● Food Intelligence · Vegetable

Brussels Sprouts Glycemic Index and Calculate Your Own Glucose Response

Across 18,246 logged Brussels sprouts meals, members averaged +29.2 mg/dL — a number that looks high for a GI=15 food because the cohort is dominated by what's on the plate alongside it. Light-carb sprouts meals held at +25.7 mg/dL, while very-heavy-carb builds (110g+) pushed to +41.9 mg/dL — a 63% escalation driven by glaze, grain bowls, and starchy sides, not the sprouts themselves.

GS
Reviewed by Grace Shryack
Signos Proprietary Data·Updated May 02, 2026·10 min read

● Powered by Signos cohort dataHigh confidence · n=18,246
The swap calculator below draws on 18,246 matched-pair logs — a broader cohort than the page's single-item primary, used to give every ingredient swap statistical power. Welch's t-test on matched pairs, not third-party glycemic-index tables. Each swap shows its sample size and confidence tier inline.
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Tap any ingredient below to swap it for a glucose-friendlier alternative. Your Signos Glucose Score, predicted curve, and nutrition update in real-time. Every swap is data-backed by real CGM response measurements.

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Meal Context
Pre-meal sequence
Activity after meal
Time of day
42
of 100
Signos Glucose Score
Moderate Spike Risk
75% of members fall between +25 and +37 mg/dL
Predicted Curve · 3-hr window
1401001201401601800m30m60m90m120m150m180m+31
Peak
+31
mg/dL
Time in Range
100%
3hr window
Above 140
0m
danger zone
Swaps
0
applied
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● Key Findings · Do Brussels sprouts spike blood sugar?

No — not on their own. Sprouts are GI=15, GL=1. The +29.2 mg/dL cohort average across 18,246 logs reflects what's on the plate alongside them. Across 18,246 logged sprouts meals, the cohort averaged +29.2 mg/dL (median +25 mg/dL). That number sits below apples (+31.5 mg/dL), bananas (+38.8 mg/dL), and chips (+38.9 mg/dL) in matched comparisons. The dominant lever is total meal carbs: light-carb sprouts meals (0–40g) averaged +25.7 mg/dL, while very-heavy-carb meals (110g+) pushed to +41.9 mg/dL — a 63% escalation. Sweet glazes also matter: balsamic / honey-glaze pairings averaged +30.7 mg/dL and grain-bowl preparations averaged +32.1 mg/dL, both above the no-pair baseline of +29.5 mg/dL. Bacon, counterintuitively, dampened the response (+26.9 mg/dL, n=1,216).

  • ▸Carb load is the dominant driver: meals with ≥60g carbs spiked 51.5% higher than the low-carb baseline (n=2,708 vs n=12,087, p<0.001) — the single biggest modifier in the dataset.
  • ▸Sweet glazes shift the cohort: balsamic / honey-glaze sprouts averaged +30.7 mg/dL vs. +29.5 mg/dL alone, and grain-bowl builds averaged +32.1 mg/dL — both above the no-pair baseline across n=4,206 combined logs.
  • ▸Bacon dampens, doesn't amplify: bacon-paired sprouts averaged +26.9 mg/dL, −3 mg/dL below the no-pair baseline (n=1,216 vs n=7,920, high confidence) — the fat and protein appear to slow the glucose rise.
  • ▸Morning timing trims the spike by 20%: sprouts logged before 10 am averaged +24.0 mg/dL vs. +29.0 mg/dL the rest of the day (CI: −7.01 to −4.84 mg/dL, n=832, p<0.001).
● Signos Rules

