Allulose
The one non-nutritive sweetener bakers actually praise — it browns like sugar.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 2,592 allulose logs. Granular and liquid syrup forms anchor at 0 mg/dL because GI is 0 — what shows up on the trace is the rest of the meal.
Almond Butter
Almond butter alone barely registers — the toast, bagel, or pancake underneath is the spike driver.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 24,574 almond butter logs. How fruit and celery buffer the curve while bread and pancakes amplify it.
Almond Milk
Unsweetened almond milk is the safest milk for glucose — but the sweetened version is sugar in a glass.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 41,823 almond milk logs. How sweetened, vanilla, and chocolate variants reshape a near-zero-carb default.
Almonds
Almonds are low-glycemic on their own — the granola, trail mix, or chocolate coating is what shifts the curve.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 80,948 almond logs. How form (raw, roasted, candied) and carb pairings reshape the curve.
Apple Cider Vinegar
The wellness shot, measured: real but modest, and dwarfed by the carbs underneath.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 13,441 ACV-tagged logs. Pre-meal shots, gummies, the honey-cinnamon combo, and the carb context that overrides them all.
Apples
Whole vs juice, ripeness, and pairing — same fruit, different curves.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 12,934 logged meals containing apples. How meal context, fat pairings, and form (whole vs. blended) reshape the curve — the apple itself is almost a bystander.
Apricot
Fresh apricots are mid-tier stone fruit — the dried form runs dramatically higher in glucose response.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 2,019 apricot logs. How fresh and dried forms differ, and which pairings shift the curve.
Asparagus
Asparagus is glucose-flat — the hollandaise, prosciutto wrap, or risotto base is the cohort signal.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 18,088 asparagus logs. How roasted, grilled, and steamed forms behave with cheese, protein, and grain pairings.
Bacon
Bacon alone barely moves the needle — the biscuit, bun, or pancake alongside it is the whole story.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 4,947 single-item bacon logs. How carb pairings, egg co-occurrence, and meal context reshape the curve.
Bagels
What you put on the bread matters more than the bread.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 957 bagels meals. How preparation, pairings, and toppings reshape the curve.
Baguette
What you put on the bread matters more than the bread.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 176 baguette meals. How preparation, pairings, and toppings reshape the curve.
Baked Beans
Among the lowest-spike foods on the planet — until you add the rice.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 54 baked beans meals. How preparation, pairings, and toppings reshape the curve.
Bananas
Ripe vs firm vs banana bread — a 5× spread on the same fruit.
How ripeness, pairing, and timing reshape the banana glucose curve. 12,753 member meals across the cohort, 12 ranked recipes from firm-banana + almond butter (+8 mg/dL) to standard banana bread (+38).
Barley
Processing, portion, and protein pairings move the spike more than the grain itself.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 155 barley meals. How preparation, pairings, and toppings reshape the curve.
Beans
Why the bean bowl spikes more than the beans.
Lentils, black beans, chickpeas, pinto, navy, edamame — and the rice + chips around them. 7,045 member meals, 12 recipes from edamame (+6) to a standard Chipotle bowl (+45).
Beer
Beer is unique — alcohol depresses glucose acutely, but the carbs in heavier styles drive the spike.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 16,543 beer logs. How regular, light, IPA, and stout forms behave with pizza, wings, pretzels, and bar-snack pairings.
Beets
GI 64 is high for a vegetable — beets pack real natural sugar. The salad-with-goat-cheese build is balanced; the juice shot is concentrated.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 9,054 beet logs. How whole, pickled, and shredded raw forms behave across salad, borscht, juice, and smoothie contexts.
Bell Pepper
Bell peppers are crunchy and glucose-flat — the hummus, fajita tortilla, or stir-fry rice is the cohort spike.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 41,565 bell pepper logs. How raw, roasted, and sautéed forms behave with hummus, fajita, stir-fry, and salad pairings.
Black Beans
Among the lowest-spike foods on the planet — until you add the rice.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 485 black beans meals. How preparation, pairings, and toppings reshape the curve.
Blackberries
Blackberries mirror the raspberry pattern — high fiber, lower spike than the GI suggests.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 19,139 blackberry logs. How yogurt, oatmeal, and cobbler contexts reshape the curve.
Blueberries
Blueberries alone are a low-spike snack — the granola, yogurt, or pancake underneath is the cohort signal.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 94,397 blueberry logs. How fresh, frozen, dried, and wild forms behave with the breakfast carb beneath them.
Bone Broth
Zero-carb by definition — and the cohort agrees, with the lowest mean of any beverage.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 12,411 bone-broth logs. Sipped from a mug alone anchors near the baseline; the spike shows up when broth becomes a soup base.
Broccoli
Broccoli is glucose-flat on its own — the rice, pasta, or cheese beside it is the cohort spike driver.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 78,005 broccoli logs. How steamed, roasted, raw, and stir-fried forms behave with rice, pasta, and cheese pairings.
