Making healthy food choices
While most of us know that our health and well being will improve if we eat more nutritious foods, the reality is that a lack of time and busy lifestyles often contribute to poor food choices. Unfortunately, poor food choices are a major cause of overweight/obesity and associated conditions like type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
But working out exactly what you should be eating can be confusing these days with so many product options on the supermarket shelves and brightly coloured ‘nutrition’ messages on the packages.
That’s why we created the GI Symbol Program. It can help you to make healthy choices with confidence.
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What is the GI Symbol?
The GI Symbol is a powerful tool for quickly and reliably making healthy food choices when grocery shopping. It’s your guarantee that the GI value stated near the nutrition information label is accurate. Foods with the GI Symbol are healthy in other ways, too.
To be approved to carry the GI Symbol, foods must be a good source of carbohydrate and meet a host of other nutrient criteria including calories/kilojoules, total and saturated fat, sodium (salt), and where appropriate fibre and calcium.
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Why put the GI Symbol on food labels?
The GI Symbol makes healthy choices easy choices. Most of us find it hard to work out what all of the different nutrition claims and nutrition information means, and just because a food may claim to be low GI, it does not mean that it has been tested correctly, if at all. Foods that carry the GI Symbol meet strict nutrient criteria ensuring they are healthy choices, and the GI value is certified as accurate.
Managing your blood glucose levels is one of the keys to lifelong health. Choosing low GI carbohydrates – the ones that produce smaller fluctuations in your blood glucose and insulin levels – reduces your risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. It’s also one of the keys to sustainable weight loss.
Low GI eating is for everybody, every meal, every day. The GI Symbol helps you put those smart low GI carbohydrate foods into your shopping trolley and lower the overall GI of your diet.
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Why don’t all foods that claim to be low GI have the GI Symbol?
There are several possible reasons: 1) the manufacturer may have obtained a GI value from a published source (internet or published article), but not tested the food itself directly; or 2) the manufacturer may have tested the food itself, using an unstated methodology; or 3) they may have had the food tested following the standardised international method and make a low GI claim in the advertising and packaging but have chosen not to take part in the program.
However, if a food makes a low GI claim but does not carry the GI symbol, be very cautious. A recent Australian survey found that many low GI claims are either false or inaccurate, and even when they are not false or inaccurate, they are often made on products that are not ideal nutritionally (ie, they contain too many kilojoules, saturated fat and/or salt) so don't meet the stringent requirements of the GI Symbol Program. If you have concerns, contact the manufacturer and ask where the food was tested. You will find a list of accredited laboratories HERE.
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Are foods containing sugar excluded?
No. This is because all sugars are not the same. Many foods naturally high in sugars are very nutritious like fruit, milk and yoghurt.
Unfortunately food labels don’t help you distinguish between the slowly absorbed and the rapidly absorbed sugars or tell you whether the sugars are naturally occurring or added.
It's more useful to focus on a food’s GI, and the amount of total carbohydrate.
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Who is behind the GI Symbol?
The GI Symbol Program is run by the Glycemic Index Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation established by the University of Sydney, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and Diabetes Australia. It represents one of the world’s peak bodies of GI research and education.
The University of Sydney is one of the leading centres for glycemic index research in the world.
Diabetes Australia and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation are Australia’s leading charities looking after the interests of people with diabetes, and working together to prevent diabetes.
Manufacturers pay Glycemic Index Limited a licence fee to use the GI Symbol on their products and the income is channelled back into education and further research.
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GI Checkout: Who has the GI Symbol?
Look for the GI symbol on foods like breads, breakfast cereals, dairy products, pasta, rice, noodles, cereal grains, fruit, starchy vegetables, legumes, convenience meals, snack foods, spreads and sweeteners. Search our database for an up-to-date list.
To carry the GI Symbol, products must meet strict nutrient guidelines. An interactive GI qualifier coming soon.
All product labels and advertising that use the GI Symbol or mention the GI Symbol Program are pre-approved by the Glycemic Index Foundation.
The Glycemic Index Foundation is not responsible for the accuracy and/or legality of labels and marketing claims of the foods in the program.
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