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How to Calculate Low GI

The GI (Glycemic Index) is a measurement device that will help you calculate the effect that different carbohydrate-rich foods have on your blood sugar. Low-GI foods have more-complex carbohydrates, or "carbs." These cause a slow rise in your blood sugar levels that usually lasts for some time before dwindling. High-GI foods cause a rapid spike in blood sugar levels, followed by a rapid drop-off within a short period of time. Many nutritionists advise eating low-GI foods to help you lose weight, because such foods help keep you blood sugar and insulin levels healthy. Calculate the GI of your meal by using a GI chart and some simple math.

Things You'll Need

  • A GI chart
  • Labels of your food
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Instructions

    • 1

      Find the total amount of carbohydrates in each serving for every food source in your meal. For example, if you're eating pasta with tomato sauce, look at the label to find the carbohydrates per serving for both products, and write them down. A typical white flour pasta has about 38 grams of carbohydrate per serving, while a typical tomato sauce has about 12.

    • 2

      Add the two together to get the total carb content. In the example of pasta with tomato sauce, the total carb content would be 50 (38 plus 12).

    • 3

      Find the GI value of each food on the GI chart. In the example, the GI of white flour pasta is 55, and the GI of tomato sauce is 45 (with added sugar).

    • 4

      Find the percentage of total carbohydrates for each food. For example, the pasta contains 38 of the 50 total carbs of the meal, that equals 76 percent. The tomato sauce contains 12 of the 50, making up the remaining 24 percent.

    • 5

      Multiply the percentage with the GI value for each food.From the example, multiply the pasta's percentage, 0.76, by its GI value, 55, which equals 41.8. Then multiply the percentage of total carbs for tomato sauce, 0.26, by its GI value, 45; this gives you a total of 11.7.

    • 6

      Add these two numbers together to get the total GI value of your meal. In this case, 41.8 plus 11.7 equals 53.5, which is the GI value for the meal "pasta with tomato sauce, which is the level of a medium-GI-index food. To make lower-GI-value meals, use lower-GI-value ingredients like whole grain pastas.

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