Brown Rice
Lower-GI than white rice — but pairings still matter most.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 254 logged meals containing brown rice. How meal carb load, protein pairings, and time of day reshape the curve — the bran layer helps, but it's not the dominant lever.
Brown Sugar
Same molecule as white sugar — but the cohort runs higher because it lives in baked goods.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 5,996 logged meals containing brown sugar. Mean peak +41.3 mg/dL — about 10 mg/dL above white sugar in our data, driven by flour-heavy vehicles.
Brussels Sprouts
Brussels sprouts are low-spike — the bacon, balsamic glaze, or honey-roast is the cohort signal.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 18,246 Brussels sprouts logs. How roasted, sautéed, and shaved forms behave with bacon, balsamic, and protein pairings.
Buckwheat
Not actually wheat — the gluten-free pseudo-cereal lands in medium-GI territory.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 1,516 logged meals containing buckwheat — kasha groats, buckwheat flour, and French galettes. How form, sugar, and fat-or-protein pairings reshape the curve.
Butter
Butter alone is glycemically inert — the bread, potato, or popcorn underneath is what spikes.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 87,237 butter logs. How butter rides on toast, baked potato, popcorn, pasta, and pancakes.
Cabbage
Cabbage is the lowest-spike cruciferous — coleslaw mayo, kimchi, and cabbage-roll rice are the cohort signals.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 24,307 cabbage logs. How green, red, napa, sauerkraut, and kimchi forms behave across coleslaw, taco, and stir-fry contexts.
Cantaloupe
GI 68 but GL 4 — the same high-GI / low-GL paradox as watermelon. The Italian prosciutto pairing is the cohort signature.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 4,977 single-item cantaloupe logs. How fresh cubed, wedges, prosciutto, cottage cheese, and smoothie pairings reshape the curve.
Caramel
Cooked sucrose — a real GI 40 sweetener. The popcorn pairing is the cohort outlier.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 29,187 caramel logs. Syrup-and-sauce anchors at +29 mg/dL; caramel corn climbs to +47. Salted caramel is flavor only — not glucose-different.
Carrots
GI 35 sounds high. GL 2 says it's not — what carrots eat with you matters more.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 1,679 single-item carrot logs and 65,465 total logged meals containing carrots. Reputation says high-GI vegetable; the cohort says the dip and the meal context drive the curve more than the carrot itself.
Cauliflower
Cauliflower is the carb-substitute vegetable — riced, mashed, and pizza-crust forms swap for the higher-spike carb they replace.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 43,913 cauliflower logs. Where the low-carb swap actually shows up in the curve.
Celery
Celery alone is glucose-flat — the peanut butter, ranch dip, or soup's flour-thickened broth is the cohort spike.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 19,889 celery logs. How raw stalks, celery juice, and diced-cooked forms behave with peanut butter, ranch, tuna salad, and mirepoix.
Cereal
The breakfast bowl — refined, processed, and milk-paired in ways the box label never explains.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 2,066 logged meals where members ate cereal alone. How form, milk choice, and toppings reshape the curve.
Cheddar
Cheese alone is boring — but on the bun, in the pasta, or melted on the chip is where curves bend.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 6,960 cheddar meals. How preparation, pairings, and toppings reshape the curve.
Cherries
Cherries have the lowest GL of any sweet fruit — ice cream and dessert pairings are the only meaningful contexts.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 19,648 cherry logs. How fresh, frozen, dried, and tart variants behave across snack and dessert contexts.
Chicken
Chicken alone is near glucose-neutral — the rice, pasta, or sandwich underneath it is the entire story.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 43,967 single-item chicken logs. How carb pairings, prep style, and fat add-ons reshape the curve.
Chickpeas
Among the lowest-spike foods on the planet — until you add the rice.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 1,087 chickpeas meals. How preparation, pairings, and toppings reshape the curve.
Chocolate
Chocolate is mid-glycemic on its own — meal context and form fork (milk vs filled vs covered) is where the curve diverges.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 154,048 chocolate logs. How milk, white, filled, chips, and candy-bar forms behave alone or with cookies, ice cream, and trail mix.
Coffee
Black coffee is glucose-inert — the milk, sugar, and pastry around it is the cohort signal.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 209,577 coffee logs — the largest beverage cohort in the atlas. How black, decaf, iced, and sweetened forms behave alone and with breakfast carbs.
Corn Chips
The chocolate-bar truth and other surprises about what your snack drawer is actually doing.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 3,912 corn chips meals. How preparation, pairings, and toppings reshape the curve.
Cottage Cheese
Cottage cheese alone barely registers — the toast, fruit, or granola alongside it is the whole story.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 49,974 cottage cheese logs. How fat tier and pairings reshape a low-carb dairy food.
Couscous
Processing, portion, and protein pairings move the spike more than the grain itself.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 60 couscous meals. How preparation, pairings, and toppings reshape the curve.
Cranberry
Tart fresh berry — almost always consumed sweetened, sauced, juiced, or baked.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 11,111 cranberry-tagged meals. How Thanksgiving sauce, Craisins, juice cocktail, oatmeal toppings, and muffin builds each move the curve.
