6 Budget Friendly Low Glycemic Foods to Get Excited About (2024)

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My readers often tell me that they find it challenging to keep up with their budget and still put healthy low glycemic meals on the table. Since this subject keeps coming up, I decided to write a series of articles about different ways you can eat healthy without spending more money.

6 Budget Friendly Low Glycemic Foods to Get Excited About (1)

I have been living in Toronto for many years and don’t even get me started on how expensive Toronto is, and I’ve learned a few tricks on how to cut my grocery bill to bring my monthly grocery bill down to a reasonable amount.

Let’s kick-start the Low GI on a Budget series with this list of 6 healthy budget-friendly low-glycemic foods that are versatile and super easy to prepare.

1. Cabbage

Green and red cabbage are very inexpensive and available all year round. It’s absolutely perfect for salads, and you can make a big batch for just a dollar or two.

Another advantage of cabbage salads is that they keep very well in the fridge for a few days and become tastier as cabbage ferments a bit.

When preparing a cabbage salad, make sure to massage the shredded cabbage with a little bit of sugar and olive oil. This will help to break down the fibers and make the cabbage easier to chew and digest.

2. Cauliflower

When you do your best to stick to the low glycemic diet, cauliflower can be a real lifesaver.

Thanks to the mild taste, cauliflower work as a great substitute for rice and potatoes in many dishes. You can make a cauliflower “mashed potatoes,” cauliflower “fried rice,” cauliflower pizza crust, cauliflower breakfast muffins, and even cauliflower alfredo sauce.

Although cauliflower isn’t always super-cheap, it’s still pretty affordable most of the time.

3. Oats

Everyone knows about the wonderful health benefits of oats.

The different forms of oats include the low glycemic oats such as steel-cut oats, rolled oats, oat bran, oat groats, and oat flour, and the high glycemic form such as instant oatmeal.

I would like to emphasize that instant oatmeal, especially sweetened instant oatmeal is a very high glycemic form of oats, and there is nothing healthy about it. Regular rolled oats don’t take a long time to cook either and can be used in any recipe that calls for instant oats.

4. Barley

Barley is a cereal grain with a chewy consistency and a distinct flavor. Containing both soluble and insoluble fiber, it helps the body to get rid of toxins.

Pearl barley is a bit more processed than pot barley and will also cook a bit faster. Barley is wonderful in soups and stews, as it makes them creamy.

Barley flour is very inexpensive and can be used as a substitute for white or whole wheat flour.

5. Beans

Beans are loaded with awesome nutrients. They contain more protein than any other plant-derived food and are full of both soluble and insoluble dietary fiber, which helps to normalize blood sugar.

There is a wide variety of beans to choose from. I suggest you try different kinds to find out what you like. In my family, we use a lot of black and red beans, chickpeas, and yellow peas.

It’s better to use dried beans, but they have to be soaked for at least 8 to 12 hours in advance, and I have to admit that I am not always that well-organized, so I often use canned beans and chickpeas.

6. Lentils

Lentils come in a variety of colors with red, brown, and green lentils being the most common in North America. Lentils do not need to be pre-soaked and cook very quickly. Cooked lentils become quite soft and make excellent bases for purees and soups.

You can also find various soup mixes that are based on different types of legumes and grains. They are also very budget-friendly and can be used in soups and stews.

As you can see, there are quite a few budget-friendly low glycemic foods that are readily available in grocery stores. They are also quite easy to cook and can be included in a variety of dishes which helps to bring the costs per meal down. If you have a favorite low glycemic food that isn’t included in this list, please share it with us below.

6 Budget Friendly Low Glycemic Foods to Get Excited About (2024)

FAQs

6 Budget Friendly Low Glycemic Foods to Get Excited About? ›

low GI (less than 55) – examples include soy products, beans, fruit, milk, pasta, grainy bread, porridge (oats) and lentils. medium GI (55 to 70) – examples include orange juice, honey, basmati rice and wholemeal bread. high GI (greater than 70) – examples include potatoes, white bread and short-grain rice.