Three citable insights from this recipe's data

Rule 1
"The Glaze Penalty"
+1 to +3 mg/dL vs. brussels alone
The carb-pair slot tells the editorial story cleanly: balsamic / honey-glaze sprouts averaged +30.7 mg/dL (n=923) and grain-bowl preparations averaged +32.1 mg/dL (n=3,283) — both above the +29.5 mg/dL no-pair baseline. The sprouts themselves stay flat; the added sugar from glaze or grain pulls the peak up. High-sugar meals (≥20g sugar) more broadly spiked 36.3% above the low-sugar baseline (n=2,089, p<0.001).
Rule 2
"The Bacon Paradox"
−3 mg/dL vs. brussels alone
Bacon-paired sprouts averaged +26.9 mg/dL across 1,216 logs — below the +29.5 mg/dL no-pair baseline. The headline framing assumes bacon is the spike driver, but in matched-pair logs the fat and protein from bacon dampen rather than amplify the response. Sprouts with chicken, steak, or pork tracked similarly at +28.8 mg/dL across 9,004 logs, both consistent with protein-driven gastric emptying delay.
Rule 3
"The Morning Edge"
−20% peak
Sprouts logged before 10 am averaged 20% lower glucose peaks than the same food logged later in the day (n=832 morning logs, p<0.001, CI: −7.01 to −4.84 mg/dL). Breakfast-time sprouts averaged +24.3 mg/dL — the lowest of any meal-time slot — compared to +30.0 mg/dL at dinner and +31.6 mg/dL for afternoon snacks. Earlier insulin sensitivity likely drives the gap.
● Curious about your own?

Curious how your body responds to Brussels sprouts specifically?

Across 18,246 logged sprouts meals, the average glucose peak was +29.2 mg/dL — but the IQR spans 23 mg/dL (p25: +16, p75: +39), meaning individual responses vary widely. Your own result depends on meal context, glaze vs. no-glaze, and metabolic state. A CGM tells you which side of that range you actually land on.

Learn how Signos works
Why this meal spikes

This meal stacks 3 independent spike drivers — together they account for +30 mg/dL.

Driver 1
Meal-level carbohydrates (the dominant lever)
+16 mg/dL
Meals with ≥60g carbs ran 51.5% higher than low-carb logs (p<0.001, n=2,708 vs n=12,087). Sprouts themselves contribute roughly 8g of carbs per cup — most of the variance is from grains, potatoes, or glaze on the plate.
Driver 2
Added sugar from glazes and dressings
+10 mg/dL
High-sugar pairings (≥20g) raised peaks 36.3% above the low-sugar baseline (n=2,089, p<0.001). Honey-roast, balsamic glaze, and grain-bowl dressings are the typical culprits — all common preparations for sprouts.
Driver 3
Individual glucose variability (IQR 23 mg/dL)
+6 mg/dL
The interquartile range spans 23 mg/dL (p25: +16, p75: +39 mg/dL), meaning personal metabolic state — insulin sensitivity, microbiome, time of day — accounts for a substantial portion of any single reading.
● Which bucket are you in?

Some members spike +25.7 mg/dL. Others spike +41.9. The only way to know how you'll spike is to measure with a Signos CGM.

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● What surprised us
What surprised us about Brussels sprouts is how cleanly the data confirmed the editorial intuition. Sprouts are GI=15 — about as low as a vegetable gets. But the cohort averaged +29.2 mg/dL, and at first glance that looks high for a low-GI food. The carb-pair breakdown explained it: bacon-paired sprouts came in below baseline, while balsamic / honey glaze and grain-bowl builds came in above. The sprouts themselves are flat; the sweet glazes and starchy sides they're often served with are what move the cohort number.
— Signos Data Science Team

Why this happens, physiologically

Brussels sprouts are a low-glycemic vegetable: GI=15, GL=1, with roughly 8g of carbs and 3g of fiber per cup. Their +29.2 mg/dL cohort mean across 18,246 logs is driven almost entirely by what surrounds them on the plate. The single biggest lever in the full cohort is total meal carb load: meals with ≥60g of carbs ran 51.5% higher than the low-carb baseline (p<0.001, n=2,708), and the carb-bucket analysis shows a near-linear escalation from +25.7 mg/dL in light (0–40g carb) meals to +41.9 mg/dL in very-heavy (110g+) meals — a 63% jump. A second lever pulls in the same direction: high-sugar pairings (≥20g sugar, typical of honey-roast or balsamic-glaze preparations) raised peaks 36.3% above the low-sugar baseline (p<0.001, n=2,089). Counterbalancing forces include morning timing (−20% peak before 10 am) and protein co-ingestion (−3.5%, marginal). Bacon — the food the editorial frame names as a likely spike driver — actually dampened the response by −3 mg/dL in matched-pair logs.

