Firstly, you need to aim to eat 7 servings of vegetables every day, preferably of 3 or more colours, and make sure you fill half your dinner plate with vegetables.

Cut back on potatoes. Have one or two boiled new potatoes or make a cannellini bean and potato mash replacing half the potato with cannellini beans.

Try other lower GI starchy vegetables for a change, such as a piece of orange sweet potato (kumara).

Choose a really grainy bread, such as stoneground wholemeal, real sourdough bread, or a soy and linseed bread. Look for the GI symbol on the breads you buy.

Start the day with smart carbs like natural muesli or traditional (not instant) porridge oats or one of the lower GI processed breakfast cereals that will trickle fuel into your engine.

Look for the lower GI rices (basmati, Doongara Clever rice or Moolgiri), and choose low-GI whole grains such as pearl barley, buckwheat, burghul (bulgur) or quinoa.

Learn to love legumes and eat them often

Learn to love legumes and eat them often
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Add red kidney beans to a chilli, chickpeas to a stir-fry, a 4-bean salad to a barbecue and beans or lentils to a casserole or soup.

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Include at least one low-GI carb food at every meal

Include at least one low-GI carb food at every meal
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You’ll find them in four of the food groups: fruit and vegetables, breads and cereals, legumes, and dairy foods.

Incorporate a lean protein source with every meal

Incorporate a lean protein source with every meal
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Suggestions include lean meat, skinless chicken, eggs, fish and seafood, or legumes and tofu if you are vegetarian.

Firstly, you need to aim to eat 7 servings of vegetables every day, preferably of 3 or more colours, and make sure you fill half your dinner plate with vegetables.

Cut back on potatoes. Have one or two boiled new potatoes or make a cannellini bean and potato mash replacing half the potato with cannellini beans.

Try other lower GI starchy vegetables for a change, such as a piece of orange sweet potato (kumara).

Choose a really grainy bread, such as stoneground wholemeal, real sourdough bread, or a soy and linseed bread. Look for the GI symbol on the breads you buy.

Start the day with smart carbs like natural muesli or traditional (not instant) porridge oats or one of the lower GI processed breakfast cereals that will trickle fuel into your engine.

Look for the lower GI rices (basmati, Doongara Clever rice or Moolgiri), and choose low-GI whole grains such as pearl barley, buckwheat, burghul (bulgur) or quinoa.

Utilise the GI-lowering effect of acidic foods

Utilise the GI-lowering effect of acidic foods
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Foods like vinegar, citrus fruit and sourdough are ideal or you can add vinaigrette dressing to salads and sprinkle lemon juice on vegetables like asparagus.

Acids slow the digestion of carbs and lower the overall GI of the meal.

Limit high-GI refined flour products

Limit high-GI refined flour products
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Consider these carefully, whether from the supermarket or home-baked, such as biscuits, cakes, pastries, crumpets, crackers and biscuits.

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