What are the top 10 low-glycemic foods? ›

Some of the common low-glycemic foods are as follows:
  • Most vegetables. Green peas. Onions. ...
  • Certain fruits. Apples. Pears. ...
  • Whole or minimally processed grains. Barley. Whole wheat. ...
  • Dairy and dairy substitute products. Plain yogurt. Cheese. ...
  • Miscellaneous. Nuts and nut butter. Seeds such as pumpkin, chia, sunflower, and flax seeds.

What are some very low GI foods? ›

  • Dried pasta, plain noodles, pearl couscous, rice and quinoa. ...
  • Low GI breads and flat breads. ...
  • Canned legumes, such as chickpeas, lentils, kidney & cannellini.
  • Vinegars. ...
  • Canned fish such as tuna, salmon and sardines. ...
  • Canned tomatoes. ...
  • Nuts, seeds and nut-butter. ...
  • Canned fruits.

What are 5 examples of high and low GI foods? ›

low GI (less than 55) – examples include soy products, beans, fruit, milk, pasta, grainy bread, porridge (oats) and lentils. medium GI (55 to 70) – examples include orange juice, honey, basmati rice and wholemeal bread. high GI (greater than 70) – examples include potatoes, white bread and short-grain rice.

What are low-glycemic filling foods? ›

Foods That Will Keep You Full Without Spiking Your Blood Sugar
  • Non-Starchy Vegetables.
  • Beans.
  • Unsweetened Greek Yogurt.
  • Nuts and Seeds.
  • Protein-Rich Foods.
  • Chia and Flax Seeds.
  • Other Considerations When Eating.
Jul 31, 2023

Is peanut butter low glycemic? ›

Natural peanut butter and peanuts are low glycemic index (GI) foods. This means that when a person eats it, their blood sugar levels should not rise suddenly or too high. A diet that is high in magnesium may also offer protective benefits against the development of diabetes. Peanuts are a good source of magnesium.

What are 20 high GI foods? ›

Foods high in GI to avoid
  • white and whole wheat bread.
  • white rice.
  • breakfast cereals and cereal bars.
  • cakes, cookies, and sweet treats.
  • potatoes and fries.
  • chips and rice crackers.
  • fruits such as watermelon and pineapple.
  • sweetened dairy products such as fruit yogurts.
Feb 8, 2021

Is banana high in glycemic? ›

Bananas have a low-to-medium glycemic index

Glycemic index (GI) is a value assigned to food depending on how rapidly or how slowly it increases blood glucose levels. Foods that have a lower GI are absorbed slowly and cause a gradual change in blood sugar levels. Bananas have a GI of 42 to 62, depending on the ripeness.

Is pasta low glycemic? ›

Properly cooked pasta has a low GI, while overcooked pasta is a high-GI food, which can raise your blood sugar levels rapidly.

What foods are zero on the glycemic index? ›

Meat, poultry and fish do not have a GI because they do not contain carbohydrate. When ½ cup or more of pulses are eaten, they can be included in the Grains and Starches food group or the Meats and Alternatives group.

What are the lowest GI vegetables? ›

Low glycemic index foods

Vegetables: Peppers, broccoli, tomatoes, lettuce and eggplants. Fruits: Strawberries, apples, lemons, limes and pears. Legumes: Chickpeas, beans (dried or boiled) and legumes. Dairy: Whole/full-fat milk and plain yogurt.

Are eggs low in glycemic? ›

Eggs are a low-glycemic food. Additionally, they have a satiating effect making the person feel fuller longer. Thus, eggs have the benefit of limiting calorie itake as well. Low-glycemic foods help manage weight and reduce the risk of diabetes, heart diseases, obesity, nerve damage and certain cancers.

What fruit does not spike blood sugar? ›

Strawberries and raspberries.

As sweet as they taste, strawberries contain the lowest amount of sugar per serving. Research shows they help the body better use insulin, lowering the amount needed to manage your blood sugar after a meal. Raspberries are also loaded with fiber and low in sugar.

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