● Three mechanisms explain Brussels sprouts' glucose range

Meal carb load, added sugar from glazes, and morning insulin sensitivity each drive measurable shifts in the sprouts response

  1. Mechanism 1
    +51.5%
    High carb co-load
    Meals logged with ≥60g total carbs showed peaks 51.5% above the low-carb baseline (n=2,708, p<0.001). Sprouts themselves contribute ~8g per cup — the rest of the carb load comes from grains, potatoes, or starchy sides.
  2. Mechanism 2
    +36.3%
    Added sugar from glaze
    High-sugar pairings (≥20g) raised peaks 36.3% above the low-sugar baseline (n=2,089, p<0.001). Honey-roast, balsamic glaze, and grain-bowl dressings are the common drivers — and the editorial 'sprouts are low-spike, the glaze is the cohort signal' framing matches the data.
  3. Mechanism 3
    −20%
    Morning insulin sensitivity
    Sprouts logged before 10 am averaged 20% lower peaks than later in the day (n=832, p<0.001, CI: −7.01 to −4.84 mg/dL), consistent with the well-documented circadian pattern of higher insulin sensitivity earlier in the day.
● Fit Check
Brussels sprouts are a near-zero-spike vegetable on their own — the glaze, grain bowl, or starchy side they're served with is where the cohort signal comes from.
✓ This is for you if
  • ▸You roast sprouts as a side with protein. Sprouts paired with chicken, steak, or pork averaged +28.8 mg/dL across 9,004 logs — below the no-pair baseline.
  • ▸You eat sprouts with bacon. Counterintuitively, bacon-paired sprouts averaged +26.9 mg/dL — −3 mg/dL below brussels alone (n=1,216, high confidence).
  • ▸You keep total meal carbs under 40g. Light-carb sprouts meals averaged just +25.7 mg/dL across 12,087 logs — the lowest carb bucket in the cohort.
  • ▸You eat sprouts at breakfast or before 10 am. Morning sprouts logs averaged +24.3 mg/dL — 20% below the rest-of-day average (n=832, p<0.001).
✗ Not for you if
  • ▸You finish sprouts with balsamic or honey glaze. Glazed sprouts averaged +30.7 mg/dL vs. +29.5 mg/dL alone — a small but consistent uptick across 923 matched logs.
  • ▸You serve sprouts on a grain bowl. Grain-bowl preparations averaged +32.1 mg/dL — +3 mg/dL above the no-pair baseline across 3,283 logs.
  • ▸You stack sprouts onto a 110g+ carb meal. Very-heavy-carb meals containing sprouts averaged +41.9 mg/dL — 63% above the light-carb baseline of +25.7 mg/dL.
  • ▸You go for sautéed / pan-fried over roasted. Sautéed sprouts averaged +34.7 mg/dL across 170 full-cohort logs — about +5 mg/dL above the roasted anchor (low confidence).
● How it fits your day

Calorie band and pairings (member-measured)

