110 Foods That are Unlikely to Spike Your Blood Sugar

What is Blood Sugar?

Blood sugar is the carbohydrate present in the blood and is obtained from the food consumed. It is the main source of energy for the body’s cells. Fluctuations in blood sugar levels of blood can strike issues to health(1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Blood Sugar

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Blood Glucose Monitoring

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Factors that cause blood sugar levels to rise are overeating in one meal, eating foods high in simple carbohydrates, inactive lifestyle, side effects of certain medications such as steroids, stress, dehydration, and in insulin or diabetes medication dosage(3^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Good to Know: Factors Affecting Blood Glucose

Go to source). Choosing the right foods with adequate nutrients will help keep blood sugar levels in check.

Glycemic Index and Role of Macronutrients

The glycemic index (GI) of foods determines their potential of raising blood sugar levels. Eating foods with a low glycemic index (less than or equal to 55) does not cause spurts in blood sugars. Macronutrients in food also play crucial roles in defining their effects on blood sugar.

Carbohydrates in foods are broken down into simple sugars by the digestive system and released into the bloodstream as glucose. As the glucose levels rise in the blood, the cells are stimulated by insulin to take in the glucose for energy. However, in the case of diabetes, glucose uptake by body cells is modified due to a lack of insulin or an inappropriate response to insulin (insulin resistance), leading to rise in blood sugar levels. Dietary proteins and fats have minimal effect on blood glucose and thereby do not lead to spikes. It is therefore recommended to consume meals that provide a combination of these macros. Protein-rich foods can be combined with medium to low carbohydrate sources and healthy fats to prevent blood sugar rise(4^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Carbohydrates and Blood Sugar

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Basturk, B., Koc Ozerson, Z., & Yuksel, A. (2021). Evaluation of the Effect of Macronutrients Combination on Blood Sugar Levels in Healthy Individuals. Iranian journal of public health, 50(2), 280–287.

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What are the Foods that are Unlikely to Spike Blood Sugar?

Foods that don’t spike blood sugars are generally low in GI and high in protein. Choosing such low GI foods make overall health better and prevent chronic illnesses(6^✔ ✔Trusted Source
What Is the Glycemic Index?

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Here are 110 foods classified based on their food group that can be your guide to preventing blood sugar spikes.

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Cereals and Grains

Grains and cereals are primarily made up of carbohydrates. Below are some of them that are unlikely to spike blood sugar.

1. Red Rice
2. Oatmeal Porridge
3. Oat bran
4. Popcorn
5. Polenta (Cornmeal Porridge)
6. Wheat bran porridge
7. Black rice porridge
8. Pearl Millet
9. Buckwheat Pancakes
10. Whole wheat Noodles
11. Multigrain Crackers
12. Finger Millet
13. Quinoa
14. All Bran cereals
15. Pearled barley
16. Brown rice
17. Bulgur Wheat
18. Barnyard Millet
19. Little Millet
20. Mung bean noodles(6^✔ ✔Trusted Source
    What Is the Glycemic Index?
    
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    Glycemic index and glycemic load for 100+ foods
    
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    Yang, Y. X., Wang, H. W., Cui, H. M., Wang, Y., Yu, L. D., Xiang, S. X., & Zhou, S. Y. (2006). Glycemic index of cereals and tubers produced in China. World journal of gastroenterology, 12(21), 3430–3433.
    
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Fruits and vegetables are important sources of minerals, vitamins, polyphenols, carotenoids, and flavonoids. Choosing non-starchy vegetables is essential to prevent blood sugar spikes(9^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Asif M. (2014). The prevention and control the type-2 diabetes by changing lifestyle and dietary pattern. Journal of education and health promotion, 3, 1.

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Vegetables

21. Bell Peppers
22. Broccoli
23. Tomato
24. Lettuce
25. Egg plants
26. Garlic
27. Sweet peppers
28. Cucumber
29. Cauliflower
30. Spinach
31. Green peas
32. Parsnips
33. Cooked taro
34. Lotus root powder
35. Steamed White yam
36. Collard
37. Kale
38. Raw carrot
39. Artichoke
40. Asparagus
41. Zucchini
42. Onion(6^✔ ✔Trusted Source
    What Is the Glycemic Index?
    
