Glycemic index

Glycemic index measures how specific foods affect your blood sugar. Foods with a higher number have a greater impact on blood glucose levels than foods with a lower GI score.

The American Diabetes Association explains how certain foods and their cooking methods impact the tally:

Health Tips

* Foods with higher fiber and fat content have a lower GI score.

* Highly processed foods tend to have higher GI scores. For example, fruit juice usually has a higher GI score than the fruit itself. And mashed potato has a higher GI than a whole baked potato.

* Riper fruits tend to have a higher GI than less ripe fruits.

* Cooking duration tends to raise a GI score.