Cream Cheese
Cream cheese is glucose-neutral — the bagel underneath it is what spikes, not the cheese.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 23,091 cream cheese logs. How the bagel, toast, and English-muffin underneath reshape a zero-carb spread.
Croissant
What you put on the bread matters more than the bread.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 1,563 croissant meals. How preparation, pairings, and toppings reshape the curve.
Cucumber
Cucumber is glucose-flat — the dressing, sushi rice, or wrap underneath is the cohort spike driver.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 48,868 cucumber logs. How fresh, English, Persian, and pickled forms behave across salad, sushi, and dip contexts.
Dark Chocolate
Dark chocolate is the lower-spike chocolate — cacao content sets the floor; 70%, 85%, and 90%+ each step lower.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 65,760 dark chocolate logs. How 70%, 85%+, filled, and covered-nut forms behave with nuts, fruit, coffee, and red wine.
Dates
Almost always eaten dried — concentrated sugar in a small package.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 1,081 single-item logs of dates eaten alone. The stuffed-Medjool appetizer cuts the spike measurably; the chopped-into-overnight-oats stack runs higher.
Donut
Donuts are among the steepest spikers in the atlas — glaze, filling, and yeast-vs-cake forks each bend the curve.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 9,134 donut logs. How glazed, cake, jelly-filled, frosted, powdered, and donut-hole forms behave with coffee, milk, and breakfast.
Edamame
The rare legume that reads more like a snack than a carb.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 6,528 edamame meals. How dry-roasted vs. in-shell, and the carbs around it, reshape the curve.
Eggplant
Eggplant is a sponge — soaks up whatever it's cooked in. Plain grilled is flat; the parmesan is the breading and pasta.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 5,148 eggplant logs. How grilled, breaded-fried, and stuffed forms behave with parmesan, pita, and curry contexts.
Eggs
Eggs alone barely register — but the toast, bagel, or bun underneath them is where the curve bends.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 23,814 single-item egg logs. How breakfast carb pairings reshape a nearly-zero-GI food.
Energy Bar
Energy bars vary enormously — granola, protein, nutrition, fitness, and meal-replacement bars each occupy different glycemic territory.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 43,247 energy bar logs. How brand category — granola, protein, nutrition, fitness, meal — actually drives the curve.
English Muffin
The breakfast carrier — the muffin is moderate, but the topping decides the spike.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 462 English muffin meals. How form, jam vs. peanut butter, and the breakfast-sandwich build reshape the curve.
Erythritol
Zero glycemic response in the cohort — with one asterisk worth knowing about.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 1,198 erythritol logs. Form anchors at 0 mg/dL (GI=0). Includes context on the 2023 Nature Medicine paper that flagged serum erythritol and cardiovascular risk.
Espresso
Plain espresso is glucose-flat — the spike is the croissant or biscotti next to it, not the shot.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 18,587 espresso logs. How single shot, doppio, macchiato, and cappuccino variants behave alone or with pastry.
Farro
The Italian ancient wheat — GI 40, the lowest of the whole-grain family.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 1,410 logged meals containing farro — pearled, quick-cooking, and whole-berry preparations. How carb load, olive oil, and protein pairings reshape the curve.
Figs
Fresh figs are low-GL — the cheese-and-fig pairing is the cohort signature.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 2,123 fig logs. How fresh figs behave with cheese, charcuterie, and honey contexts. Note: dried figs are a separate higher-spike food.
Flax Seeds
Flax is almost never a standalone food — the smoothie, oatmeal, or muffin around it is the entire glucose story.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 19,627 flax seed logs. How ground vs. whole and the carrier food reshape a near-zero-spike seed.
French Fries
The chocolate-bar truth and other surprises about what your snack drawer is actually doing.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 1,313 french fries meals. How preparation, pairings, and toppings reshape the curve.
French Toast
You can't out-prepare French toast — the toppings sit on top of an already-high-carb base.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 249 single-item French toast logs. How form, toppings, and protein pairings reshape the curve.
Fried Chicken
The breading sets the baseline — what's alongside it is the multiplier.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 4,572 single-item fried chicken meals. How form, classic sides, and dipping sauces reshape the curve.
Graham Crackers
The chocolate-bar truth and other surprises about what your snack drawer is actually doing.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 762 graham crackers meals. How preparation, pairings, and toppings reshape the curve.
Granola
The breakfast bowl — refined, processed, and milk-paired in ways the box label never explains.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 1,910 granola meals. How preparation, pairings, and toppings reshape the curve.
Grapefruit
Whole vs juice, ripeness, and pairing — same fruit, different curves.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 1,002 grapefruit meals. How preparation, pairings, and toppings reshape the curve.
Grapes
Whole vs juice, ripeness, and pairing — same fruit, different curves.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 3,305 grapes meals. How preparation, pairings, and toppings reshape the curve.
