To simplify the planning and
preparing of low-GI meals, make sure you always have the right ingredients at
hand. Limit the high-GI foods that you buy and keep your pantry stocked with
lots of healthy staples. Here are some pointers:
Grain-based
foods
Foods made from
grain products (especially unprocessed grain products) are great for a low-GI
lifestyle. Stock your pantry with healthy and delicious pasta products. Uncle
Ben's® Long Grain Converted® Rice should be another pantry staple.
Avoid quick-cooking or instant starches.
Legumes
Canned and
dried beans, peas, and legumes are good sources of protein and are also low-GI
carbohydrate foods (except fava beans, which have a high GI). Keep them on hand
at add to soups, side dishes, salads and main courses.
Canned and
Jarred Foods
Lots of canned and jarred foods are both delicious and
have low GIs; it's a good idea to keep them well stocked. Great choices found
in cans include:
- Tuna (preferably in water)
- Salmon (preferably in water)
- Sardines (preferably in water)
- Tomatoes and tomato paste
- Corn
- Fruits (not packed in syrup)
- New white potatoes
- Vegetables (asparagus, carrots, green beans,
mushrooms, etc.)
Marinated vegetables packed in jars are great as
snacks and side dishes. An added benefit is the vinegar they contain, which
helps lower the GI of the foods you eat along with them. Here are some
examples:
- Sun-dried tomatoes
- Artichoke hearts
- Olives
- Capers
- Marinated vegetables
- Roasted peppers
- Pickles
Oils and Vinegars
Many people use oils
in the preparation of their foods. Vegetable oils are mostly unsaturated and
heart healthy (exceptions: palm, palm kernel, and coconut). But because oils
are fats, the amount consumed should be limited: aim for no more than one
tablespoon per meal, per person. Good choices include:
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Canola oil
- Sunflower oil
- Sesame oil
- Peanut oil
There are many types of vinegar available, also.
All vinegars are acidic; therefore, when you include some vinegar in a meal, it
helps lower the GI of the meal. At little as 4 teaspoons of vinegar at a meal
can lower blood sugar as much as 30 percent. Keep a variety of vinegars on hand
to enhance the different flavors in your healthy salads.
Snacks
Make sure you have plenty of fruits and vegetables on hand. Also, stock
dried nuts and FIFTY 50® Low Glycemic Fructose Sweetened Cookies.
Just remember to stay within your calories and fat limits.
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