Content

A low-glycemic index (low-GI) diet is an eating plan based on how foods affect blood sugar level, also called blood glucose level.

The glycemic index ranks food on a scale from 0 to 100. The low end of the scale has foods that have little effect on blood sugar levels. The high end of the scale has foods with a big effect on blood sugar levels.

A low-GI diet uses the glycemic index as the main guide for meal planning. People also may use the glycemic index as one of many tools for making choices about foods and meals.