Greek Yogurt
Greek yogurt is flat alone — the granola, fruit, and honey on top is where the curve bends.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 67,144 Greek yogurt logs. How toppings, fat tier, and fruit-on-bottom variants reshape the curve.
Ground Beef
The beef is neutral — the carb you pair it with is the whole story.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 55,527 ground beef meals. How the form — burger, taco, meatball, meatloaf, bolognese — reshapes the curve.
Hamburger Bun
The patty is GI=0. The bun is the spike.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 6,909 logged meals containing a hamburger bun. The beef patty contributes zero carbs; the bun is the platform doing the glycemic work. Brioche pushes it higher; protein pairings pull it lower.
Honey
Marketed as the 'healthier' sweetener — the cohort says it spikes like a moderate sugar.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 2,522 single-item honey logs. What you put it on matters more than the honey itself: drizzling on yogurt anchors the peak at +10 mg/dL, while honey on toast pushes it to +21.
Hummus
A genuinely low-spike dip — until pita or pretzels enter the picture.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 504 single-item hummus logs. How carb dippers, raw veggies, and meal context reshape the curve.
Ice Cream
Cheese alone is boring — but on the bun, in the pasta, or melted on the chip is where curves bend.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 12,350 ice cream meals. How preparation, pairings, and toppings reshape the curve.
Jasmine Rice
GI 89 — the steepest rice in the Atlas, with carb load doing more than variety.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 5,526 logged meals containing jasmine rice. The highest-spiking rice variety on the Atlas at +45 mg/dL on average — Thai curry and Asian stir-fry pairings each add roughly +6 mg/dL, while a heavy carb load pushes peaks higher still.
Kale
Kale is glucose-flat — the Caesar croutons, smoothie sweetener, or chip-oil is the cohort signal.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 24,753 kale logs. How fresh, kale chips, and lacinato variants behave across salads, smoothies, and grain bowls.
Kidney Beans
The bean in a bowl of chili — and most of the spike is the rice next to it.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 2,498 kidney bean meals. How preparation, pairings, and the chili-or-rajma context reshape the curve.
Kiwi
Kiwi sits between mango and pineapple in glycemic load — unique vitamin C and enzyme content; mostly logged on yogurt or oatmeal.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 5,280 kiwi logs. How green vs. golden variants and breakfast contexts reshape the curve.
Kombucha
Kombucha varies wildly by brand — 2-12g sugar per 8oz separates a near-flat fermented tea from a sweetened drink.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 5,641 kombucha logs. How commercial bottled, raw home-brewed, fruit-flavored, and hard kombucha behave.
Latte
A plain latte is mostly milk — the vanilla, mocha, and caramel syrup variants are where added sugar drives the spike.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 32,083 latte logs. How milk choice and flavored-syrup variants reshape the curve.
Lemon
Rarely eaten alone — the cohort signal is what lemon is squeezed onto.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 20,579 lemon-tagged meals. How lemon water, fish dressing, salad vinaigrette, and lemon-bar desserts each reshape the curve.
Lentils
Among the lowest-spike foods on the planet — until you add the rice.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 1,284 lentils meals. How preparation, pairings, and toppings reshape the curve.
Lettuce
Lettuce is the most glucose-neutral food in the atlas — cohort means reflect the dressing, croutons, or sandwich bread.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 90,287 lettuce logs. How romaine, iceberg, butter, and spring-mix behave with the carbs around them.
Lima Beans
Pale green butter beans — modest on their own, steeper inside the succotash-and-cornbread plate.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 1,577 lima bean meals. How succotash, butter-bean salad, and Southern-plate contexts reshape the curve.
Lime
Even more flavoring-than-food than lemon — tacos, margaritas, and Thai curry carry the curve.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 12,626 lime-tagged meals. How tacos, cocktails, key lime, and coconut curries shape the response when lime is the squeeze on top.
Macadamia Nuts
Macadamia is the purest fat-vehicle nut — cookies, chocolate, and dessert pairings are where the curve actually moves.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 12,317 macadamia logs. How a near-zero-carb nut behaves in cookie, chocolate, and dessert contexts.
Macaroni
Al dente, sauce, and protein decide the curve.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 205 macaroni meals. How preparation, pairings, and toppings reshape the curve.
Mandarins
Lunchbox citrus — clementines, cuties, satsumas. Moderate spike, not low.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 3,132 single-item logs of mandarins eaten alone. The peel-and-eat-alone pattern stays in moderate territory; chocolate-dipped and canned-in-syrup forms drift higher.
Mango
Mango is the highest-glycemic tropical fruit — significant on its own, with smoothies and sticky-rice as the cohort spikers.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 9,346 mango logs. How fresh, frozen, dried, and Champagne variants behave with yogurt, salsa, and dessert contexts.
Maple Syrup
The pancake is the bigger driver — but the syrup pile compounds on top.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 6,995 logged meals containing maple syrup. Mean peak +37.9 mg/dL — higher than plain sugar because the vehicle (pancakes, waffles, French toast) brings its own carbs.
