you through a marathon, weekly long run, or even a day of hiking in the great outdoors. Foods burn at different rates, largely determined by their sugar or carbohydrate content and how raw or processed they are. These foods are categorized in the glycemic index.
In fact, popular diets such as the South Beach Diet have been based on the glycemic index. Eating foods with little or no processing can help you lose weight.
It also makes for a more heart-healthy diet and will save you from that pesky sugar rush and resulting crash. Nothing is worse than bonking miles from the nearest food source.
While looking at the chart below, keep in mind that the lower the index number is, the slower burning the food is.
Cereals
All Bran |
51 |
Bran Buds + psyllium |
45 |
Bran Flakes |
74 |
Cheerios |
74 |
Corn Chex |
83 |
Cornflakes |
83 |
Cream of Wheat |
66 |
Frosted Flakes |
55 |
Grapenuts |
67 |
Life |
66 |
muesli, natural |
54 |
Nutri-Grain |
66 |
oatmeal, old fashioned |
48 |
Puffed Wheat |
67 |
Raisin Bran |
73 |
Rice Chex |
89 |
Shredded Wheat |
67 |
Special K |
53 |
Total |
76 |
Cereal Grains for Baking and Cooking
barley
25
basmati white rice
58
bulgar
48
couscous
65
cornmeal
68
millet
71
quinoa
35
Fruit
apple |
38 |
apricots |
57 |
banana |
56 |
cantaloupe |
65 |
cherries |
22 |
dates |
103 |
grapefruit |
25 |
grapes |
46 |
kiwi |
52 |
mango |
55 |
orange |
43 |
papaya |
58 |
peach |
42 |
pear |
58 |
pineapple |
66 |
plums |
39 |
prunes |
15 |
raisins |
65 |
watermelon |
72 |
Snack Foods (yay!)
chocolate bar |
49 |
corn chips |
72 |
croissant |
67 |
doughnut (Yo, Homer Simpson!) |
76 |
graham crackers |
74 |
jelly beans |
80 |
Life Savers |
74 |
oatmeal cookie |
57 |
pizza, cheese & tomato |
60 |
Pizza Hut supreme pizza |
33 |
popcorn, lite microwave |
55 |
potato chips |
56 |
pound cake |
54 |
Power Bars |
58 |
pretzels |
83 |
saltine crackers |
74 |
shortbread cookies |
64 |
Snickers Bar |
41 |
strawberry jam |
51 |
vanilla wafers |
77 |
Wheat Thins |
67 |
Breads
bagel, plain |
72 |
French baguette |
95 |
croissant |
67 |
hamburger bun |
61 |
apple, cinnamon |
44 |
blueberry |
59 |
oat & raisin |
54 |
pita pocket |
57 |
pizza, cheese |
60 |
pumpernickel |
49 |
sourdough |
54 |
rye |
64 |
white |
70 |
wheat |
68 |
Dairy Products
chocolate milk (great for a workout recovery snack) |
35 |
custard |
43 |
ice cream, vanilla |
60 |
ice milk, vanilla |
50 |
skim milk |
32 |
soy milk |
31 |
tofu frozen dessert (OKaaaay...) |
115 |
whole milk |
30 |
yogurt with fruit |
36 |
yogurt, plain |
yogurt, plain |
Beverages
apple juice |
40 |
soft drinks |
65 |
Gatorade, original |
78 |
grapefruit juice |
48 |
orange juice |
46 |
pineapple juice |
46 |
Pasta Products
cheese tortellini |
50 |
fettucini |
32 |
linguini |
50 |
macaroni |
46 |
spaghetti, boiled for 5 minutes |
33 |
spaghetti, boiled for 15 minutes |
44 |
spaghetti, protein enriched |
28 |
vermicelli |
35 |
Sugar Products
fructose |
22 |
honey |
62 |
maltose |
105 |
table sugar |
64 |
Beans and Legumes
baked |
44 |
black beans, boiled |
30 |
butter beans, boiled |
33 |
cannellini beans |
31 |
garbanzo, boiled |
34 |
kidney, boiled |
29 |
kidney, canned |
52 |
lentils, green or brown |
40 |
lima, boiled |
32 |
navy |
38 |
pinto, boiled |
39 |
red lentils, boiled |
27 |
soy, boiled |
16 |
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