Low GI meals: 10 easy dinner and lunch ideas, with the GI of each carb

A low GI meal is built on a low GI carb, such as legumes, al dente pasta, Doongara or low GI rice, quinoa, barley or grainy bread, with protein and plenty of vegetables. Ten easy options: lentil bolognese with spaghetti, beef and bean chilli with low GI rice, chickpea and vegetable curry, salmon with quinoa salad, a bean burrito bowl, tuna and cannellini bean salad, chicken and barley soup, tofu stir-fry with rice noodles, roast chicken with Carisma potatoes, and a brown rice poke bowl. Each one is listed below with the tested GI of its main carb.

After the meals, we explain what a GI number can't tell you about a whole plate, and why your own glucose response is the more useful guide.

10 low GI meal ideas

GI compares a food with pure glucose (100). Low is 55 or under, medium 56 to 69, high 70 or more. Values are from the University of Sydney GI database. Most mixed meals haven't been GI tested as a whole, so we give the GI of the carb that drives the meal.

1. Lentil bolognese with al dente spaghetti

Swap half the mince for red or canned brown lentils and serve on spaghetti cooked al dente. Low GI carbs: red lentils 18 to 21, Edgell canned brown lentils 42, Vetta white spaghetti 49, San Remo penne 44 to 50. Pasta is one of the lowest GI staples, and the lentils add fibre and protein.

2. Beef and bean chilli with low GI rice

Lean mince, red kidney beans, tinned tomatoes, onion, capsicum and spices. Serve with a small portion of rice and a side salad. Low GI carbs: Edgell red kidney beans 36, SunRice Low GI white rice pouch 52, SunRice Doongara white rice 48 to 67 (most tests low). Ordinary jasmine rice tested 68 to 89, so the rice you choose matters.

3. Chickpea and vegetable curry

Chickpeas, cauliflower, spinach and tomato in a curry sauce, with Doongara rice or a grainy flatbread. Low GI carbs: Edgell canned chickpeas 35 to 38. A lentil and cauliflower curry served with rice tested 60 as a whole meal in Australia (1986), which shows the rice pulls the meal up. Go easy on the rice and heavy on the chickpeas.

4. Salmon with quinoa and roast vegetable salad

Baked salmon with quinoa, roast pumpkin, rocket, feta and a lemon dressing. Low GI carbs: white quinoa 50 and red quinoa 54 (Australia, 2017), butternut pumpkin 51.

5. Bean burrito bowl

Refried or black beans, grilled chicken or tofu, lettuce, tomato salsa, avocado and a little rice, or wrapped in a whole grain tortilla. Low GI carbs: Casa Fiesta refried pinto beans 38, Old El Paso whole grain tortilla 50, Mission wholemeal and white wrap with chia 50, Diego's white corn tortilla 49. In a Mexican study, burritos of scrambled egg, pinto beans, tomato and onion tested 29 to 37 as a whole meal.

6. Tuna and cannellini bean salad with grainy bread

Canned tuna, cannellini beans, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, parsley, olive oil and lemon. A slice of grainy bread on the side. Low GI carbs: Edgell cannellini beans 31, Bürgen Wholemeal & Seeds bread 39. A quick lunch from the pantry.

7. Chicken, vegetable and barley soup

Chicken thigh, carrot, celery, leek and a handful of pearl barley, simmered until the barley is tender. Low GI carbs: pearl barley 23 to 44 in most tests, carrots 32 to 49. A ready-made option: Campbell's Country Ladle Traditional Minestrone tested 39 (Australia, 2001).

8. Tofu and vegetable stir-fry with rice noodles or soba

Firm tofu, broccoli, bok choy, capsicum and snow peas with garlic, ginger and soy. Low GI carbs: fresh rice noodles 40 (Sydney), soba 46. For comparison, a home-made chicken and vegetable stir-fry with boiled white rice tested 73 in Australia in 1986.

9. Roast chicken with Carisma potatoes and greens

Roast chicken with boiled or roasted chunks of Carisma potato, steamed beans, broccoli and a big salad. Low GI carbs: Carisma potato 53 to 57, boiled orange sweet potato 61. Peeled Desiree potatoes tested 74 to 101 and mashed Pontiac 91, so the variety matters as much as the portion.

10. Salmon and brown rice poke bowl

Salmon or tofu, a small serve of rice, edamame, cucumber, avocado, seaweed and pickled ginger. Low GI carbs: salmon sushi tested 48 (Sydney, 2001) and brown rice sushi with vegetables and tofu 45 (Australia, 2010). Use Doongara or low GI rice if you cook it at home, because SunRice brown rice tested 59 to 78.

Low GI carbs to build meals around

Brown rice isn't reliably lower than white. SunRice brown rice tested 59 to 78, while the SunRice Low GI white rice pouch tested 52 and Doongara white 48 to 67. Legumes are the lowest carb you can put on a plate. For more detail see our lists of low GI rice, low GI pasta, low GI bread and low GI vegetables.

