If you’re on a low-carb diet or are simply conscious of how foods and drinks impact your blood sugar levels, you’re likely aware of the glycemic index scale. (We’ll explain what it is if you’re unfamiliar!)
Some of the milks with the lowest glycemic indexes include almond milk, soy milk, cow’s milk, and many other low-carb milk alternatives.
So what determines if milk has a low or high glycemic index? We have the answers!
What is the glycemic index?
The glycemic index (GI) measures how much a single food affects your blood sugar levels. The scale for the glycemic index goes from 0-100, with pure glucose (also called blood sugar) topping the scale with a score of 100.
Foods and drinks can be classified as low, medium, or high on the glycemic index scale. Here is how these categories are broken down:
Low GI: 0-55
Medium GI: 56-69
High GI: 70-100
What impacts the glycemic index in milk?
Milk that is high in carbohydrates and low in either fat and/or protein can raise the glycemic index.
Carbs (including sugar) turn into blood sugar quickly, whereas fat and protein delay the rise in blood sugar and can reduce the glycemic index score.
Milk that has sugar added will likely have a much higher glycemic index than unsweetened varieties. For instance, the glycemic index of strawberry-flavored milk is likely much higher than the glycemic index of regular 2% milk.
10 milks with the lowest glycemic indexes
Many types of milks don’t have documented glycemic index scores from reputable sources. We’ve included the glycemic index scores when we could, but otherwise estimated which milks are low on the GI score based on their nutritional values.
All milk on this list is unsweetened, meaning no sugar has been added to it.
Almond milk – 25
Unsweetened almond milk is one of the lowest glycemic index milks you can drink, which is one of the many reasons it’s a keto favorite.
Cow’s milk (2% fat) – 27
While it may not be the lowest glycemic index milk on this list, it’s helpful to note that cow’s milk is still considered low on the glycemic index scale with a score of 27. That doesn’t mean it’s low-carb, though – cow’s milk is off-limits for very low-carb diets like keto.
Soy milk – 30
Be sure to choose unsweetened soy milk to help keep its glycemic index low! Soy milk is one of the higher-protein milk alternatives, which is one of its major benefits when replacing cow’s milk.
Flax milk – likely low
The glycemic index of flaxseeds is 35, so the glycemic index of flaxseed milk is also likely low. One cup of flaxseed milk contains two grams of carbs and it’s also a source of fat and protein, which helps to lower the glycemic index.
Hazelnut milk – likely low
Hazelnuts have a glycemic index of 25, and hazelnut milk is low in carbs while being high in fat. Be sure to choose unsweetened hazelnut milk to keep the glycemic index low.
Hemp milk – likely low
Hemp milk is the only milk on this list with zero grams of carbs, and the glycemic index of hemp seeds is only 4. Hemp milk also contains a decent amount of fat and protein, which help keep its glycemic index low.
Macadamia milk – likely low
The glycemic index of macadamia nuts is 10, and macadamia milk only contains one gram of carbs per serving.
Pea milk – likely low
Pea milk is very high in protein while being low in carbs (1 gram per cup). The glycemic index of yellow peas (what pea milk is made from) is 32.
Sesame milk – likely low
While it’s not suitable if you have a sesame allergy, sesame milk is low in carbs (2 grams per cup) and a good source of both fat and protein. Not to mention, the glycemic index of sesame seeds is only 35!
Sunflower seed milk – likely low
Sunflower seeds have a glycemic index of 22, and the milk only contains 2 grams of carbs per cup.
Nutritional comparison of low glycemic index milks
| Per cup (237 ml/8 oz.) | Calories | Total fat (saturated) | Total carbs | Total sugars (incl. added) | Protein |
| Almond milk | 30 | 2.5 g (0 g) | 1 g | 0 g | 1 g |
| Cow’s milk (2%) | 130 | 5 g (3 g) | 12 g | 12 g (0 g) | 8 g |
| Soy milk | 80 | 4.5 g (0.5 g) | 4 g | <1 g (0 g) | 7 g |
| Flax milk | 70 | 3.5 g (0 g) | 2 g | 0 g | 8 g |
| Hazelnut milk | 90 | 9 g (0.5 g) | 1 g | 1 g (0 g) | 2 g |
| Hemp milk | 60 | 4.5 g (0 g) | 0 g | 0 g | 3 g |
| Macadamia milk | 50 | 5 g (1 g) | 1 g | 0 g | 1 g |
| Pea milk | 80 | 4.5 g (0.5 g) | 1 g | 0 g | 8 g |
| Sesame milk | 90 | 5 g (0.5 g) | 2 g | 0 g | 8 g |
| Sunflower seed milk | 50 | 4.5 g (0 g) | 2 g | 0 g | 2 g |
FAQs:
Cow’s milk has a low glycemic index, so it’s suitable to drink on a low glycemic diet. Other types of milk lower in carbs than cow’s milk may be even better on a low glycemic index diet, such as unsweetened almond milk.
Milk provides carbohydrates from the natural sugar it contains (lactose). When you drink milk your body releases insulin to help lower your blood sugar.
Milk doesn’t “spike” your insulin levels as much as drinks like soda and other sugar-sweetened beverages, so you don’t necessarily need to avoid it if you have diabetes or other blood sugar imbalances – just be sure to drink it in moderation.
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