6 Foods That Tend to Spike Blood Sugar

If you have type 2 diabetes, you know the importance of counting carbohydrates for blood sugar control. But it’s not just the number of carbs in a given food that determines how that food will affect your blood sugar levels. “While all carb-rich foods convert to sugar in our body, a food’s fiber , protein, and fat content all influence the impact of that food on blood sugar levels,” says Vandana Sheth, RDN, CDCES , who’s based in Los Angeles. All these factors play a role in setting a food’s glycemic index (GI), a ranking of how drastically it raises blood sugar levels compared with straight glucose, which has a GI of 100. Foods like pasta and sports drinks are considered high-GI foods and can spike your levels, while lettuce, dark chocolate, and peanuts are low-GI foods that may have minimal impact.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629fc6a38e6-cc67-470b-84a4-43f57186ae0c Here are six foods that tend to spike blood sugar levels and ways to moderate your approach for more stable blood sugar levels. Foods high in refined carbs can make blood sugar levels soar.
White Grains, Which Are a Refined Source of Carbs White grain–containing foods, such as white bread, pasta, and rice , are examples of refined carbohydrate sources, meaning they have had much of their fiber removed during processing.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629e532160a-3663-4e2e-98cb-8d3cd2ac5059 “Fiber is a type of carbohydrate that has many benefits,” says Sara Thomas, PhD, RD , a research scientist and dietitian specializing in diabetes at the healthcare company Abbott. “It’s not digested by the body, so it influences gut health and may slow digestion, which may help blood sugar levels.” It also helps you feel fuller longer, to reduce the likelihood of overeating, which can negatively affect blood sugar. When possible, opt for whole grains, such as whole-grain bread, whole-wheat pasta, and brown rice, which are rich in blood sugar–regulating fiber. Quinoa, amaranth, buckwheat, and hulled barley are also great whole-grain options, Thomas says. However, with the right approach, you can still include small amounts of white grains in your diabetes-friendly diet . Try pairing them with lean meats, healthy fats , and other relatively low-carb sources of fiber, such as nonstarchy vegetables, to make white-carb-containing meals less likely to spike your blood sugar, Sheth says. White Grains, Which Are a Refined Source of Carbs
Sugar-Sweetened Drinks, Which Lack Key Nutrients “It’s really hard to control blood sugar if you’re drinking sweetened beverages,” says Rasa Kazlauskaite, MD , associate professor of endocrinology, diabetes, and metabolism at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. She explains that, apart from containing heavy amounts of sugar, drinks like soda, sweetened iced tea, and even fruit juice contain virtually no protein, fat, or fiber. What’s more, these drinks don’t actually aid satiety, she says. While the best course of action is to entirely avoid sweetened caloric drinks, a small serving of these beverages can be helpful in quickly raising blood sugar when experiencing acute hypoglycemia, Dr. Kazlauskaite notes. Start with ½ cup and see how your blood sugar changes before having any more.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976296b46f070-2861-45ce-80c9-497552f50c7b If you don’t have low blood sugar and are simply craving something sweet, opt for a sugar-free seltzer. Still, your main beverage of choice should be water. If you have trouble enjoying water without any flavor, try adding pieces of freshly sliced fruit to your water bottle, Kazlauskaite says. Sugar-Sweetened Drinks, Which Lack Key Nutrients
Fast Food, Which Is Unexpectedly High in Sugar While we tend to think about hamburgers and french fries being high in calories and fat, they’re also high in sugar and refined carbohydrates, potentially causing blood sugar spikes. Some popular drive-through restaurant burgers actually contain as much as a candy bar. For example, a fast-food cheeseburger might contain 7 grams (g) of sugar and 32 g of carbs,e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e59762944e8637a-753f-4236-939b-9d82758fc2b3 compared with a 2-ounce Snickers bar’s 29 g of sugar and 35 g of carbs.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e59762928ebf731-a144-4169-872b-3b6225186355 When fast food is the only option, remember that buns, breading, condiments, fries, and soda all tend to be very high in sugar and refined carbohydrates, so keep the number of these foods that you order to a minimum, Sheth says. If you get a breaded chicken sandwich, try a small, light-on-the-dressing salad for your side. And skip the soda, including diet soda. While diet soda doesn’t contain sugar or have calories, it does have artificial sweeteners that can cause you to crave sugary foods.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629af6e955a-294d-4ddb-b1f7-a5c4096164f4 Fast Food, Which Is Unexpectedly High in Sugar
