Best Carbs - Top Low GI Carbohydrate Sources
The "best carb" foods listed below, either alone or in combination, should satisfy the carbohydrate needs of just about anyone.
A single, moderate serving size of each "best carb" item on our list provides substantive amounts of high-quality carbohydrate with a low glycemic load (10 or less).
| Name Of Food | GI | Portion Size | Carbs | GL |
| Chana Dal | 10 | 1/2 cup, cooked | 17 | 2 |
| Beans, Common | 20 | 1/2 cup, cooked | 14 | 3 |
| Whole Grain Barley* | 22 | 1/2 cup, boiled | 21 | 5 |
| Lentils | 29 | 1/2 cup, cooked | 24 | 7 |
| Soba Noodles | 35 | 1 cup, (al dente) | 25 | 9 |
| Plantains, Green | 40 | 2 avg. tostones | 22 | 9 |
| Pasta, whole wheat* | 40 | 1 cup, (al dente) | 25 | 10 |
| Split Peas, Green | 48 | 1/2 cup, cooked | 20 | 10 |
| Brown Rice, Long Grain | 50 | 1/2 cup, cooked | 21 | 10 |
GI - Glycemic Index (glucose=100)
Carbs - Net Available Carbs in grams (total carbs minus fiber)
GL - Glycemic Load of specified serving size
* Contains Gluten
*
How Did We Decide What (And What Not) To Include?
The low glycemic index food list provided above is definitively NOT yet another version of the same, tired regurgitated tabulations that you are likely elsewhere. Rather, our list is unique to this site.
Our selections are based upon careful research and analyses of a number of respected sources, including current, original, peer-reviewed scientific and medical publications.
Using Our Best Carbs Food List
To make our list a practical and user-friendly, we have opted to greatly simplified it by using several common-sense approaches:
1. We Exclude Foods with Negligible Carbohydrate Content: You will not find such common foods as meats, poultry, fish, nuts and seeds, tofu, eggs, most vegetables, or alcoholic beverages included in our list. These food types are so low in carbohydrate content that a glycemic index value simply cannot even be tested according to standard clinical protocols.
The concepts of "glycemic index" and "glycemic load" were never intended to, and do not have, any practical applicability to such foods.
2. We Narrowly Focus Upon The "Best of the Best": Rather than listing any and every carbohydrate source that might be considered "low glycemic", we have instead simplified and optimized our list by focusing upon the relatively few choices that will give you the most "bang for the buck" in terms of BOTH healthful nutrients and carbohydrate content.
The listed whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and legumes help to promote good health by delivering a beneficial balance of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and essential phytonutrients, while still presenting a comparatively low glycemic impact when eaten in proper serving sizes.
The inclusion of moderate amounts of these foods as part of your regular diet can help you obtain sufficient fiber and carbohydrates without the need to consume impractical or unpalatable quantities of low density carbohydrate foods (e.g., green leafy vegetables).
Organic Foods - Always The Best Choice
Whenever possible, we suggest you choose the freshest possible organically grown selections of the listed foods.
The reason for this is that even though non-organic forms often contain only trace amounts of pesticides or unhealthy growth-enhancing chemicals, these toxic substances can bioacumulate - meaning they are retained in the body long after the foods that transported them into your system are digested and gone.
It is the long-term cumulative effects of such bio accumulated toxins that can interfere with your goal of achieving optimal health.