Glycemic Load Calculator
Glycemic load = glycemic index × available carbohydrate (g) ÷ 100. Pick a food and portion, or enter your own numbers. A load of 10 or less is low, 11 to 19 medium and 20 or more high.
Calculate
Available carbohydrate is total carbohydrate minus fiber, as in the international tables. Information only.
How it works
- Choose a food and a portion, or switch tabs and type a glycemic index and the carbohydrate in your portion.
- We take the available carbohydrate. That is total carbohydrate minus fiber for the portion.
- We apply the formula. Where studies disagree, you see the load for the lowest and the highest published index.
The formula and the bands
GL = GI × available carbohydrate (g) ÷ 100
Brand-Miller and colleagues’ definition, used in the international glycemic index and glycemic load tables.
Bands per serving: low 10 or less, medium 11 to 19, high 20 or more. GI bands: low 55 or less, medium 56 to 69, high 70 or more.
Glycemic index versus glycemic load
The glycemic index (GI) tells you how fast the carbohydrate in a food raises blood glucose compared with pure glucose, ignoring how much you eat. That can mislead. Watermelon, for example, has a high index in some studies, but a serving is mostly water and contains little carbohydrate, so its glycemic load is modest.
Glycemic load fixes that by multiplying the index by the amount of available carbohydrate in the portion. Eating twice as much doubles the load. That is why a measured portion matters as much as the food itself.
Where our glycemic index values come from
Values come from the international glycemic index and glycemic load tables, preferring the 2021 edition, with the studies behind each number listed on every food page. We show the range when studies differ and say “not applicable” for foods with almost no carbohydrate, instead of inventing a number. Foods with no matching published entry are marked as such.
What the number cannot tell you
The index and load are measured in healthy volunteers eating a food on its own, and individual responses vary a lot. Ripeness, cooking, what else is on the plate, fat, protein and fiber all change the real-world effect. Use these numbers to compare foods, and your own meter or CGM readings to learn what works for you. Your care team may set different targets.
Frequently asked questions
What is glycemic load?
Glycemic load (GL) combines how fast a food raises glucose (the glycemic index) with how much carbohydrate is in a portion. GL = GI × available carbohydrate (g) ÷ 100.
What is a good glycemic load?
Commonly used bands are low (10 or less), medium (11 to 19) and high (20 or more) per serving. They describe a food’s expected effect, not whether it is “good” or “bad”.
Why does a range show for some foods?
Published studies of the same food give different glycemic index values depending on variety, ripeness and cooking. We calculate the load for the lowest and highest published value and show both.
Why is there no result for eggs or chicken?
They have almost no carbohydrate, so a glycemic index cannot be measured and the load would be about zero. The calculator says so instead of showing a made-up number.
Is a low glycemic load always better?
No. Chocolate and ice cream can have a lowish load because of fat, and some very nutritious foods have a higher one. Use it as one clue along with portion, fiber and your own readings.
Information only, not medical advice. Your care team may set different targets for you, and only a lab test ordered by a clinician can diagnose diabetes or prediabetes. See our medical disclaimer.
Sources
- Atkinson FS et al. International tables of glycemic index and glycemic load values 2021. Am J Clin Nutr 2021;114:1625-1632
- Atkinson FS, Foster-Powell K, Brand-Miller JC. International Tables of Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load Values: 2008. Diabetes Care 2008
- USDA FoodData Central (carbohydrate and fiber per portion)
Last reviewed: by the Diabetes Blogs editorial team. Information only, not medical advice.
