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FOODS WITH HEALTHY SUGARS AND A LOW GI AND GL

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As discussed in this month’s editions of GI News, Australians are consuming less available carbohydrate in their diets, and particularly less foods with free sugars. Probably due to over-generalisation and lack of knowledge, some people have also reduced their consumption of foods naturally high in sugars like fruits, vegetables and certain dairy foods, increasing the risk of certain nutrient deficiencies (e.g., vitamin C, fibre, etc…) in some groups of Australians. In this month’s shopper’s guide, we look at a range of nutritious foods that are low GI (≤55), low GL (≤10 g) and are good sources of natural sugars that you can enjoy as part of your daily fare.

For people with diabetes

To those of you who count your carbohydrate intake in grams, exchanges or portions, we have included the details for each of these.
15g carbohydrate exchange – a serve containing 12-18g carbohydrate.
10g carbohydrate portion – a serve containing 7.6-12.5g carbohydrate.
Apricots (raw)
GI 38
Serving: 3 medium apricots (60 g or 2 Ounces)
Energy Available carbohydrate (g) Fibre (g) Exchanges Portions Glycemic load (g)
100 kJ or 25 Cal 4 1.5 1/3 0.5 1.5
Butternut pumpkin, boiled 
GI 51
Serving: 1 large piece (140 g or 5 Ounce)
Energy Available carbohydrate (g) Fibre (g) Exchanges Portions Glycemic load (g)
275 kJ or 65 Cal 10 2.6 0.5 1 5
Carrot juice, fresh 
GI 43
Serving: 1 Cup (260 g or 9 Ounce)
Energy Available carbohydrate (g) Fibre (g) Exchanges Portions Glycemic load (g)
380 kJ or 90 Cal 17 8.8 1 1.5 7
Custard, homemade 
GI 43
Serving: ¼ Cup (70 g or 2.5 Ounce)
Energy Available carbohydrate (g) Fibre (g) Exchanges Portions Glycemic load (g)
510 kJ or 120 Cal 21 0 1.5 2 9
Natural yoghurt, fat free 
GI 19
Serving: ½ Cup (130 g or 5.5 Ounce)
Energy Available carbohydrate (g) Fibre (g) Exchanges Portions Glycemic load (g)
310 kJ or 75 Cal 8 0 0.5 1 1.5
Read more:
Dr Alan Barclay, PhD, is a consultant dietitian and chef with a particular interest in carbohydrates and diabetes. He is author of Reversing Diabetes (Murdoch Books), and co-author of 40 scientific publications, The Good Carbs Cookbook (Murdoch Books), Managing Type 2 Diabetes (Hachette Australia) and The Ultimate Guide to Sugars and Sweeteners (The Experiment Publishing).
Contact: Follow him on Twitter, LinkedIn or check out his website.
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