Calculate the glycemic load (GL) of any food using the simple formula GL = GI × carbs / 100. Enter the food's Glycemic Index (GI) and the carbohydrate content in grams per serving, and you'll get the glycemic load value along with a classification of low, medium, or high GL. Useful for managing blood sugar and making informed dietary choices.
Glycemic Load (GL) per Serving
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GL Category
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Total Glycemic Load (All Servings)
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GI Category
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Glycemic load is a measure that estimates how much a specific food will raise a person's blood sugar level after eating it. Unlike the glycemic index, GL accounts for both the quality (GI) and the quantity (carbs per serving) of carbohydrates, making it a more practical indicator of blood sugar impact.
The glycemic load formula is GL = GI × carbs / 100, where GI is the glycemic index of the food and carbs is the number of grams of net carbohydrates in your serving. For example, a food with GI 80 and 7 g of carbs per serving has a GL of 80 × 7 / 100 = 5.6.
The glycemic index (GI) ranks foods on a scale of 0–100 based on how quickly they raise blood sugar relative to pure glucose, regardless of portion size. Glycemic load refines this by factoring in the actual carbohydrate content per serving, so a food with a high GI but few carbs per serving (like watermelon) ends up with a low GL.
A glycemic load of 10 or less per serving is considered low, 11–19 is medium, and 20 or more is high. For daily totals, a low-GL diet is generally under 80, a medium-GL diet is 80–120, and a high-GL diet exceeds 120.
Because portion size matters. Watermelon has a high GI (~72) but a typical serving contains very few carbs, giving it a low GL of about 4. Relying solely on GI can be misleading, while GL gives a realistic picture of the blood sugar response you can expect from an actual meal portion.
Most non-starchy vegetables, legumes, many fruits, and whole grains tend to have low glycemic loads. Examples include lentils (GL ≈ 5), apples (GL ≈ 6), and carrots (GL ≈ 2). These foods cause a gradual, modest rise in blood sugar.
Foods like white rice, white bread, sugary drinks, and instant oatmeal tend to have high glycemic loads. For instance, a large serving of white rice can have a GL above 20, causing a rapid spike in blood sugar levels.
No. This tool is intended for general educational and dietary planning purposes only. If you have diabetes, insulin resistance, or any other health condition that requires blood sugar management, please consult a qualified healthcare professional before making significant dietary changes.