Apples (G.I. of 38) • Easy-to-incorporate into the diet as a low G.I. food—an average apple will add 3 grams of fibre to your diet. They are also high in pectin which lowers their G.I. factor. Apple juice (G.I. of 40) • The main sugar occurring in apples is fructose (6.5 per cent) which itself has a low G.I. The high concentration of sugars is known to slow the rate of stomach emptying, hence slowing the absorption and lowering G.I.

Apricots (G.I. of 64, canned; 31, dried) • Apricots are an excellent source of 6-carotene and dried apricots in particular are high in potassium. Like apples, they are high in fructose (5.1 per cent) which lowers their G.    I.

Barley (G.I. of 25) • ‘Pearled’ barley, which has had the outer brown layers removed is most commonly used, it is high in soluble fibre which probably contributes to its low G.I. Available in supermarkets.

Basmati rice (G.I. of 58) • Has a low G.I. attributable to the type of starch it contains (high amylose starch). Available in supermarkets. The only Australian-grown species of rice with a high amylose content is Doongara.

Breakfast cereals • The high degree of cooking and processing of commercial breakfast cereals tends to make the starch in them more rapidly digestible, giving a higher G.I. Less processed cereals (muesli, rolled oats) tend to have lower G.L values. Guardian™ (G.I. of 42) and All-Bran™ (G.I. of 42) (Kelloggs) although processed are not made from milled starch but large flakes of raw bran.

Buckwheat (G.I. of 54) • Buckwheat is available from health foods stores and some supermarkets. It can be cooked as a porridge or steamed and served with vegetables, in place of rice. It can also be ground and used as flour for making pancakes and pasta. Buckwheat in this form is likely to have a higher G.I. than when whole.

Bulgur (burghul) (G.I. of 48) • Is made by roughly grinding previously cooked and dried wheat. Most commonly recognised as a main ingredient in tabbouli. The intact physical form of the wheat contributes to its low G.I.

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