Glycemic Load Calculator
Glycemic load combines how fast a food raises blood sugar (its glycemic index) with how much carbohydrate a serving contains. Pick a food or enter your own values to see its GL, then add the rest of your meal for a total.
Last updated:
Glucose = 100
Total carbohydrate minus fiber
Type a food name from the list (optionally followed by servings, e.g. “Banana 0.5”) or “name, GI, carbs” like “Pita bread, 68, 30”
How to use the Glycemic Load Calculator
- Pick a food from the list, or choose “Enter my own” and type its GI and available carbs.
- Set the number of servings.
- Read the glycemic load and its rating.
- Add other foods in the meal box, one per line, to see the meal total.
- Compare foods in the reference table to find lower-GL swaps.
The glycemic load formula
GL = GI × available carbohydrate (g) ÷ 100. The glycemic index (GI) compares how much 50 g of a food's carbohydrate raises blood glucose compared with 50 g of pure glucose (GI = 100). Glycemic load scales that by the amount of carbohydrate you actually eat, so one unit of GL is roughly the effect of 1 g of glucose.
For a meal, add up the GL of each food. The meal GI is the carbohydrate-weighted average: total GL ÷ total carbs × 100.
| Rating | Glycemic index | Glycemic load per serving | Daily glycemic load |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low | 55 or less | 10 or less | under 80 |
| Medium | 56–69 | 11–19 | 80–120 |
| High | 70 or more | 20 or more | over 120 |
Ways to lower the glycemic load of a meal
- Eat smaller portions of high-GI starches such as white rice, potatoes and white bread, or swap some for beans, lentils or vegetables.
- Choose less processed versions: rolled or steel-cut oats instead of instant, pasta cooked al dente, whole fruit instead of juice.
- Add protein, healthy fat and fiber; they slow digestion and blunt the rise in blood sugar.
- Cooled and reheated rice and potatoes contain more resistant starch, which may lower their effect slightly.
Food values in this calculator are typical figures based on published international glycemic index tables and USDA carbohydrate data; individual products and responses vary.
Frequently asked questions
How do you calculate glycemic load?
Multiply the food's glycemic index by the grams of available carbohydrate in the serving, then divide by 100. For example, a cup of white rice with a GI of 73 and 44 g of carbs has a GL of 73 × 44 ÷ 100 ≈ 32.
What is a good glycemic load?
Per serving, a GL of 10 or less is low, 11 to 19 is medium and 20 or more is high. For a whole day, a total under about 80 is considered low and over 120 high.
What is the difference between glycemic index and glycemic load?
The glycemic index ranks how quickly 50 g of carbohydrate from a food raises blood sugar compared with pure glucose. Glycemic load also accounts for how much carbohydrate a normal serving contains, so it better reflects the real effect of eating that food.
Why does watermelon have a high GI but a low GL?
Watermelon's sugars are absorbed quickly, giving a GI of about 76, but a cup contains only about 11 g of carbohydrate because it is mostly water. Its glycemic load is therefore about 8, which is low.
What are available carbohydrates?
Available carbohydrate is the carbohydrate your body digests and absorbs: total carbohydrate minus dietary fiber. On a US food label, subtract Dietary Fiber from Total Carbohydrate.
Are the GI values exact?
No. GI values vary with variety, ripeness, cooking time, processing and what else you eat with the food. The list uses typical average values from published international GI tables, so treat results as estimates.
Can people with diabetes use this calculator?
It can help compare foods and plan lower-GL meals, but it is not a substitute for medical advice or carbohydrate counting prescribed by a care team. Blood sugar responses differ from person to person.
Are all the tools on FreeToolCabin tested for quality and accuracy?
Yes! Every tool on our site undergoes automated Q/A testing in real browser environments to ensure high precision, correct output, and zero errors. If you happen to spot a bug or have a suggestion, please contact us at [email protected] and our team will review it right away.