Eat REGULAR, BALANCED MEALS with CONTROLLED PORTIONS. Less food is better unless you are underweight or malnourished. Eat slowly and mindfully, Eat when you are hungry and stop when you are satisfied.
Make EVERY MEAL SMARTLY BALANCED. The major macronutrient groups, carbohydrates, fat and protein with a carbs:fat:protein energy value distribution of approximately 50:30:20 to contribute optimally to your health.
VEGETABLES, LEGUMES and FRUIT should make up half of your food volume intake. (It also should fill half of your plate at every meal)
CARB SOURCES should mostly consist of SLOW DIGESTING CARBS and WHOLE GRAINS (low GI carbs, depending on your activity level and the timing of the meal).
Quality, lean, UNPROCESSED PROTEIN SOURCES are always preferable to processed, fatty protein sources.
FAT SOURCES that are rich in OMEGA-3 PUFAs and MUFAs should be SPECIFICALLY TARGETED, as should other foods that are high in VITAMINS, FIBRE and PHYTONUTRIENTS – these foods can make a major contribution to your health.
Have DAIRY PRODUCTS everyday.
FOCUS ON FRUIT and a few NUTS for snacks in between meals.
Avoid high kJ drinks, but rather drink WATER AND LOWER kJ BEVERAGES.
FITNESS is key and ACTIVITY is maximised with a daily goal of 30-60min.
If you consume ALCOHOL LIMIT CONSUMPTION to 1 drink a day.
Use SALT SPARINGLY and limit salty foods.
A plate of food should have half the volume filled with vegetables or salad, leaving one quarter for a serving of lean protein & the other quarter for a serving of whole grain lower GI starch. Include some healthy fat in every meal.
The SMART HEALTH DIET describes a BALANCED diet that is NUTRITIOUS and RISK FREE in every way, with SUSTAINABLE meal plans that all people and age groups can enjoy.

Legume Products

LEGUMES
GI	Name of product / food	GL	Unit	Mass (g)	Comments
Low	Imbo dry beans, peas and lentils	<5	1/2 cup		GI Foundation SA - Endorsed, average GL GF
Low	Soya beans**, tinned or soaked and cooked	<5	1/2 cup	100	High fat; mainly beneficial fats GF
Low	Hummus*, low fat	<5	4 Tbs	60	Australian GI
Low	Barlotti beans, cooked or tinned	<5	1/2 cup	100	GF
Low	Sugar or brown or speckled beans, soaked and cooked or tinned e.g. Crossbow, Hugo's, Imbo, Red Lion	<5	1/2 cup	100	GI Foundation SA - Endorsed, GF
Low	Bean sprouts (mung beans)	<5	1/2 cup	75	Australian GI GF
Low	Lentils, split or red lentils, cooked e.g. Crossbow, Imbo	<5	1/2 cup	105	GI Foundation SA - Endorsed, Canadian GI GF
Low	Red kidney beans, soaked and cooked or tinned	<5	1/2 cup	100	GF
Low	Kidney beans, white, soaked and cooked	<5	1/2 cup	100	GF
Low	Chick peas (or Garbanzo beans), soaked and cooked	<10	1/2 cup	100	Frozen GI = 22; average nutri values GF
Low	Kidney beans, soaked and cooked, e.g. Crossbow, Imbo, Red Lion	<10	1/2 cup	100	GI Foundation SA - Endorsed, world average GI GF
Low	Lentils, whole, cooked e.g. Crossbow, Imbo	<5	1/2 cup	105	GI Foundation SA - Endorsed, Average USA & Canadian GI GF
Low	Butterbeans, soaked and cooked or tinned	<5	1/2 cup	90	GF
Low	Split peas, cooked e.g. Crossbow, Imbo	<10	1/2 cup	105	GI Foundation SA - Endorsed, Canadian GI GF
Low	Beans, dry, soaked and cooked or tinned	<10	1/2 cup	100	Frozen GI = 18; average nutri values GF
Low	Beans, mixed, soaked and cooked or tinned	<10	1/2 cup	100	Calculated GI; average nutri values GF
Low	Cannellini (small white) beans, soaked and cooked or tinned	<10	1/2 cup	100	GF
Low	Haricot beans, soaked and cooked or tinned	<10	1/2 cup	100	World average GI GF
Low	White beans, large or small, soaked and cooked	<10	1/2 cup	95	GF
Low	KOO Baked beans in Tomato sauce	<10	1/2 cup	135	GI Foundation SA - Endorsed,
Low	Baked beans, Bean-a-betic, Dursots	<10	1/2 cup	135	GI Foundation SA - Endorsed,
Low	Split pea mash (dhal), tinned	<10	1/2 cup	120	Estimated GI GF
Low	Black eyed beans, soaked and cooked	<10	1/2 cup	100	Canadian GI GF
Low	Chick peas (or Garbanzo beans), tinned	<10	1/2 cup	100	Canadian GI GF
Low	Pinto beans, canned in brine	<10	1/2 cup	100	Canadian GI GF
Low	Baked beans, in tomato sauce	<20	1/2 cup	135
Low	Baked beans, in tomato sauce, Heinz	<10	1/2 cup	125	GI Foundation SA - Endorsed,
Low	Baked beans in tomato sauce, Wellington's	<10	1/2 cup	125	GI Foundation SA - Endorsed,
Low	Kidney beans, tinned	<10	1/2 cup	100	Canadian GI GF
Low	Lentils, whole, tinned	<10	1/2 cup	105	Canadian GI GF
Low	Baked beans in tomato sauce, Rhodes	<10	1/2 cup	135	GI Foundation SA - Endorsed, GF
Intermediate	Broad beans, frozen & microwaved	<5	1/2 cup	80	Australian GI GF

Get The South African Glycemic Index & Load Guide for comprehensive explanations, GI-lists, GL-values and the fibre, fat, protein and Kj-values.

A true Low GI food releases glucose slowly and steadily into the bloodstream without overstimulating the pancreas to produce too much insulin. A High GI food, on the other hand, causes a sudden, large increase in blood glucose, resulting to either hyperglycaemia in Diabetics or hypoglycaemia in hypoglycaemics. GI of Glucose = 100
One of the services that we render as the GI Foundation, is to determine the GI of food products. Food companies are welcome to contact us for more information.
The products marked by an * are high in fat.
GF – means gluten free.
GI Foundation SA Endorsed: The product comply with health specifications and are nutritious for healthy and diabetic persons.