Mayonnaise
Mayo is near-zero-carb — but the sandwich, burger, or fries underneath usually aren't.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 32,949 mayonnaise logs. How sandwiches, burgers, fries, and tuna salad reshape the curve.
Millet
Tiny gluten-free grain — the highest-spiking whole grain in the dataset.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 860 logged meals containing millet — pearl millet, finger millet (ragi), and other varieties. How carb load, ghee, and morning timing reshape the curve.
Mixed Nuts
Mixed nuts are the lowest-spike snack we've measured — fat and fiber buffer almost any carb pairing thrown alongside.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 21,641 mixed-nut logs. How carb pairings (apple, dark chocolate, crackers) shift the curve — and how little they actually move it.
Monk Fruit
The keto crowd's sweetener — Lakanto + erythritol dominates the cohort.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 4,965 monk-fruit logs. Like stevia, the sweetener itself is zero; the cohort mean reflects what it's poured over.
Mozzarella
Mozzarella alone is glucose-flat — the pizza, pasta, or sandwich underneath is the entire story.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 25,366 mozzarella logs. How pizza, pasta, caprese, and sandwich pairings reshape a zero-GI food.
Muesli
The breakfast bowl — refined, processed, and milk-paired in ways the box label never explains.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 81 muesli meals. How preparation, pairings, and toppings reshape the curve.
Muffin
Sweet muffins are dressed-up cake — bran runs lower, coffee-shop variants are the worst spikers.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 13,193 muffin logs. How blueberry, banana, chocolate-chip, coffee, bran, corn, and jumbo muffins compare.
Multigrain Bread
Marketed healthy. Behaves like white bread.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 114 single-item multigrain bread logs. The seeds on top are cosmetic; the dough underneath is wheat. Sprouted-grain (Ezekiel-style) is the genuine lower-GI exception in this slot.
Mushroom
Mushrooms are ~3g carb per cup — the pizza dough, risotto rice, or stir-fry rice is the cohort spike.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 45,310 mushroom logs. How button, portobello, shiitake, and cremini forms behave on pizza, in risotto, and in cream-of-mushroom soup.
Naan
The highest-GL bread on the atlas — and the curry pairing only stacks the deck.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 3,687 naan meals. How plain vs. garlic, curry vs. dal vs. hummus, and total carb load reshape the curve.
Nectarine
Stone fruit, peach without fuzz. Cohort mean +34 — modest. Grilled with burrata is the summer-appetizer move.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 2,493 single-item nectarine logs. How fresh whole, yogurt/oatmeal builds, and grilled-savory contexts shape the curve.
Oat Milk
Counter-intuitive: oat milk spikes more than dairy. Oat starch is broken down into maltose during processing.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 10,371 oat milk logs. Why a 'healthy' milk alternative runs the highest peak.
Oatmeal
Rolled vs steel-cut vs instant — and what you stir in on top.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 7,814 logged meals containing oats. How processing format, protein pairings, and sweet toppings reshape the curve — what you stir in matters more than which oat format you pick.
Olive Oil
Olive oil alone is glycemically inert — the bread, pasta, or pizza underneath is what bends the curve.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 66,064 olive-oil logs. How EVOO pours over salads, pasta, focaccia, and pizza.
Onion
Onion is the universal aromatic — the burger bun, fajita tortilla, or onion-ring batter is the cohort spike.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 64,025 onion logs — the most-logged vegetable in the atlas. How raw, caramelized, sautéed, and battered-fried forms behave with the carbs around them.
Orange Juice
Liquid carbs hit fastest. What's in the cup matters as much as what's on the plate.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 838 orange juice meals. How preparation, pairings, and toppings reshape the curve.
Oranges
Whole orange vs. orange juice — the fiber matrix is everything.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 6,038 single-item logs of oranges eaten alone. The whole fruit holds its low-GI promise — but blend it or pour it as juice and the curve is a different food entirely.
Pancakes
What you stack on top matters more than the stack itself.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 1,134 single-item pancake logs. How form, toppings, and protein pairings reshape the curve.
Papaya
Tropical sweet fruit, +41 mean — the steepest of this fruit cluster. Ripe orange (the eating fruit) vs. green papaya (the Thai-salad ingredient).
Cohort-measured glucose response across 1,741 single-item papaya logs. How ripe orange papaya, the green Thai-salad form, and the lime+chia breakfast plate reshape the curve.
Pasta
The everything-noodle page — sauce, protein, and base move the curve more than the shape.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 983 single-item pasta logs spanning every shape and base. Chickpea pasta runs −2.8 mg/dL below standard wheat across 2,239 logs; pesto and olive oil trim the peak by 1–3 mg/dL; ground beef and salmon shave 6 mg/dL off the no-protein baseline.
Peach
Whole vs juice, ripeness, and pairing — same fruit, different curves.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 3,266 peach meals. How preparation, pairings, and toppings reshape the curve.
