Breads and Cereals - Is the Glycemic Index Chart Enough?

The glycemic index chart below contains listings for a number of healthy breads and cereals that you can easily include in your diet.

Everybody loves breads and cereals. You know they taste great and those types of carbohydrates really are an important part of a healthy balanced diet.

But as you can see in the glycemic index chart below, most have a GI in the upper-low to moderate range. So the key is to basically eat them in the right proportions. In other words, serving size counts here!

Breads and cereals are packed with energy in the form of carbohydrates. This means that even though the glycemic index may be reasonable, the glycemic load could still be quite high resulting in high blood glucose levels.

So the trick is to make sure you eat a reasonable amount of a low GI bread or cereal such as the ones listed in the glycemic index chart below.

What is a reasonable amount? Typically for breads it is one slice. For breads (as well as meats) I like to use the palm of my hand to measure a serving size. A serving of bread is about the same size and thickness as the palm of your hand.

For cereals, a serving size is about 1/2 cup or 2 oz (30-50 grams) of dry cereal.

Again, you want to make sure you eat these. They contain essential nutrients and are an important, essential part of a healthy diet. But watch that serving size!



Breads Glycemic Index
100% Whole Wheat Bread (stone ground) 59
High Fiber Crispbreads (e.g. Ryvita) 65
Whole Wheat Hamburger Buns (small) 61
Whole Wheat Tortillas (small) 59
Whole Wheat Pitas 57

Cereals Glycemic Index
Oatmeal (old-fashioned steel-cut oats) 52 - 58
Oat Bran 55
Kashi Go Lean unavailable
Fiber 1 (or Fiber First) 56
Grape Nuts 67
All-Bran Original 34
All-Bran Bran Buds 45