Recipe GI Estimator
Add up to 6 ingredients with their GI values and carb content to calculate your recipe's estimated overall Glycaemic Index.
Educational estimator only - not medical advice.
Add at least one ingredient with a GI value and carb grams to see your recipe's estimated GI.
The recipe GI is calculated as a carbohydrate-weighted average of all ingredients. Ingredients with more carbs have a larger influence on the final GI - not just the GI value alone.
Ingredients with 0 carbs (like protein, fat, ghee) have no mathematical impact on GI - but they do slow digestion in practice, reducing the real-world glycaemic response of the meal.
Small changes to a recipe can meaningfully reduce its glycaemic impact:
- Swap white rice for basmati or parboiled rice (GI 58 vs 73)
- Add more dal or legumes - they have very low GI and high fibre
- Use whole-grain flour (atta) instead of maida for rotis
- Add a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice - acidity slows digestion
- Include protein (paneer, chicken, eggs) and healthy fat (ghee, nuts) - they slow glucose absorption
- Add vegetables - non-starchy veggies dilute the carb load and add fibre
- Cool and reheat starchy foods (rice, potatoes) - this increases resistant starch and lowers effective GI
- Reduce portion size of high-GI components rather than eliminating them
FOD Starter Chapter 9 covers exactly how to apply GI principles to everyday South Asian and European meals - including practical examples, lower-GI recipe substitutions, and how to read a meal like a blood sugar prediction chart.
FOD Starter: Ch 9 - Everyday Meals GuideRecipe GI estimates are based on published food GI values and mathematical averaging. Actual glycaemic response varies by individual, preparation method, food combinations, fibre content, and metabolic factors. Use as a guide, not a precise measurement. Consult a registered dietitian or diabetes educator for personalised meal planning.