Chicken Meat Glycemic Index (GI) - Is It High or Low?
Like most other meat, chicken, while rich in protein and fats, contains no notable amount of carbohydrates. Because of this, the glycemic index of chicken is considered to be 0.
According to The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, roast chicken without skin and cooked chicken with skin, fried in olive oil, have glycemic indices equal to 0 (1).
However, processed chicken convenience meals have a higher carbohydrate level. Chicken nuggets, frozen and reheated in the microwave, have a low glycemic index of 46±4. The glycemic index of chicken McNuggets, consumed with sweet Thai chili sauce, is a little higher, falling in the range of 55±6 (2).
Chicken consumption with a high glycemic index meal, such as white rice, has been found to lower the glycemic and insulinemic responses (3).
Overall, non-processed chicken has a glycemic index of 0 and can reduce the glycemic response of a meal when consumed with high glycemic index foods.
Processed chicken contains carbs as additives for flavor and texture. Thus, it has a higher glycemic index than non-processed chicken.
References
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0002916522004944
- https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/114/5/1625/6320814
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24817596/
