By: Tayler Glenn
Buy in-season produce means you enjoy the best flavor & fairest prices. But, without a nutrition label attached, it can be harder to choose foods that won’t mess with blood sugar levels! Wondering where your favorite summer produce falls on the Glycemic Index chart? The convenient listing here can help you navigate the Farmer’s Market with ease, helping keep your blood sugar levels (& sanity!)under control.
you how much a particular food raises your blood sugar levels.
The lower a food is on the GI scale, the lower the effect on your blood sugar.
Low-GI Summer Produce
Veggies
Due to their high fiber and water content, nonstarchy vegetables tend to be very low in carbohydrates and have little effect on blood sugar. This allows most nonstarchy vegetables to have a GI of 0, except for those higher in starches.
- Artichokes
- Arugula
- Asparagus
- Beet greens
- Carrots
- Cucumber
- Dandelion Greens
- Endives
- Garlic Scapes
- Herbs
- Kale
- Leeks
- Morels
- Parsley
- Pea Greens
- Peas
- Radishes
- Spinach
- Spring Onions
- Swiss Chard
Fruits
Not all fruits are low-gi, but the ones that are are the ones you want to be sure to grab when they’re fresh! Many of these fruits can be found year-round in canned or frozen form, but these next few weeks are your chance to create some amazing recipes with fresh-picked fruits.
- Apricots
- Blueberries
- Mangoes
- Oranges
- Rhubarb
- Limes
- Lemons
- Passionfruit
- Strawberries
- Grapefruit
- Avocado
Low-GI Recipes with Summer Produce
Green Berry Shake
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Serves: Makes 1 shake
Ingredients:
- 1 cup almond milk
- 1 cup fresh spinach leaves
- 1/2 cup strawberries, quartered and stems removed
- 1/4 cup blueberries
- 1 svg TLS® Shake – Vanilla or Chocolate
- ice, to taste
Prep:
- Add all ingredients & blend
- Add ice or more liquid to reach desired consistency
Enjoy!
Chicken, Avocado, & Grapefruit Salad
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Serves: Makes 4 servings
Ingredients:
- 2 red grapefruits
- 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- 4 T avocado oil
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. black pepper
- 2 cups roasted chicken, skinned and cubed
- 3 fresh avocados
- fresh lemon juice, to taste
- 3 cups chopped tomato
- parsley, to taste
- 8 cups mixed greens
Prep:
- Halve the grapefruits with a knife, then slice between the membranes and remove segments from one half.
- Juice the remaining half and set aside.
- Whisk together grapefruit juice, red wine vinegar, avocado oil, salt, and pepper.
- Place grapefruit segments in dressing & let sit for 5 minutes.
- Toss greens and chicken with grapefruit mixture, then add cubed avocado.
- Top with additional salt & pepper to taste
Enjoy!
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