Low Glycemic Veg Lunch, Indian Low GI lunch recipes

The glycemic index, invented in 1981 by David Jenkins and Thomas Wolever of the University of Toronto, is a system for classifying carbohydrate-rich foods, according to how fast they raise blood-glucose levels, compared to a standard food i.e. glucose, inside the body. In simple terms, a food with a lower glycemic value raises blood glucose slowly than a food which scores higher.

Glycemic Index Range

Zero to 55 – Low glycemic index foods (free foods / eat freely/ consume frequently).
56 to 69 – Medium glycemic index foods (foods to be restricted or consumed with low GI foods).
70 + – High glycemic index foods (preferably to be avoided).

Remember that the Glycemic Index is just one part of helping you make healthy food choices. But, other factors like the form (raw or cooked) in which the food is ingested; the fat, fibre and protein content of food as well the process of digestion also has an impact in the selection of foods.

When we think of lunch, we look upon it as the biggest meal of the day. But that doesn’t mean that we hoard on calories and fat. The idea is to make wise choices to have a multi-nutrient meal without much carb and unnecessary fat intake. Here low glycemic foods can show their magic, as they satiate you for long hours without piling on unnecessary calories. Below are some healthier low glycemic lunch food choices.

Low Glycemic Index Healthy Indian Soups

Soups are highly appetizing. Colourful veggies are the main highlight of soups. They not only have eye appeal, but the deeper the colour of the veggies, the more the nutrients and antioxidants in them. Choose fiber rich veggies like broccoli, lettuce, carrot, mushrooms, tomato etc. over high carb nveggies like potato and yam.

A simple Healthy Indian Tomato Soup is a great choice when you think of low glycemic index lunch. Begin your meal with it and you will feel highly rejuvenated. The glycemic index of tomato is less than 15, thus making it to low GI food. With 68 calories and 10 g of carb, you are all set for a healthy beginning.

Healthy Indian Tomato Soup

A nourishing broth option which you can opt for is Garlic Vegetable Soup. Garlic is known to have many health benefits right from protecting the heart to anti-bacterial benefits. The veggies used in this recipe are all which have a low glycemic index. It is further thickened slightly with the use of small quantity of oats.

Garlic Vegetable Soup ( Healthy Heart)

Another healthier option is Mushroom Barley Soup. What sets this soup apart is the unique combination of flavours: soothing barley and the delicately flavoured mushroom. The result is a wonderful soup bursting with flavours, albeit all mild. The use of vegetable stock makes it extremely pleasurable to sip on. Mushrooms are low in calories and glycemic index both. It also has little barley for added crunch.

Salads are healthy, tasty, awesomely attractive and will make you shine with good health. All you need to do is to combine the veggies you have in your refrigerator, sprinkle a little salt and lemon juice and your healthy salad bowl is ready to be enjoyed.

A classic example is Rocket Leaves Broccoli and Veg Work Salad. All the veggies like carrot, rocket leaves, broccoli, cucumber and zucchini used in this salad are low on glycemic index scale. And the dressing is just olive oil and lemon juice. This makes a perfect low calorie choice as a lunch meal. It’s light, filling, nutritious, and so convenient to pack in the morning.