Glycemic Load Chart: Food Values, Formula, Calculator, and Diabetes Guidance

Glycemic load (GL) helps estimate how a typical serving of food is likely to affect your blood sugar by combining the food's glycemic index with the amount of carbohydrate it contains. This guide explains how glycemic load is calculated, provides a practical food chart, and shows how it can be used alongside healthy eating—not as the only factor—to help manage diabetes and overall blood sugar control.

Written by: Dr. Albana Greca, MD, MMedSc, Family Physician and Medical Author.

Medically reviewed by: Dr. Ruden Cakoni, MD, Endocrinologist.

Last reviewed: July 2026.

Quick Answer

The glycemic index (GI) ranks carbohydrate-containing foods according to their blood-glucose effect under standardized testing conditions. Glycemic load (GL) combines the food’s GI with the amount of available carbohydrate in the portion you actually eat.

A GL of 10 or less per serving is generally classified as low, 11–19 as medium, and 20 or more as high. GL can help compare portions, but it is an estimate—not a personal glucose prediction, a measure of overall nutritional quality, or a replacement for carbohydrate counting, medication planning, or glucose monitoring.

glycemic index vs glycemic load

A glycemic load chart can be useful when comparing different foods or different portions of the same food. It is especially helpful for understanding why a high-GI food may still have a low GL in a small, carbohydrate-light serving—and why a lower-GI food can still produce a high GL when the portion is large.

However, GI and GL should be used as supporting tools. The American Diabetes Association describes the evidence around GI and GL in diabetes as complex. Total carbohydrate, available insulin, food quality, meal composition, activity, stress, illness, and individual physiology also influence the glucose response.

What Is Glycemic Index?

The glycemic index ranks carbohydrate-containing foods according to the rise in blood glucose after eating a standardized amount of available carbohydrate, compared with a reference food—usually glucose, which is assigned a value of 100.

The usual categories are:

  • Low GI: 55 or less
  • Medium GI: 56–69
  • High GI: 70 or more

GI is a property of a tested food under specific conditions. It does not mean that every brand, variety, recipe, or cooking method will have the same value.

What Is Glycemic Load?

Glycemic load estimates the combined influence of:

  1. The food’s tested glycemic index
  2. The grams of available carbohydrate in the serving being eaten

The formula is:

GL = GI × available carbohydrate in the serving ÷ 100

Available carbohydrate generally means carbohydrate that can be digested and absorbed. In many food databases, it is calculated separately from fiber. Nutrition labels differ between countries, and sugar alcohols can complicate the calculation, so a product’s total carbohydrate is not always identical to available carbohydrate.

How Glycemic Load Is Classified

GL per serving Classification Interpretation
10 or less Low A relatively small estimated glycemic impact for that serving
11–19 Medium A moderate estimated impact
20 or more High A larger estimated impact for that serving

These labels apply to a specific serving. Doubling the portion approximately doubles the GL when the GI and recipe remain the same.

portion size changes glycemic load

Glycemic Load Chart for Common Foods

The values below are illustrative examples adapted from tested foods and serving data in the University of Sydney GI database and the 2021 International Tables. Values can differ by variety, brand, recipe, ripeness, processing, cooking, cooling, and portion size.

Food Illustrative serving GI Available carbohydrate Calculated GL GL category
Apple, raw 1 medium, about 150 g 38 15 g 6 Low
Pear, ripe 1 medium, about 150 g 33 19 g 6 Low
Apple juice, cloudy 1 glass, 200 mL 37 21 g 8 Low
Banana, raw 1 medium, about 150 g 47 29 g 14 Medium
Lentils, boiled 1 cup, about 185 g 16 22 g 4 Low
Kidney beans, canned and drained 1 cup, about 190 g 40 27 g 11 Medium
Wholemeal pasta, boiled ½ cup, about 80 g 50 19 g 10 Low
White spaghetti, boiled 1 cup, about 113 g 47 32 g 15 Medium
Boiled potato 1 medium, about 175 g 73 22 g 16 Medium
Basmati rice, cooked 1 cup, about 190 g 60 66 g 40 High
Dense whole-grain bread 2 slices, about 83 g 52 24 g 12 Medium
Sourdough Vienna bread 2 slices, about 63 g 66 32 g 21 High

Chart caution: These are not universal values for every apple, bread, rice, potato, or recipe. Use a tested product value when available, keep the serving size consistent, and treat the result as an estimate.

Interactive Glycemic Load Calculator

This calculator estimates GL only. It does not calculate insulin, predict your personal glucose reading, or assess the nutritional quality of the food.

Worked Examples

Example 1: One Apple

A medium apple with a GI of 38 and approximately 15 g of available carbohydrate has an estimated GL of:

38 × 15 ÷ 100 = 5.7, rounded to 6

This is classified as low GL for that serving. Two apples would contain approximately twice the available carbohydrate and have a combined GL of about 12.

Example 2: Portion Size of Rice

A cup of cooked basmati rice may contain around 66 g of available carbohydrate. Using an average GI of 60:

60 × 66 ÷ 100 = 39.6, rounded to 40

Reducing the portion to half a cup would approximately halve the available carbohydrate and the calculated GL. The exact result depends on the rice variety, preparation, and actual portion.

Why GI and GL Values Vary

Variety and Food Structure

Different varieties of rice, potato, bread, fruit, and other foods may have different starch structures. A single value should not be assumed to represent the entire food category.

Processing

Grinding, puffing, flaking, instant preparation, and other processing methods can make starch easier to digest. However, processing does not affect every food in the same way.