Peanut Butter
Peanut butter is glucose-mild on its own — the PB&J bread, bagel, or pancake underneath is the spike story.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 111,648 peanut butter logs. How sweetened vs. natural and the bread underneath reshape one of the largest cohorts in the atlas.
Pear
Whole vs juice, ripeness, and pairing — same fruit, different curves.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 1,352 pear meals. How preparation, pairings, and toppings reshape the curve.
Pecans
Pecans alone are nearly inert — the pie, sticky bun, or cinnamon roll they're folded into is the cohort story.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 21,611 pecan logs. How baked goods, salads, and ice cream contexts reshape the curve.
Persimmon
Sweet, jelly-like when fully ripe. Cohort mean +40 — moderate-high. Fuyu (firm, tomato-shaped) is the bulk of the dataset.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 915 single-item persimmon logs. How fresh Fuyu, salad builds, and meal-context shape the curve.
Pickles
Cucumber and brine are glucose-flat — the burger bun, deli bread, or fried-pickle batter is the cohort signal.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 13,025 pickle logs. How dill, kosher, bread-and-butter, gherkin, and spicy forms ride with burgers, sandwiches, and fried-pickle appetizers.
Pineapple
Pineapple is the highest-GI tropical fruit — Hawaiian pizza and ham pairings are the cohort signature.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 9,774 pineapple logs. How fresh vs. canned and savory pairings reshape a higher-spike fruit.
Pistachios
Pistachios are uniquely snack-shaped — the in-shell form slows consumption naturally, and most member meals log them alone.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 22,584 pistachio logs. Where the in-shell pacing effect stops and dessert pairings start spiking.
Pita Bread
What you put on the bread matters more than the bread.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 366 pita bread meals. How preparation, pairings, and toppings reshape the curve.
Plum
Plums are low-spike stone fruit — mostly fresh-eaten alone or with cheese.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 2,152 plum logs. How fresh, black, and pluot variants behave in the cohort.
Pomegranate
Higher-GL than the tartness suggests — GL 19, sweet little jewels.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 778 single-item logs of pomegranate eaten alone. The yogurt-and-oatmeal topping pattern lowers the peak; the juice-and-smoothie form drifts higher.
Popcorn
The chocolate-bar truth and other surprises about what your snack drawer is actually doing.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 11,084 popcorn meals. How preparation, pairings, and toppings reshape the curve.
Potato Chips
The chocolate-bar truth and other surprises about what your snack drawer is actually doing.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 4,216 potato chips meals. How preparation, pairings, and toppings reshape the curve.
Pretzels
The chocolate-bar truth and other surprises about what your snack drawer is actually doing.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 3,878 pretzels meals. How preparation, pairings, and toppings reshape the curve.
Protein Shake
Protein shakes are the lowest-spike beverage in the atlas — whey-dominant with minimal direct glucose impact.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 52,269 protein shake logs. How whey, ready-to-drink, plant-based, and meal-replacement variants behave with banana, fruit, and PB add-ins.
Pumpkin Seeds
Pepitas are the most snack-popular seed — alone, on salads, garnishing soup, or in trail mix.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 15,424 pumpkin seed logs. How roasted vs. raw and snack-default vs. context contexts reshape the curve.
Quinoa
Hyped as a low-GI grain, but the cohort response sits in oat-and-brown-rice territory.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 850 single-item meals containing quinoa. How total carb load, protein and fat pairings, and color variety reshape the curve — portion and pairing matter more than the pseudo-grain reputation suggests.
Radishes
Peppery and mostly water — radish itself is glucose-flat. The buttered baguette, the kimchi banchan, the taco's corn tortilla do the work.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 4,935 radish logs. How red breakfast, daikon, and watermelon radish forms behave across salad, taco, kimchi, and butter-on-baguette builds.
Raisin Bran
The breakfast bowl — refined, processed, and milk-paired in ways the box label never explains.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 129 raisin bran meals. How preparation, pairings, and toppings reshape the curve.
Raspberries
Raspberries are the highest-fiber berry — they spike less than the GI suggests, especially with yogurt or chia.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 33,051 raspberry logs. How fresh vs. frozen and the fiber-buffering effect reshape the curve.
Refried Beans
Pinto mash that lives or dies by the tortilla underneath.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 6,130 refried bean meals. How traditional vs. vegetarian, and the burrito context, reshape the curve.
Rye
The whole grain — gentler than wheat at GI 56, but sweet toppings flip the script.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 1,951 logged meals containing whole rye grain — kernels, flakes, and Scandinavian porridge (not rye bread). How carb load, sugar, and pairings reshape the curve.
Rye Bread
The Reuben's foundation — the deli meat tempers more than most realize.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 3,447 rye bread meals. How form, pastrami vs. cream cheese vs. avocado, and meal carb load reshape the curve.
Salmon
Salmon is glucose-neutral on its own — the rice base is the entire story.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 4,361 salmon meals. How sushi rice, white rice, pasta, and bagel pairings reshape the curve.
