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.

Starch Products

GI	Name of product / food	GL	Unit	Mass (g)	Comments	GF
Low	Barley, pearled, cooked e.g. Imbo	>5	3/4 cup	115	GIFSA & DSA
Low	Pasta la Vita, all shapes	>10	3/4 cup	90	Tested by GI Science Lab
Low	Pearled wheat or stampkoring or wheat rice or whole wheat kernels, cooked	>5	3/4 cup	115	GIFSA & DSA(Imbo), Australian GI
Low	Basmati rice, white, extra-long grain, Golden Delight, cooked	>5	3/4 cup	113		GF
Low	Pasta, legume (pea, lentil, chickpea, etc.), cooked	>10	3/4 cup	90	Estimated GI	GF
Low	Samp, cooked, cooled	>5	1/2 cup	100		GF
Low	Sorghum porridge, acid added (Ting)	>10	1 cup	250	Traditional African food	GF
Low	Cassava, Kenyan, cooked	>10	1/2 cup	100	Kenyan GI	GF
Low	Soba noodles, cooked	>10	3/4 cup	90	Australian GI	GF
Low	Corn / sweet corn, whole kernels, frozen, cooked	<10	1/2 cup	80	Canadian GI	GF
Low	White rice, long grain, parboiled, Excella, cooked	>10	3/4 cup	113		GF
Low	Bulgur cracked or crushed wheat, cooked	>5	1/2cup	80	Canadian GI
Low	Barley, cracked or crushed, cooked	>5	1/2 cup	80	Wolever et al (Tunisia)
Low	"Krummelpap", mealiemeal porridge or phutu, crumbly, cooled (sifted & unsifted)	>10	1/2 cup	70	Note the 1/2 cup serving	GF
Low	Mieliemeal porridge or phutu, stiff, cooled	>10	1/2 cup	125	Note the 1/2 cup serving	GF
Low	Sorghum, whole, cooked	>10	1/1 cup	90	Estimated GI	GF
Low	Gnocchi	>10	1/2 cup	83	Italian GI
Low	Green mealie (whole cob 250g, kernels 165g)	>10	1 mealie	165	World average GI	GF
Low	Macaroni or short pasta shapes, durum wheat, cooked	>10	3/4 cup	90	SA values
Low	Mealiemeal porridge, stone ground, cooked, hot/cold	>10	3/4 cup	100		GF
Low	Quinoa, cooked	>10	1/2 cup	80		GF
Low	Sweet corn, fresh (whole cob 165g, kernels 95g)	<10	1 cob	95	World average GI	GF
Low	Amadumbe,"dumbe"	>10	1/2 medium	150	Estimated GI	GF
Low	Brown rice, Old Millstream, Tastic Nature's, cooked	>10	3/4 cup	113		GF
Low	Buckwheat, cooked	>10	1/2 cup	85	Canadian GI	GF
Low	Sweet potato, white flesh, purple skin, baked / cooked	>10	1/2 medium	150	GI ranges from 45 - 54, depending on season	GF
Low	Wild rice, cooked	>10	3/4 cup	113	Australian GI	GF
Low	Basmati rice, white extra-long grain, India Gate,Spekko, cooked	>10	3/4 cup	113	GIFSA & DSA
Low	Brown rice, extra-long grain, parboiled, Saman, Spekko, cooked	>10	3/4 cup	113	GIFSA & DSA
Low	White rice, extra-long grain, parboiled, Saman, Spekko, cooked	>10	3/4 cup	113	GIFSA & DSA
Low	White rice, extra-long grain, parboiled, Americano, Spekko, cooked	>10	3/4 cup	113	GIFSA & DSA
Low	Spaghetti or long pasta shapes, durum wheat, cooked	>10	3/4 cup	105	SA values
Medium	Jasmine brown rice, Thai Royal Umbrella, Spekko	>10	1/2 cup	70	Cooked	GF
Medium	Buckwheat noodles, cooked	>10	1/2 cup	90	Australian GI	GF
Medium	Potato, Nicola (Mediterranean), cooked	<10	1 medium	100	Australian GI	GF
Medium	Basmati rice, Tastic, cooked	>10	3/4 cup	113		GF
Medium	Potato, baby or new, cooked	>10	3	100		GF
Medium	Couscous, durum wheat or bulgar, cooked	>10	1/2 cup	100	Australian GI
Medium	Arborio or risotto rice, cooked	>10	1/2 cup	75	Australian GI	GF
Medium	Samp and beans, cooked	>10	1/2 cup	100	Estimated GI	GF
High	Jasmine rice, Spekko, cooked	>10	1/2 cup	83		GF
High	Pasta, homemade with wheat, cake, corn or rice flour, cooked	>10	3/4 cup	90	Estimated GI; lower GI with legume flour
High	Potato salad, commercial***	>10	1/2 cup	150	Estimated GI, very high fat
High	Potato with green beans, cooked**	>10	1 cup	200	Note the lower GL per serving due to the green beans
High	Two-minute noodles, South African*, cooked	>10	1/2 packet	40	High fat and sodium; High GI, except if made from durum wheat
High	Mashed potato, made with full cream milk and butter*	>10	1/2 cup	125	SA tested by ARP Walker, 1984	GF
High	Millet, cooked	>10	1/2 cup	80		GF
High	Polenta, cooked	>10	1/2 cup	110	Average GI	GF
High	Rice noodles, cooked	>10	3/4 cup	90	Average GI	GF
High	"Krummelpap", mealiemeal porridge / phutu, crumbly, hot (sifted & unsifted)	>10	1/2 cup	70	Note the 1/2 cup serving; lower GI with milk/sour milk	GF
High	Mealiemeal porridge/phutu, crumbly, hot (sifted & unsifted)	>10	1/2 cup	70	Note the 1/2 cup serving; lower GI with milk/sour milk	GF
High	Mealiemeal porridge / phutu, stiff, hot (sifted & unsifted)	>10	1/2 cup	125	Note the 1/2 cup serving; lower GI with milk/sour milk	GF
High	Chips ("slap" chips) or French fries***	>20	10 chips	100	Very high fat	GF
High	Rice and corn pasta, (Ris'O'Mais), Orgran	>10	3/4 cup	90	Australian GI; 90% rice flour	GF
High	Sweet potato, orange flesh, baked or cooked	>10	1/2 medium	150	Australian GI	GF
High	Corn pasta, gourmet natural, Orgran	>10	3/4 cup	90	Australian GI; 89% maize and rice flour	GF
High	Sorghum porridge, fermented (Ting)	>10	1 cup	250	Lower GI with milk / sour milk	GF
High	Potato, microwaved	>10	1 medium	100		GF
High	Potato, baked	>20	1 medium	100		GF
High	Potato, roasted without fat	>10	1 medium	100		GF
High	Smash, instant mashed potato, ready-to-eat*	>10	1/2 cup	125	High fat due to added milk & margarine / butter
High	Samp, cooked, hot	>20	1/2 cup	100		GF
High	Jasmine rice, cooked	>20	1/2 cup	83	World average GI	GF
High	Polenta, cooked, frozen & defrosted	>20	1/2 cup	110		GF
High	Sago pearls, uncooked	>20	60 ml	40	Estimated GI; 40g raw makes 2 servings	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.