Cooking and Cooling

Cooking time and temperature can change starch digestibility. Pasta cooked until firm often has a different GI from very soft pasta. Cooling and reheating some starches may increase resistant starch, but the effect varies and does not remove the need to consider portion size.

Ripeness

As some fruits ripen, starch is converted to sugars and the glycemic response may change. The effect is food-specific and should not be simplified into a rule that all ripe fruit is high GI.

Mixed Meals

Protein, fat, fiber, acidity, and meal sequence can change the speed and duration of the glucose response. They may delay the peak without necessarily reducing the total carbohydrate exposure.

Individual Response

Two people may have different glucose responses to the same food. The same person may also respond differently depending on activity, sleep, stress, illness, medication timing, and time of day.

Limitations of Glycemic Load

  • It is calculated, not directly measured for your body.
  • It depends on the accuracy of both the GI and carbohydrate value.
  • It does not assess vitamins, minerals, fiber, sodium, saturated fat, or overall food quality.
  • It does not predict the glucose effect of every mixed meal.
  • It does not replace carbohydrate counting for insulin dosing.
  • It does not tell you whether a food is suitable for kidney disease, pregnancy, allergies, celiac disease, or another condition.

A food can have a low GL because the serving contains little carbohydrate while still being high in saturated fat, sodium, or calories. Conversely, a nutritious food may have a medium GL and still fit well into a balanced meal.

Is There a Recommended Daily Glycemic Load?

There is no universal medical target for daily GL that applies to every person with diabetes. The former version of this page advised keeping daily GL below 500. That number is not an evidence-based diabetes recommendation and has been removed.

Research studies sometimes compare lower-GL and higher-GL dietary patterns, but this does not create one clinical prescription for all patients. A practical plan should consider total carbohydrate, food quality, portions, glucose targets, medicines, activity, weight goals, culture, cost, and preferences.

How to Use a GL Chart in Real Life

  1. Check the serving. Match the chart portion to the amount you actually eat.
  2. Use available carbohydrate. Do not automatically substitute a label’s total carbohydrate when fiber or sugar alcohols are substantial.
  3. Compare similar foods. GL can help compare rice varieties, breads, cereals, fruits, or different portion sizes.
  4. Look beyond GL. Favor foods that also provide fiber, protein, vitamins, minerals, and an appropriate amount of sodium and saturated fat.
  5. Review your glucose response. Check at the times advised by your diabetes team or review CGM patterns.
  6. Do not change medication from the chart alone. Use a reviewed glucose pattern and clinician guidance.

For more practical food guidance, read our low glycemic diet guide and our explanation of carbohydrates, GI, and diabetes meal planning.

GI and GL Versus Carbohydrate Counting

Carbohydrate counting measures the amount of carbohydrate in the portion or meal. GI describes the relative quality of a tested carbohydrate. GL combines GI with available carbohydrate in a serving.

For people using mealtime insulin, carbohydrate counting and the prescribed insulin-to-carbohydrate method remain more directly relevant than GL. Do not enter GL into an insulin calculator as if it were grams of carbohydrate.

The carbohydrate counter for people with diabetes can help estimate carbohydrate amounts, but insulin decisions should follow the settings and instructions provided by the diabetes team.

How to Learn Your Personal Response

To compare similar meals:

  • Keep the portion reasonably consistent.
  • Record the food, cooking method, and time.
  • Check glucose according to your clinician’s plan—often before eating and one to two hours after the start of the meal.
  • Repeat the comparison on more than one occasion.
  • Consider exercise, stress, sleep, illness, and medication timing.

A blood sugar log can help identify whether a food or portion repeatedly causes a higher-than-expected response.

Important Safety Note

Do not reduce insulin or diabetes medicine because a food is labeled low GI or low GL. A low-GL meal can still cause hypoglycemia if the medication dose is too high for the carbohydrate eaten, while a delayed mixed-meal rise may appear several hours later.

Seek medical advice for repeated high or low readings. Severe confusion, seizure, unconsciousness, inability to swallow safely, vomiting with ketones, deep breathing, or severe dehydration requires emergency care.

Doctor’s Note

I use GI and GL as optional educational tools—not as rigid rules. The most useful question is not only, “Is this food low GL?” but also, “What portion am I eating, what else is in the meal, what is the nutritional quality, and how does my glucose usually respond?”

Most Asked Questions

Is glycemic load better than glycemic index?

GL adds the carbohydrate amount in a serving, so it can be more practical for portion comparisons. It still has limitations and does not replace total carbohydrate assessment or personal glucose monitoring.

Is a low-GL food always healthy?

No. GL does not evaluate sodium, saturated fat, calories, vitamins, minerals, processing, or overall nutritional quality.

What is the best daily glycemic load for diabetes?

There is no universal daily GL target recommended for every person with diabetes. Nutrition goals should be individualized.

Does fiber count in glycemic load?

GL is calculated with available carbohydrate rather than fiber. The exact calculation depends on the food database and local nutrition-label rules.

Can a high-GI food have a low GL?

Yes. A food may have a high GI but a low GL when a normal serving contains relatively little available carbohydrate.

Can a low-GI food have a high GL?

Yes. A large serving can produce a high GL even when the food’s GI is low or medium.

Should insulin be calculated from glycemic load?

No. GL is not the same as grams of carbohydrate. Use the insulin-to-carbohydrate ratio and correction instructions prescribed for you.

Educational safety note: This article provides general diabetes education and does not replace personal nutrition therapy, medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Do not start, stop, or change insulin, diabetes medicines, carbohydrate targets, supplements, or exercise without speaking with your healthcare professional.

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