Sauerkraut
Sauerkraut is glucose-flat — the hot dog bun, Reuben rye, or pierogi dough is the cohort spike.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 9,765 sauerkraut logs. How raw and kimchi-style ferments ride alongside hot dogs, Reubens, sausage, and pork.
Shortbread
The chocolate-bar truth and other surprises about what your snack drawer is actually doing.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 806 shortbread meals. How preparation, pairings, and toppings reshape the curve.
Skim Milk
Cheese alone is boring — but on the bun, in the pasta, or melted on the chip is where curves bend.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 513 skim milk meals. How preparation, pairings, and toppings reshape the curve.
Smoothie
Smoothies vary enormously — fruit-only spikes hardest, protein and yogurt-base flatten the curve.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 44,413 smoothie logs. How fruit-only, green, protein, PB, chocolate, and açaí-bowl variants reshape the curve.
Snickers Bar
The chocolate-bar truth and other surprises about what your snack drawer is actually doing.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 712 snickers bar meals. How preparation, pairings, and toppings reshape the curve.
Sour Cream
Sour cream is glucose-flat — the baked potato, taco shell, or chili underneath is the cohort spike.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 23,453 sour-cream logs. How regular, light, fat-free, and Mexican crema ride alongside baked potato, tacos, chili, and dips.
Sourdough
What you put on the bread matters more than the bread.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 1,093 sourdough meals. How preparation, pairings, and toppings reshape the curve.
Soy Milk
Soy milk lands between almond and oat — protein and fat slow the curve.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 8,123 soy milk logs. How protein content makes soy milk closer to dairy than to other plant milks.
Soy Sauce
Soy sauce is the salt; the sushi rice and ramen noodles underneath are the spike.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 3,218 soy-sauce-tagged logs. Sushi, stir-fry, ramen broth, dumpling dip — and the kecap-manis sweet-soy outlier.
Soybeans
Among the lowest-spike foods on the planet — until you add the rice.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 177 soybeans meals. How preparation, pairings, and toppings reshape the curve.
Spaghetti
The surprising low-GI carb — provided you don't drown it in sauce.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 604 single-item spaghetti logs. Sauce, portion, and pairings move the curve far more than which noodle you pick — pesto trims the peak by −9.5 mg/dL, while a 110g+ carb meal pushes it to +46 mg/dL.
Special K
The breakfast bowl — refined, processed, and milk-paired in ways the box label never explains.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 296 special k meals. How preparation, pairings, and toppings reshape the curve.
Spinach
Spinach is the lowest-glycemic veg — the dressing, croutons, or wrap underneath is the cohort spike driver.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 64,980 spinach logs. How raw, sautéed, creamed, and baby spinach forms behave with the carbs around them.
Sponge Cake
The chocolate-bar truth and other surprises about what your snack drawer is actually doing.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 66 sponge cake meals. How preparation, pairings, and toppings reshape the curve.
Squash
Two stories in one cohort: summer squash barely registers, winter squash compounds with the maple-glazed roast.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 17,226 squash logs. How butternut, yellow, kabocha, acorn, and spaghetti squash forms behave with soup, glaze, and grain pairings.
Steak
GI=0 on the plate alone — but the steakhouse plate is really a potato question wearing a steak costume.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 7,173 single-item steak logs. How fries, potatoes, bread, and rice reshape the curve.
Stevia
The 'is stevia really zero-cal?' question — answered. The sweetener is zero; the mug it's in isn't.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 8,963 stevia logs. Pure stevia adds 0; the cohort cluster around +24 mg/dL reflects what gets stirred into the cup with it.
Sticky Rice
GI 75 — the highest-mean rice page on the Atlas at +51 mg/dL.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 657 logged meals containing sticky (glutinous) rice. A Thai-Lao staple often paired with rich coconut-milk desserts — fat-paired logs ran 21% higher than the lean baseline, and 78% of logs exceeded the +30 mg/dL spike threshold.
Strawberries
Strawberries are the lowest-GL berry — the yogurt, granola, or chocolate-dipped context is the cohort lever.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 69,500 strawberry logs. How fresh, frozen, dried, and sliced forms behave across breakfast and dessert pairings.
String Cheese
String cheese as a snack barely moves the needle — even with crackers or fruit alongside.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 26,923 string cheese logs. The default low-spike snack, with light pairings to rank.
Sugar
The textbook +32 mg/dL — and the reference every other sweetener gets compared to.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 43,229 logged meals containing sugar. A teaspoon in coffee anchors at +8 mg/dL above plain; baked into cake the same teaspoon compounds with the flour underneath.
Sunflower Seeds
Sunflower seeds are a snack-default — most member meals log them alone, with salads and yogurt actually flattening the curve.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 7,399 sunflower seed logs. How shelled vs. salted and the salad-yogurt buffer reshape the curve.
Sushi Rice
GI 85 — vinegared short-grain rice that lives almost entirely in sushi contexts.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 443 logged meals containing sushi rice. The vinegar-sugar-salt seasoning doesn't blunt the spike — 83% of logs exceeded the +30 mg/dL threshold, and the morning timing window is the only modifier with a clear discount.
