High glycemic index foods are those with a GI of 70 or higher, meaning the carbohydrate they contain raises blood glucose faster than most other carbs. The most common high-GI foods in a typical Western diet include white bread, white rice, instant oats, breakfast cereals like cornflakes and Rice Krispies, baked or mashed potatoes, watermelon, dates, pretzels, and rice cakes. Pairing these foods with protein, fat, fiber, or vinegar — or swapping them for a lower-GI version — can blunt the glucose response substantially.
How the Glycemic Index Scale Works
The glycemic index is a 0 to 100 scale that ranks how a food’s carbohydrate raises blood glucose relative to pure glucose, which is set at 100. Standard cutoffs:
- Low GI: 55 or below
- Medium GI: 56 to 69
- High GI: 70 or above
GI is measured in healthy volunteers after they eat 50 grams of available carbohydrate from a test food, with blood glucose tracked for 2 hours and compared with the same amount of glucose. Values come from the International GI Database maintained by the Glycemic Index Foundation and the University of Sydney.
50+ Common High-GI Foods With Lower-GI Swaps
Grains, Breads, and Cereals
| Food | GI | GL (typical serving) | Lower-GI Swap |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread | 75 | 10 | Sourdough, 100% whole-grain rye, or pumpernickel |
| Bagel, plain | 72 | 25 | Whole-grain or sprouted-grain bagel, half portion |
| White rice (jasmine) | 89 | 43 | Basmati rice, brown rice, or quinoa |
| Sticky rice | 87 | 32 | Long-grain basmati or wild rice |
| Instant oats | 79 | 21 | Steel-cut or rolled oats |
| Cornflakes | 81 | 20 | Plain rolled oats with berries |
| Rice Krispies | 82 | 22 | Bran flakes, muesli, or Greek yogurt |
| Puffed rice cereal | 87 | 21 | Whole-grain muesli |
| Cheerios | 74 | 14 | Bran flakes |
| Couscous | 72 | 23 | Pearl barley or bulgur |
| White pasta (overcooked) | 75 | 30 | Al dente whole-wheat or chickpea pasta |
| Cornmeal / polenta | 78 | 17 | Steel-cut oats or quinoa porridge |
| Tapioca | 81 | 23 | Chia or oat pudding |
Snacks, Crackers, and Baked Goods
| Food | GI | GL (typical serving) | Lower-GI Swap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pretzels | 83 | 16 | Roasted chickpeas or nuts |
| Rice cakes | 82 | 17 | Whole-grain crackers with hummus |
| Soda crackers | 74 | 12 | Whole-grain crisp bread (Wasa, Ryvita) |
| Donut, plain | 76 | 17 | Greek yogurt with berries |
| Waffles | 76 | 10 | Buckwheat pancakes |
| Muffin, packaged | 71 | 26 | Homemade oat or almond-flour muffin |
| Corn chips | 74 | 18 | Bean chips or vegetables with guacamole |
| Popcorn (microwave) | 72 | 8 | Air-popped popcorn (lower portion) |
| Graham crackers | 74 | 14 | Almonds or walnuts |
| Vanilla wafers | 77 | 14 | Dark chocolate (1 oz, 70%+) |
Sugars, Sweeteners, and Drinks
| Food | GI | GL (typical serving) | Lower-GI Swap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glucose tablets | 100 | 10 | Use only for hypoglycemia treatment |
| Maltodextrin | 105 | 25 | Whole-food carb source |
| Soda (cola) | 63 to 70 | 16 | Sparkling water with citrus |
| Sports drinks | 78 | 13 | Water plus electrolyte tablet |
| Fruit juice (apple) | 41 to 60 | 12 | Whole apple |
| Honey | 61 to 65 | 12 | Stevia, monk fruit, or allulose |
| Maple syrup | 54 | 10 | Sugar-free maple syrup |
| Energy bars (most) | 70+ | 20+ | Nut and seed bar with under 8 g sugar |
Starchy Vegetables and Legumes
| Food | GI | GL (typical serving) | Lower-GI Swap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baked white potato | 85 | 26 | Sweet potato or roasted cauliflower |
| Mashed potato (instant) | 87 | 17 | Mashed cauliflower or roasted root veg |
| French fries | 75 | 22 | Roasted sweet potato wedges |
| Boiled white potato | 78 | 22 | Boiled then cooled potato (resistant starch) |
| Pumpkin, boiled | 75 | 3 | (Low GL — moderation is fine) |
| Parsnips, boiled | 97 | 12 | Roasted carrots or rutabaga |
| Cassava / tapioca | 85 | 22 | Sweet potato |
Fruits
| Food | GI | GL (typical serving) | Lower-GI Swap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Watermelon | 76 | 4 | (Low GL — moderate portions are fine) |
| Pineapple | 66 to 73 | 6 to 8 | Berries, kiwi, or apple |
| Dates (Medjool) | 62 to 70 | 18 (per 4 dates) | Fresh figs or 1 to 2 dates |
| Raisins | 64 | 28 | Fresh grapes or berries |
| Cantaloupe | 65 | 4 | (Low GL — fine in moderation) |
| Lychee, canned | 79 | 16 | Fresh berries |
Glycemic Load Often Matters More Than GI
Glycemic load (GL) multiplies GI by the grams of carbs in a typical serving and divides by 100. A food can have a high GI but a low GL if you do not eat much carbohydrate at one sitting. Watermelon is the classic example: GI 76, but only about 11 g of carbs per cup, so a serving’s GL is around 4 — low. By contrast, a bagel has a moderate GI (around 72) but 50 g of carbs, giving it a high GL of 25. For day-to-day eating, GL is the better predictor of post-meal glucose response.
How to Use the GI Without Letting It Take Over
The GI scale is one tool among several. The American Diabetes Association recognizes GI/GL as a useful concept but does not recommend using it as the sole diet rule. More practical priorities for blood sugar management:
- Reduce total added sugar across the day.
- Increase fiber to 25 to 35 g daily.
- Pair carbs with protein, fat, or vinegar to slow digestion.
- Watch portion size more than GI category.
- Move for 10 to 20 minutes after meals to flatten the curve.
For a deeper dive, see our prediabetes diet hub and the prediabetes overview for how diet ties into broader glucose management.
The Bottom Line
High-GI foods are not banned, but they are foods to portion carefully or pair with slower-digesting items if you are managing prediabetes or diabetes. Most of the highest-impact swaps are simple: choose whole grains over refined, eat fruit instead of juice, and reach for sweet potato instead of white potato more often than not. Small consistent changes in food choice produce far larger long-term glucose effects than chasing GI numbers down to the decimal.
