Consumer Q&As

By focusing on one element of a food’s composition, the GI system can imply that high GI foods have no other nutritional benefits.  Bread is a low fat, highly nutritious food packed with B-vitamins, calcium, folic acid and iron. According to GI tables, food like bread, broad beans, carrots, bananas and most fruits are all high GI foods. Therefore focusing on GI values alone would lead to unhealthy dietary choices.  No single food contains all the essential nutrients the body needs to be healthy and function efficiently.

The nutritional value of a person's diet depends on the overall mixture, or balance, of foods that is eaten over a period of time, as well as on the needs of the individual. That is why a balanced diet is one that is likely to include a large number or variety of foods, so adequate intakes of all the nutrients are achieved. A healthy balanced diet is based on choosing foods from all the major food groups including carbohydrates, protein and fat.