Dried Fruit, Which Can Easily Increase Blood Sugar Yes, it’s true that fruit can spike blood sugar levels, but that’s no reason to strip it from your diet entirely. After all, fruit is rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants , and fiber, all of which are great for your health and management of type 2 diabetes, Thomas says. Your approach: Make sure that you count any fruit consumed as a carb, with one tennis-ball-sized piece of fruit counting as one serving, she says. Opt for whole fresh or frozen options when possible because they’re unprocessed and don’t come with the addition of any sugars. If you prefer canned, make sure the fruit is packed in water, not sugary syrup. If you do find dried fruits that don’t contain added sugar, know they can still easily spike your blood sugar. That’s because these fruits have been dehydrated, meaning they may contain just as much sugar as a whole fruit but in a single bite, Thomas says. For example, while a whole apricot has just over 3 g of sugar,e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976296935b980-5272-4d23-9365-2a02181c157b half of a dried apricot has nearly 2 g of sugar.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976299ce738fb-4d09-48f7-9b35-0dff089a2b26 Dried Fruit, Which Can Easily Increase Blood Sugar
Starchy Vegetables, Which in Large Amounts Can Destabilize Blood Sugar Potatoes and other starchy vegetables like peas and corn pack a greater quantity of carbs compared with nonstarchy vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629d4674db5-a6e3-4a07-a29d-86a173d81603 “But, make sure you don’t cut out starchy vegetables entirely. They still provide good nutrients, and some can even be higher in fiber than nonstarchy vegetables,” Thomas says. Just make sure to count that starchy food as a carb, and then pair it with foods that contain plenty of healthful fats, fiber, and lean protein to dramatically lessen any potential blood sugar swings, she says. Starchy Vegetables, Which in Large Amounts Can Destabilize Blood Sugar
Some Nondairy Milks, Which Can Be Surprisingly High in Sugar Even dairy milk counts as a carb, but it’s a carb with a low GI, meaning a score of 55 or lower.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e59762986148eba-f6f6-4dba-b3cb-0210bffd4ea8 Nondairy milks , on the other hand, aren’t low-GI foods, with oat milk being very high in sugar and rice milk the highest in sugar, with a GI of 86, says Thomas. As far as milk substitutes go, unsweetened soy has the lowest GI.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976296c98a459-69cf-4b09-bd81-85d4c556cb92 Nutrition information varies by brand, so be sure to read the label. In general, 100 grams of unsweetened soy milk contains .5 g of sugar and 3.5 g of protein.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629b5f947fb-f89b-4ba8-af07-0d8c7c25b624 When purchasing plant-based milks, opt for unsweetened versions, which have less sugar. Some Nondairy Milks, Which Can Be Surprisingly High in Sugar
The Takeaway Limit high-GI foods, such as white bread, pasta, starchy vegetables, and soda. Instead, opt for healthier swaps, such as whole-grain bread or pasta, nonstarchy vegetables, and seltzer or water. If you do eat a higher-GI food, balance out the rest of your meal with healthy fats, lean proteins, and fiber, to reduce the risk of a blood sugar spike. You don’t have to skip fast food entirely on a diabetes-friendly diet. Keep in mind that buns, breading, and condiments are high in refined carbs and calories, so try to keep these to a minimum and aim for balance as much as possible. While dairy milk is generally considered a low-GI food, some nondairy milks, such as oat and rice, are not. Be sure to check nutrition facts before buying to understand the milk’s sugar content.
Resources We Trust Mayo Clinic: Low-Glycemic Index Diet: What’s Behind the Claims? Harvard Health Publishing: A Good Guide to Good Carbs: The Glycemic Index Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: 10 Surprising Things That Can Spike Your Blood Sugar Cleveland Clinic: Hyperglycemia (High Blood Sugar) American Diabetes Association: Non-Starchy Vegetables for Blood Glucose Control
Additional reporting by Beth W. Orenstein .

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