What are the staple foods that do not raise blood sugar levels?
Sep 15, 2025
Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Yang Ziqi
Introduction
Under normal circumstances, staple foods such as buckwheat, oats, quinoa, corn grits, and mixed beans have a low glycemic index. These foods are less likely to cause significant fluctuations in blood sugar levels after consumption and are suitable choices for individuals needing to manage their blood glucose. In daily life, besides choosing these types of staple foods, one should also pay attention to controlling portion sizes to avoid excessive intake that may lead to exceeding total calorie limits. At the same time, it is important to consume adequate vegetables and maintain a balanced diet.
Generally, staple foods such as buckwheat, oats, quinoa, corn grits, and mixed beans have a low glycemic index. These foods are less likely to cause significant fluctuations in blood sugar levels after consumption and are suitable choices for individuals needing to manage their blood glucose levels. Detailed analysis is as follows:
1. Buckwheat: Buckwheat is cool in nature and sweet in taste, rich in dietary fiber and rutin. Dietary fiber delays the digestion and absorption of carbohydrates, slowing the rise in blood sugar levels. Rutin can also help protect blood vessels. It is suitable as a staple food choice for individuals managing blood sugar. Common ways to consume buckwheat include buckwheat noodles and buckwheat rice.
2. Oats: Oats are neutral in nature and sweet in taste, containing abundant beta-glucan. This soluble dietary fiber increases satiety, reduces intake of other foods, and delays sugar absorption, preventing sudden spikes in blood sugar. It is recommended to choose pure oatmeal that requires cooking, rather than instant oatmeal products with added sugars.
3. Quinoa: Quinoa is neutral in nature and sweet in taste, considered a whole protein grain with a low glycemic index. Its dietary fiber and various trace elements provide sufficient nutrition while maintaining stable post-meal blood sugar levels. It can be cooked alone as porridge or combined with other grains.
4. Corn Grits: Corn grits are neutral in nature and sweet in taste, retaining the bran and germ of corn, and are high in dietary fiber. They digest slowly after consumption, prolonging the rise in blood sugar levels. They are best cooked into corn grits porridge and consumed with vegetables and protein-rich foods for a more balanced nutrition.
5. Mixed Beans: Such as red beans, green beans, chickpeas, etc., which are rich in protein and dietary fiber, with a glycemic index much lower than that of refined rice and flour. Combining mixed beans with grains in appropriate proportions to cook mixed grain rice or bean porridge can effectively reduce the overall glycemic load of the diet, helping to control blood sugar.
In daily life, besides choosing these types of staple foods, attention should also be paid to controlling portion sizes to avoid excessive intake leading to excessive total calorie consumption. Combining adequate vegetables, maintaining a balanced diet, and engaging in appropriate physical activities, such as brisk walking or jogging, are more beneficial for maintaining stable blood sugar levels.