Sweet Potato
Not the low-carb shortcut you think — preparation is the lever.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 1,377 single-item sweet potato logs, with preparation, protein pairings, and toppings reshaping the curve. At GI 70, sweet potato sits closer to bread than to a low-GI vegetable — eggs trim 7 mg/dL, brown sugar adds 9.
Tahini
Sesame paste with no real curve of its own — the pita and falafel wrap are the spike story.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 2,358 tahini logs. How hummus, pita, salad dressing, and roasted veg pairings reshape the response.
Tater Tots
The chocolate-bar truth and other surprises about what your snack drawer is actually doing.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 212 tater tots meals. How preparation, pairings, and toppings reshape the curve.
Tea
Plain tea is glucose-flat — sweet tea, boba, milk tea, and chai-with-honey are the cohort signals.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 38,724 tea logs. How black, green, sweet tea, milk tea / boba, chai, and matcha reshape what looks like a zero-carb drink.
Tofu
Glycemically inert — the cohort signal is the rice underneath.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 15,450 tofu meals. Tofu itself is GI 0 — the curve comes from the carb it rides on.
Tomato
Raw tomatoes are low-spike — the cohort story is tomato sauce on pasta and pizza.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 113,910 tomato logs. How fresh, cherry, roma, canned, and sun-dried forms behave with pasta, pizza, and sandwich pairings.
Turkey
Turkey is the bread's chaperone — the bread is the spike.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 8,609 single-item turkey logs. How carb pairings — sandwich, wrap, mashed potato — reshape the curve.
Vanilla Wafers
The chocolate-bar truth and other surprises about what your snack drawer is actually doing.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 216 vanilla wafers meals. How preparation, pairings, and toppings reshape the curve.
Vinegar
Vinegar is glycemically inert — what it dresses is the entire glucose story.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 20,671 vinegar-tagged logs. Marinades, vinaigrettes, balsamic glazes, and the carb each one is poured over.
Waffles
What you put on the bread matters more than the bread.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 1,025 waffles meals. How preparation, pairings, and toppings reshape the curve.
Walnuts
Walnuts are the omega-3 nut — the brownie, cake, or cookie they're folded into is the cohort spike driver.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 30,153 walnut logs. How chopped vs. candied vs. baked-in walnuts reshape the curve.
Watermelon
Whole vs juice, ripeness, and pairing — same fruit, different curves.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 3,380 watermelon meals. How preparation, pairings, and toppings reshape the curve.
White Bread
What you put on the bread matters more than the bread.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 401 white bread meals. How preparation, pairings, and toppings reshape the curve.
White Potato
Not the low-carb shortcut you think — preparation is the lever.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 5,680 white potato meals. How preparation, pairings, and toppings reshape the curve.
White Rice
GI 89 baseline — but protein and avocado pairings each cut the peak by −6 mg/dL.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 792 logged meals containing white rice. The highest-spiking staple grain in the Atlas, with a +49 mg/dL average — pairings, not the rice variety, do most of the work in reshaping the curve.
Whole Milk
Cheese alone is boring — but on the bun, in the pasta, or melted on the chip is where curves bend.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 2,341 whole milk meals. How preparation, pairings, and toppings reshape the curve.
Whole Wheat Bread
Healthier than white on paper — but only marginally so on the curve.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 708 logged meals containing whole-wheat bread. The slice itself averages +40 mg/dL alone; the real lever is what you put on top — protein and fat spreads cut peaks meaningfully.
Wild Rice
GI 57 — the lowest-spike rice on the Atlas, because it's technically a grass seed.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 2,261 logged meals containing wild rice. The lowest-spike rice in the Atlas at +39 mg/dL on average — wild rice isn't really rice, and the extra fiber plus chewy texture show up as a measurable −5 mg/dL gap to white rice family staples.
Wine
Dry wine is essentially carb-free — alcohol can show up as a 'dip' in CGM data, then the cheese or pasta around it spikes.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 22,454 wine logs. How red, white, sparkling, and dessert wines behave alongside cheese, charcuterie, and dinner contexts.
Yam
Not the low-carb shortcut you think — preparation is the lever.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 51 yam meals. How preparation, pairings, and toppings reshape the curve.
Yogurt
The grocery-store yogurt cup spikes harder than its Greek cousin — sweetened flavors run highest.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 57,892 regular (non-Greek) yogurt logs. How vanilla, strawberry, and blueberry cups compare to plain — and where Greek yogurt pulls away.
Zucchini
Zucchini is glucose-flat — the editorial angle is zoodles, zucchini bread, and stir-fries.
Cohort-measured glucose response across 19,935 zucchini logs. How sautéed, spiralized, and stuffed forms behave with pasta, rice, and grain pairings.
Cohort thresholds are part of the Signos publish standard — atlases don't ship until the data is statistically meaningful. Order is roughly by readiness; quarter labels are best-current-estimate, not commitments. Have a food you'd like prioritized? Tell us.