Glycemic Load Calculator - GL & GI for Any Food

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

How to use this tool

Enter the Glycemic Index of the food (or pick from the reference table below).
Enter total carbohydrates and dietary fiber for your serving size.
The Glycemic Load and category (low / medium / high) are shown instantly.

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) ÷ 100

Watermelon 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.

Frequently asked questions

What is Glycemic Index (GI)?

GI measures how quickly a food raises blood glucose compared to pure glucose (GI = 100). Low GI = below 55; medium = 55–70; high = above 70.

What is Glycemic Load (GL)?

GL accounts for both GI and portion size: GL = (GI × net carbs in grams) ÷ 100. Low GL = below 10; medium = 10–20; high = above 20. A food can have a high GI but low GL if eaten in small quantities.

What are net carbs?

Net carbs = total carbohydrates − dietary fiber. Fiber does not raise blood glucose significantly, so it is subtracted for a more accurate GL estimate.