What makes a meal low GI

• The carb you choose. Legumes, pasta, Doongara or low GI rice, quinoa, barley and dense grainy bread are low. Jasmine rice, most white bread and mashed potato are high.
• How much of it. A low GI carb still adds up in a big portion. A quarter of the plate is a good starting point.
• Protein, fat and fibre. The University of Sydney GI team notes that protein and fat slow how fast the stomach empties, so carbs are absorbed more slowly.
• Cooking. Al dente pasta, boiled rather than mashed potato, and whole rather than ground grains all keep the GI lower.

Dr Michelle Woolhouse, Vively's Medical Director, points out how easy it is to miss the protein: "It's not uncommon to consume a meal with very little protein, think gnocchi Napoli, jam on toast or a baked potato with salad."

What a GI number can't tell you

A GI test feeds about 10 healthy people a fixed amount of carbohydrate from one food, on its own, after an overnight fast, and averages the results. That's a fair way to compare carbs, but a meal has sauce, oil, protein and vegetables, and your portion isn't the lab's. Very few home meals have been tested as a whole.

People also respond differently to the same meal. Sleep, stress, activity and your own metabolism all change the curve. A GI number is an average, and you're not an average.

Why your own response matters more than the GI

Our members' continuous glucose monitor (CGM) data shows how far real responses can sit from the GI tables. These are typical rises when Vively members logged each food on its own.

• Sushi had the biggest typical rise, 2.2 mmol/L across 1,038 members, even though salmon sushi tested GI 48 in the lab. Sushi rice is usually seasoned with sugar and vinegar, and a few rolls add up to a lot of rice.
• Pasta had the smallest, 1.3 mmol/L across 1,058 members, which fits its low GI. White rice was 1.8 and basmati 1.5.
• Adding protein or vegetables helped about half of people, not everyone. In 159 members who logged pasta both ways, 53% rose less with a protein, fat or vegetable pairing and 38% rose more. For white rice (165 members), 48% rose less and 46% rose more.

This is real-world app data, not a lab test. Portions weren't measured, and someone may have eaten something they didn't log. The members don't have type 2 diabetes. See the full curves on our pasta and sushi glucose response pages.

Tips for lower GI meals

• Start with a legume: add a tin of lentils, chickpeas or beans to soups, curries, salads and sauces.
• Choose your rice: Doongara or a low GI rice instead of jasmine or sushi rice.
• Cook pasta al dente and potatoes in chunks rather than mashed.
• Fill half the plate with vegetables, a quarter with protein, a quarter with the carb.
• Try Michelle's order: "Eat your vegetables or salad first, followed by protein/fat and then carbohydrates."
• Go for a walk after dinner.
• Cook once, eat twice: chilli, curry and soup all keep well for lunches.

See your own response

The only way to know which meals suit you is to measure them. With a Vively CGM, you can eat the same dinner two ways (say, chilli with jasmine rice one night and with Doongara and extra beans the next) and compare the curves in the app. Our guide to blood sugar after eating explains what the numbers mean.

If you have diabetes or take medicine that lowers glucose, talk to your doctor or dietitian before changing how you eat.

Frequently asked questions

What is a low GI meal?

A meal whose main carbohydrate is low GI (55 or under), such as legumes, al dente pasta, Doongara rice, quinoa, barley or grainy bread, eaten with protein and vegetables.

What are good low GI dinner ideas?

Lentil bolognese, beef and bean chilli with low GI rice, chickpea curry, salmon with quinoa, a bean burrito bowl and roast chicken with Carisma potatoes are all built on low GI carbs.

What are easy low GI lunch ideas?

Tuna and cannellini bean salad with grainy bread, leftover chilli or curry, barley soup, or a burrito bowl with beans. Canned legumes make them quick.

Which rice is low GI in Australia?

SunRice Low GI white rice tested 52, and SunRice Doongara white 48 to 67 (four of six tests low). Basmati tested 57 to 67, brown rice 59 to 78 and jasmine 68 to 89.

Can I follow a low GI meal plan for weight loss?

Meals built on legumes, vegetables and wholegrains are often high in fibre, but portion size and total energy still matter. A dietitian can tailor a plan to you.

Are low GI meals good for diabetes?

The NDSS recommends choosing lower GI carbs, along with watching portion size. Ask your doctor or dietitian how much carbohydrate suits you.

Sources

• University of Sydney GI database, glycemicindex.com (SunRice, Edgell, Casa Fiesta, Old El Paso, Mission, Diego's, Bürgen, Vetta, San Remo, Campbell's, quinoa, barley, potato and mixed meal entries; accessed 1 Nov 2026).
• University of Sydney GI Group, GI FAQs (GI cut-offs, protein and fat in mixed meals, soba GI 46, rice noodles GI 40).
• Atkinson FS, et al. International tables of glycemic index and glycemic load values 2021. Am J Clin Nutr, 2021.
• NDSS, Glycaemic index fact sheet.
• Vively member CGM data, 1 Jan 2022 to 12 Oct 2026: members who logged each food on its own (pasta 1,058, sushi 1,038, white rice 572 members). De-identified, members without type 2 diabetes, minimum 30 members per figure.