Low GI Diet Plan: What it is & How it Works

The low GI diet plan allows you to choose meals that don’t raise your blood sugar levels, and it isn’t wholly restrictive hence becoming one of the best weight loss meal plans.

This meal plan is based on the glycemic index scale and doesn’t wholly exclude any food groups. The theory is that these diets assist in weight loss by making you feel filled for extended periods, ultimately reducing your calorie intake.

Based on three weeks of research, this article will help guide you on how to start a low GI diet, what foods to eat, what to avoid, benefits, drawbacks, and a 7-day low glycemic diet plan to get you started.

What is Low GI Diet Plan?

The low glycemic index diet is an eating plan based primarily or exclusively on a glycemic index system. This diet considers how various foods influence your blood sugar levels.

The glycemic index categorizes foods based on their blood sugar levels. The rates at which foods raise the blood sugar level are compared with the absorption of 50 grams of pure glucose. In the GI ratings, foods are either low (55 or lower), medium (56-69), or high (70 or more).

A glycemic index diet, unlike some other plans, may not always specify serving sizes or the ideal caloric, carbohydrate, or fat intake for weight loss or maintenance.

Foods with a low GI are more preferred in the low GI diet plan as they only raise a small number of sugar levels, unlike high GI foods.

A glycemic index (GI) diet aims to eat carbohydrate-containing foods that are less likely to cause significant increases in blood sugar levels. In other words, a low GI diet entails replacing high GI foods with common GI substitutes.

People take the GI diet plan for various reasons, including; wanting to shed weight or to maintain an average blood sugar level.

Why You Should Take Low GI Diets

• A Low GI diet helps in promoting and maintaining weight loss.
• A low GI diet helps maintain blood glucose levels, especially in people with diabetes.
• A low-GI diet can help lower the body’s total cholesterol level when combined with dietary fibre foods like fruits and vegetables.

Limitations of the Low GI Diet

The low GI diet doesn’t consider other foods, like protein or fibre. As a result, some foods can have low GI value yet still be unhealthy.

The GI diet meal is difficult to calculate when foods are consumed as part of a larger meal. This method is usually less effective.

In the GI index, only foods that do not contain carbohydrates have a GI value. This is usually ineffective as carb content is an essential factor to use in determining blood sugar levels. This method is better used in combination with counting calories or checking other compositions of the foods.

What to Eat on A Low GI Diet Plan

• Bread: whole grain, multigrain, and sourdough
• Vegetables: carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, and more.
• Starchy vegetables: orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, corn, yams, and winter squash.
• Legumes: kidney beans, butter beans, baked beans, lentils, chickpeas, and more.
• Fish and seafood: salmon, trout, tuna, sardines, and prawns.
• Other animal products: lamb, beef, chicken, and pork
• Cereals for breakfast: bran flakes and steel-cut oats.
• Fruits: apples, strawberries, apricots, peaches, pears, plums, and more.
• Noodles and pasta: rice noodles, soba noodles, vermicelli noodles, pasta brown, long-grain, and basmati rice.
• Grains: freekeh, buckwheat, quinoa, barley, pearl couscous, and semolina.
• Dairy products and dairy substitutes: milk, yogurt, cheese, coconut milk, soy milk, and almond milk.
• Nuts: almond, cashew, pistachio, and pistachio nuts
• Fats and oils: butter, avocado, and olive oil
• Herbs and seasonings: salt, pepper, garlic, basil, and dill

High GI Foods to Avoid on The Low GI Plan

• Breakfast cereals: corn flakes, fruit loops, rice Krispies, cocoa Krispies, and instant oats.
• Starchy vegetables include instant mashed potatoes, red Pontiac, and Desirée potato.
• Bread: Lebanese bread, Turkish bread, French baguettes, white bread, bagels, naan, and bagels.
• Fruits: Watermelon and pineapple
• Pasta and noodles: instant noodles and corn pasta.
• Dairy replacements: oat milk and rice milk.
• Rice: jasmine, arborio, calrose, and medium-grain white rice.
• Savoury snacks: corn chips, rice cakes, pretzels, rice crackers, and corn thins.
• Cakes, scones, doughnuts, cupcakes, waffles, and other sweets.
• Other: licorice, jelly beans, Gatorade, and Lucozade.

The 7-Day Low Glycemic Diet Plan

Day 1

• Breakfast: oatmeal with rolled oats, milk, pumpkin seeds, and finely chopped berries.
• Lunch: chicken sandwich on whole grain bread with a salad.
• Snack: fruit yogurt with low fat.
• Dinner: beef stir-fry with vegetables, served with long grain rice.

Day 2

• Breakfast: whole grain bread with smoked salmon, avocado, and tomatoes.
• Lunch: minestrone and whole grain bread.
• Snack: A medium-sized pear with a mixture of nuts and seeds.
• Dinner: grilled fish with broccoli and green beans that have been boiled.

Day 3

• Breakfast: omelet with cheese, tomato, spinach, and mushrooms.
• Lunch: salmon, ricotta, and quinoa cups along with a salad.
• Snack: low-fat yogurt.
• Dinner: homemade pizza made from whole-wheat pastry.

Day 4

• Breakfast: a berry, milk, Greek yogurt, and cinnamon smoothie.
• Lunch: a whole-wheat chicken pasta salad.
• Snack: A peach and mango smoothie made with natural yogurt low in fat.
• Dinner: handmade hamburgers on whole wheat buns with beef patties and vegetables.

Day 5

• Breakfast: fruity quinoa porridge with apple and cinnamon.
• Lunch: toasty tuna salad sandwich on whole wheat bread.
• Snack: fruit yogurt smoothie – banana, honeydew melon, and low-fat natural yogurt.
• Dinner: chicken and chickpea curry with basmati rice.

Day 6

• Breakfast: smoked salmon, tomatoes, and eggs on whole grain bread.
• Lunch: a whole-wheat wrap with lettuce and an egg.
• Snack: mango and banana fruit smoothie.
• Dinner: lamb chops with vegetables and mashed pumpkin.

Day 7

• Breakfast: pancakes made of buckwheat and berries.
• Lunch: a tuna salad and brown rice.
• Snack: fruit smoothie and a small handful of nuts or seeds.
• Dinner: beef meatballs served with veggies and brown rice.

Conclusion

The low glycemic (low GI) diet calls for substituting high GI foods with low ones. The low GI diet plan is an excellent method to get used to good eating, even though it doesn’t result in more weight loss than other diets like Keto.

While it has its limitations, you can use the low GI diet to check for foods that affect your blood sugar levels and is particularly good for diabetic patients.