If you have high blood sugar, you need to eat foods that have a low glycemic index (GI), which is a measurement of how much a particular food causes your blood sugar to spike. Any food with a GI lower than 55 is considered low, and any food with GI higher than 70 is considered high. Everything in between is, of course, considered medium. When first presented with this information, it may seem like your options are limited but that is hardly the case.
Veggies
You can pretty much eat any vegetable to your heart’s content without concern. Peppers and green veggies have a GI of 15 or lower on average, so you’re way in the clear. The only vegetables you have to be concerned about are white potatoes, beetroots and parsnips. Even sweet potatoes and yams are safe.
Whole Grains
While you probably should be eat a lot of grains if you have high blood sugar, whole grains are still safe and a much better option than refined carbs like white bread. Some grains, such as brown rice and shredded wheat, have a medium ranking on the GI scale, so you should eat them sparingly.
Legumes
Ah, yes, legumes (beans), definitely a super-food. All legumes have a low GI with the exception of broad beans, which have a GI of 71; but who eats those anyways, right? Soybeans actually have the lowest of any legumes with a GI of 16, so you can pretty much go nuts with soy if you like it. Eating legumes also increases your insulin sensitivity, which is a good thing if you have high blood sugar.
Fruits
All fruits, with the exception of watermelon, have a low to medium ranking on the GI scale. Bananas, apples, grapefruit, cherries and peaches are some of the fruits with the lowest GI’s. Watermelon is the only fruit with a high GI and should be avoided or consumed sparingly.
Nuts and Seeds
Nuts and seeds are pretty much your best friends if you have high blood sugar. They’re full of protein, vitamins and healthy fats, and they don’t even rank in the GI database. That’s right, their GI is so low it can’t even be measured. So, you can definitely go nuts eating nuts.
Meat, Seafood and Dairy
I don’t recommend eating meat, seafood or dairy for countless reasons that I won’t even go into right now, but it’s only fair to mention that they also do not rank on the GI scale.