Low GI Recipes with the Dieter in Mind

May 1, 2009 by Steve

Low GI recipes are great to have on hand if you’re considering a low GI diet. With over have of the population in developed countries considered to be obese, the advantages of this diet make it a smart choice for many people who want to lose weight.

Originally, research on GI began as a way to control diabetes. The basic idea of GI was to reduce the problems associated with insulin by identifying the foods that have higher impact on the blood sugar.

The Glycemic Index system ranks the food items from 0-100, with the lower ranking being better. This is done as per the effect of various carbohydrate food sources on the level of blood sugar after eating. When consuming foods with low GI values (less than 55), there is a gradual rise in the sugar level, and it is easy on the body. Foods between 55-70 are known to be intermediate GI foods, and more than 70 are high GI foods.

Some Useful Low GI Diet Recipes Worth Considering

Chicken with lemon would be a healthy, and tasty, low Gi recipe to consider.

Ingredients:

8 boneless skinless chicken thighs
2 tbsp lemon juice
2tbsp olive oil
3 cloves of crushed garlic
2tbsp of white wine

Instructions:

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and coat the chicken thoroughly. Chill for about 20 minutes, and then grill for another 10 minutes on each side under high heat. You can serve it with basmati rice, baby carrots or steamed broccoli.

Beef with pepper is another great low GI diet recipe.

Ingredients:

12 oz of lean beef that has been trimmed of all the visible fat
3 cloves of crushed garlic
4 chopped bell peppers
3 chopped carrots
Juice of two lemons
2 cups of chopped broccoli
8 oz can of chick peas
10 oz of cooked basmati rice

Make sure to include asparagus, cucumber, artichoke, lettuce, fennel, tomatoes, bell peppers, broccoli, green beans, cabbage, collards, kale, parsley, cauliflower and cilantro in your diet, as these vegetables have a low GI index. Raw vegetables have low GI due to their fiber content. Cooking these vegetable raises their glycemic number as it alters the quality of fiber, making the carbohydrates more readily available to the body.

Foods such as white bread should not be a part of your GI diet, as it isn’t a high fibre food and has a high GI (70). Make sure you eat bran cereals and avoid cereals such as Cornflakes.

And don’t forget the holiday season! It is very important to follow low GI recipes during this season, otherwise you’ll end up overeating the processed and refined foods such as pies, cakes and cookies. You don’t have to deprive yourself of the seasonal treats, just try to combine them with low GI foods and you should be okay.

Filed under: Low GI
Tagged: low gi, low gi diet recipes, low gi recipes