Per serving
60–520 kcal
Ranges from a 1-cup roasted side (~60 kcal) to a sprouts-anchored grain bowl (~520 kcal); single-item logs averaged 184 kcal.
● Pair before
  • ▸Roast sprouts with olive oil and salt rather than honey or maple glaze. Glazed sprouts averaged +30.7 mg/dL vs. +29.5 mg/dL with no glaze pairing.
  • ▸Pair sprouts with a protein (chicken, steak, pork): protein-paired logs averaged +28.8 mg/dL, slightly below the no-pair baseline (n=9,004, high confidence).
● Pair after
  • ▸Time a 15–20 min walk after a sprouts-on-grain-bowl meal, which averaged +32.1 mg/dL — the highest carb-pairing in the cohort.
  • ▸If your sprouts meal includes a 110g+ carb side, the average peak runs to +41.9 mg/dL — favor a longer post-meal walk or split the meal across two sittings.
● Avoid pairing
  • ▸Avoid honey-roasted or maple-glazed sprouts as a regular preparation: high-sugar pairings (≥20g) spiked 36.3% above the low-sugar baseline.
  • ▸Avoid pairing sprouts with a heavy starchy side (large rice or potato portion) when total meal carbs cross 60g — that bucket spiked 51.5% above the low-carb baseline.
● Quick definitions (click to expand)
mg/dL — milligrams per deciliter. The unit blood glucose is measured in. A rise of "+30 mg/dL above baseline" means blood sugar went up 30 units after the meal.
Glycemic Index (GI) — a 0–100 score for how fast a food raises blood sugar in lab tests. Under 55 = low, 56–69 = medium, 70+ = high.
Glycemic Load (GL) — GI adjusted for portion size. Under 10 = low, 10–19 = medium, 20+ = high.
CGM — Continuous Glucose Monitor. A wearable sensor that tracks blood glucose every few minutes. Signos members wear CGMs while eating meals they log.
● Related Foods: How Brussels sprouts compare to other low-glycemic vegetables and common pairings
Broccoli Glycemic Index & Glucose Score
Broccoli is the closest peer in the cruciferous-vegetable tranche — see how its cohort response compares to sprouts across roasted, steamed, and stir-fry preparations.
Cauliflower Glycemic Index & Glucose Score
Cauliflower covers the same low-GI vegetable territory as sprouts. See where the rice-substitute and roasted forms land.
Kale Glycemic Index & Glucose Score
Kale is another low-GI cruciferous green — comparable cohort behavior, with salad and sautéed forms instead of roasted.
Cabbage Glycemic Index & Glucose Score
Cabbage rounds out the low-GI cruciferous family. Useful comparison for raw/shaved preparations across the cohort.
Bacon Glycemic Index & Glucose Score
Bacon is the most-discussed sprouts pairing — and counterintuitively, bacon-paired sprouts averaged below the no-pair baseline. See bacon's own cohort behavior.
Track Your Brussels Sprouts Response with Signos →
See how your glucose responds to roasted vs. shaved sprouts, with bacon vs. balsamic glaze — CGM data, personalized to you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Methodology

This page draws on 18,246 Brussels sprouts logs from 6,223 unique Signos members, collected through the Signos production CGM platform. Data were filtered to postprandial glucose responses (PPGR) between 0 and 100 mg/dL to exclude sensor artifacts and implausible readings. Modifier effects were estimated using Welch's t-test on matched pairs against a defined baseline; all reported effects carry p<0.001 unless noted. We report mean glucose peak across a right-skewed distribution — the median spike of +25 mg/dL is a few mg/dL lower than the mean of +29.2 mg/dL, which is typical for this type of data. The food was identified in member logs using a regex matching "brussels sprout" or "brussel sprout" as a primary ingredient. The published GI=15 / GL=1 reference comes from the Harvard glycemic-index table and reflects the food itself; the +29.2 mg/dL cohort number reflects the meals sprouts appear in, which include glaze, grain-bowl, and starchy-side pairings. Any carb-pair slot requires at least 100 matched meals before it appears in the recipe builder.

Limitations

  • Self-reported portion sizes introduce measurement error — a logged "1 cup" of sprouts may vary in actual weight, affecting per-serving spike estimates.
  • Cohort skews health-motivated; Signos members actively tracking glucose tend to eat more mindfully than the general population, so real-world average spikes may differ.
  • The sautéed / pan-fried form sub-cohort is small (n=81 strict, n=170 full-cohort) and carries low confidence — its reported delta of +5 mg/dL vs. roasted should be treated as directional only.
  • The steamed / boiled form did not register enough qualifying logs (n=0 in the strict slice) to produce a cohort estimate; it is excluded from the recipe builder.
  • Modifier analyses reflect meal-level correlations, not controlled feeding trials — causality cannot be established from observational CGM data alone.
  • The bacon-pairing finding (−3 mg/dL vs. baseline) is statistically clean (n=1,216, high confidence) but observational; it likely reflects fat- and protein-driven gastric-emptying delay rather than any unique property of bacon.
● Get your own data

See your own Brussels sprouts response

Across 18,246 logged sprouts meals, the cohort averaged +29.2 mg/dL — but the IQR spans 23 mg/dL, and what you pair them with matters: a grain bowl adds +3 mg/dL, while bacon trims −3 mg/dL. A CGM shows you exactly where you land and which builds work best for your biology.

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