Give low-GI a go with these tasty ideas

Have you noticed recently that you need a dictionary to decipher dietary definitions?

To help make sense of the baffling nutrition lingo, we’re giving you the low-down about low-glycemic index (low-GI) foods.

The glycemic index (GI) is a measure that ranks foods according to their effect on your blood sugar levels.

When you eat carbohydrates, your digestive system breaks them down into simple sugars that then enter the bloodstream. Food with a low-GI value is slowly digested and absorbed, causing a slower and smaller rise in blood sugar levels, whilst high GI foods do the opposite.

It is important to note that foods are only assigned a GI value if they contain carbohydrates. Therefore, foods containing no carbs, such as beef, chicken, fish, eggs, herbs and spices, won’t be found on GI lists.

Carbohydrates are found in bread, cereals, fruits, vegetables and dairy products and they are an essential part of a healthy diet.

Studies have shown that a low-GI diet may result in weight loss, lower cholesterol, reduced blood sugar levels and decreased risk of heart disease and type two diabetes. However, it is important to note that the GI does not provide a complete nutritional picture. For example, the GI of French fries is 75, whereas a baked potato, the healthier substitute, has a GI of 85.

At the end of the day, it is important to consume a healthy, balanced diet that includes a variety of whole and unprocessed foods, regardless of their GI.

Here are some delicious low-GI recipes using Slendier products to get you started:

Vietnamese chicken noodle salad

Minestrone soup

Poached salmon with ginger broth

Creamy chicken alfredo with mushrooms

Photo credit: @dosejuice