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    Glycemic index and glycemic load for 100+ foods
    
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Fruits

43. Strawberry
44. Apples
45. Avocado
46. Pears
47. Dried dates
48. Grapefruit
49. Orange
50. Peach
51. Prunes
52. Lemons
53. Limes
54. Blueberry
55. Blackberries
56. Raspberries
57. Tangerines
58. Papaya
59. Dried apricots
60. Cherries
61. Plums
62. Grapes
63. Kiwifruit
64. Pomegranate
65. Cantaloupe(6^✔ ✔Trusted Source
    What Is the Glycemic Index?
    
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    Glycemic index and glycemic load for 100+ foods
    
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    Fruit
    
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Beans and Legumes

Below listed are some of the beans and legumes that shine minimal effect on blood glucose levels.

66. Black beans
67. Navy beans
68. Kidney beans
69. Pinto beans
70. Lentils
71. Soybeans
72. Chickpeas
73. Baked Beans
74. Dried Beans
75. Snow peas
76. Romano beans
77. Mung beans(6^✔ ✔Trusted Source
    What Is the Glycemic Index?
    
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    Glycemic index and glycemic load for 100+ foods
    
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Diary and Non-Dairy Products

Milk and its products have all three macronutrients with a high proportion of fat and protein. Here are some of the dairy and non-dairy products that one can vouch for maintaining optimal blood sugars.

78. Whole or full-fat milk
79. Yogurt (Skim and whole)
80. Greek yogurt
81. Dark chocolate
82. Soy milk(6^✔ ✔Trusted Source
    What Is the Glycemic Index?
    
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    Glycemic index and glycemic load for 100+ foods
    
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Baked Products

One need not worry avoiding baked products due to blood sugar concerns. The below listed baked products can be great choices.

83. Mixed grain bread
84. Spelt bread
85. Sourdough bread

Nuts

Nuts are good sources of healthy fats and protein and can be great snacks to munch without worrying about blood sugar spikes.

86. Cashews
87. Peanuts
88. Almonds
89. Chestnuts
90. Hazelnuts
91. Pecans
92. Walnuts
93. Flax seeds
94. Chia seeds
95. Pumpkin seeds
96. Sunflower seeds
97. Poppy seeds(6^✔ ✔Trusted Source
    What Is the Glycemic Index?
    
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    Nuts and Seeds: Energy and Nutrient-Dense Foods
    
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Animal foods and oils contain higher proportion of fats and protein thereby does not reflect on blood sugar concentrations.

Animal Foods

98. Fishes like salmon, sardine herring, tuna, etc.
99. Chicken
100. Turkey
101. Game meats
102. Eggs(9^✔ ✔Trusted Source
     Asif M. (2014). The prevention and control the type-2 diabetes by changing lifestyle and dietary pattern. Journal of education and health promotion, 3, 1.
     
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     What superstar foods are good for diabetes?
     
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Oils and Fats

103. Olive oil
104. Canola oil
105. Sunflower oil
106. Peanut oil
107. Peanut butter(9^✔ ✔Trusted Source
     Asif M. (2014). The prevention and control the type-2 diabetes by changing lifestyle and dietary pattern. Journal of education and health promotion, 3, 1.
     
     Go to source)

Sauces

Sauces add taste and moisture to food. Try out these sauces that are unlikely to spike blood sugars.

108. Cranberry catsup
109. Hollandaise sauce
110. Black bean salsa

The above-mentioned foods contain starches which convert into sugar at a slower rate thereby preventing spikes. These foods can be consumed in any meal of the day (like beans and barley, black bean quesadillas for breakfast and dinner, and brown rice with fish for lunch) and some turn out to be great snacks too (like popcorn, eggs). Choosing a combination of these foods can help obtain the essential macro and micronutrients for the body.

There could be 100 and more reasons behind spikes in blood sugar but not when you have these 110 glycemic-friendly foods on your list.