Health & Fitness
Glycemic Load Calculator - GL & GI for Any Food
Calculate the Glycemic Load (GL) of any food using its Glycemic Index (GI), carbohydrate content, and fiber. Includes a reference table of common foods.
Glycemic Load
12.7
medium GL
Net carbs: 23.0g · GI: 55 (medium)
Click a food to load its values
| Food | Serving | GI | Carbs | Fiber |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White rice (cooked) | 150g | 72 | 42g | 0.5g |
| Brown rice (cooked) | 150g | 50 | 38g | 1.8g |
| White bread | 30g slice | 75 | 14g | 0.6g |
| Whole wheat bread | 30g slice | 69 | 12g | 1.4g |
| Rolled oats (cooked) | 250g | 55 | 27g | 4g |
| Banana (ripe) | 120g | 62 | 25g | 2.6g |
| Apple | 120g | 36 | 16g | 2.1g |
| Baked potato | 150g | 85 | 30g | 2g |
| Sweet potato (boiled) | 150g | 63 | 25g | 3g |
| Lentils (boiled) | 150g | 32 | 20g | 8g |
GI vs. GL explained
The Glycemic Index (GI) measures how quickly a food raises blood glucose on a scale of 0–100, relative to pure glucose. However, GI ignores serving size. The Glycemic Load (GL) corrects for this:
GL = (GI × grams of carbohydrates per serving) ÷ 100Watermelon has a high GI of ~72 but a typical serving (120g) contains only about 6g of carbohydrates, giving a GL of only ~4 (low). This makes GL a more practical guide for managing blood sugar impact than GI alone.
GL categories
| Category | GL range | Example foods |
|---|---|---|
| Low | <10 | Most vegetables, legumes, watermelon |
| Medium | 11–19 | Oatmeal, orange juice, brown rice (small portion) |
| High | ≥20 | White rice (large portion), baked potato, sugary drinks |
Practical meal planning
Pairing high-GL foods with fat, protein, or fiber slows gastric emptying and blunts the glycemic response. For example, eating white rice with chicken and vegetables produces a lower blood glucose spike than eating the same rice alone. Daily GL targets used in research are typically <80 for a low-GL diet and <120 for a moderate-GL diet.