Carbs · glycemic load
Glycemic load calculator.
Enter the glycemic index (GI) and the carbohydrate and fibre per serving for up to five foods. Each food gets a glycemic load (GL = GI × available carbohydrate ÷ 100) and the meal gets a total.
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How glycemic load works
Glycemic index (GI) ranks a carbohydrate food by how fast it raises glucose; foods are classed low (55 or less), medium (56 to 69) or high (70 or more). Glycemic load (GL) adds the amount: GL = GI × available carbohydrate in a serving ÷ 100, where available carbohydrate is carbohydrate minus dietary fibre. Foods are then classed by GL as low (10 or less), medium (11 to 19) or high (20 or more). For a meal, this page adds the GL of each food.
Worked example (hypothetical food). A food with GI 60 and 28 g carbohydrate including 3 g fibre per serving, eaten as 1 serving: available carbohydrate 28 − 3 = 25 g, so GL = 60 × 25 ÷ 100 = 15, a medium GL. A GI 70 food with 30 g available carbohydrate gives 70 × 30 ÷ 100 = 21, a high GL.
Limits. GI values depend on how a food was tested and prepared, so use a table or the food maker for GI, and the bands above were defined for single foods, not whole meals. GL does not tell you what a meal will do to your glucose or how much insulin to take; ask your care team.
Frequently asked questions
How do you calculate glycemic load?
Multiply the glycemic index by the available carbohydrate in a serving and divide by 100. For GI 60 and 25 g available carbohydrate, 60 x 25 / 100 = 15.
What counts as a low, medium or high glycemic load?
In the research literature a GL of 10 or less is low, 11 to 19 is medium and 20 or more is high. Those bands were defined for single foods.
What is available carbohydrate?
Carbohydrate minus dietary fibre. A serving with 28 g of carbohydrate and 3 g of fibre has 25 g available.
Where do I find a food's glycemic index?
From a published GI table or the food maker. This page does not supply GI values, because they depend on how a food was tested and prepared.
Sources
Checked
- Peres et al.: The Health Effects of Low Glycemic Index and Low Glycemic Load Interventions on Prediabetes and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Literature Review of RCTs (Nutrients, 2023)
- Lee et al.: Validation Study of the Estimated Glycemic Load Model Using Commercially Available Fast Foods (Frontiers in Nutrition, 2022)
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Educational worked example, not medical advice
This page shows arithmetic and published rules of thumb for learning. It is not a dosing instruction, a diagnosis or a treatment plan, and it does not know your insulin, your body or your health history. Never change insulin or medicine because of a number on this page. Confirm every setting and target with your diabetes care team. If you have symptoms of a very low or very high glucose, follow your care plan; in an emergency call your local emergency number.