The Health Blog

It isn’t just a matter of choosing the food with the lowest G.I. factor. It Is best to include a wide variety of foods in your diet to optimise your nutrient intake. Compare the nutritional properties of these carbohydrate foods and see why variety is important.

Potatoes. Australian potatoes have been tested recently and all were found to have high G.I. values.Tiny, canned new potatoes have the lowest G.I. factor with a value of 65. Despite their high G.C. factor, potatoes are a healthy food providing a fat-free source of carbohydrate along with significant amounts of vitamin C and potassium. Their glycaemic impact is lessened by eating moderate quantities and eating other low G.I. carbohydrates at the same meal.

Rice. White rice is bland in flavour, making it an ideal accompaniment to spicy Chinese. Thai and Indian food. Milling of rice removes the bran and germ, resulting in a considerable loss of nutrients. Because of this, brown rice is a much better source of B vitamins, minerals and fibre. Vary your diet to include both brown and white rice. Basmati rice is available as brown or white rice.

Sweet potato. Orange sweet potato is a fantastic source of B-carotene (the plant precursor of vitamin A) and is also quite rich in vitamin C and makes a colourful addition to any dinner. It is a good source of fibre. G.I. factor 54.

Sweet corn. Corn on the cob, or loose kernel corn, is generally a popular vegetable with children and is high in fibre. It is also a source of B vitamins. G.I. factor 55.

Legumes. Chickpeas, lentils and beans are all high in protein and so are a nutritious alternative to meat. Their content of niacin, potassium, phosphorus, iron and zinc is also high while their fibre content is higher than for the other carbohydrate foods listed here.

Pasta. Pasta is higher in protein than rice or potato and Is often eaten as a meal without including meat It Is very satisfying and quick to prepare with the addition of vegetables, or a vegetable sauce and a sprinkling of Parmesan. G.I. factor varies from 37 to 55.

Cracked wheat. Bulgur (burghul) is parboiled whole or cracked grams of wheat. Because the whole grain is virtually intact, bulgur provides lots of fibre, thiamin, niacin, vitamin E and minerals. G.I. factor 48.

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