Indian food index: every food we rate

Browse all 148 Indian foods rated by Plate.Fit for PCOS, Type 2 diabetes and hypothyroidism — grouped by category, with nutrition and better swaps.

Beverage

Beverage foods we rate, with glycemic index, the conditions each is rated for, and the key issue
Food	GI	Rated for	Why
Chai	≈ 60 (Medium)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes, Thyroid	The tea is fine; two sugars four times a day is not, and tannins block iron.
Coconut Water	≈ 54 (Low)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Natural electrolytes with modest sugar.
Filter Coffee	≈ 58 (Medium)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes, Thyroid	Same sugar and same tablet-timing issue as chai.
Fruit Juice	≈ 68 (Medium)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Fibre removed, sugar concentrated - worse than the whole fruit by a wide margin.
Green Tea	—	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes, Thyroid	Useful, though the effect size is smaller than marketing suggests.
Lassi	≈ 68 (Medium)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Sweet lassi is a dessert; salted lassi is a different food entirely.
Nimbu Pani	≈ 30 (Low)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Fine when made with salt rather than sugar.
Soft Drinks	≈ 63 (Medium)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Pure liquid sugar with no redeeming nutrient.
Sugarcane Juice	≈ 70 (High)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Essentially liquid sugar, often with added sugar.

Breakfast

Breakfast foods we rate, with glycemic index, the conditions each is rated for, and the key issue
Food	GI	Rated for	Why
Adai	≈ 45 (Low)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Multi-dal batter carries real protein and fibre.
Aloo Paratha	≈ 75 (High)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Refined-adjacent starch on starch - potato inside wheat, cooked in fat.
Appam	≈ 76 (High)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Fermented rice batter with coconut milk and often added sugar.
Bhature	≈ 82 (High)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Fermented maida, deep fried, and eaten with a large chole portion.
Chilla	≈ 42 (Low)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Gram flour pancake - high protein, low GI, quick.
Dhokla	≈ 48 (Low)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Fermented besan is high protein and low GI; the sugar in the tempering is the catch.
Dosa	≈ 65 (Medium)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Plain dosa is moderate; the masala potato filling is what moves it.
Handvo	≈ 52 (Low)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Mixed dal and rice batter with bottle gourd, baked.
Idiyappam	≈ 68 (Medium)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Pure rice flour with no protein of its own.
Idli	≈ 60 (Medium)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Fermentation helps, but four or more idlis is still a large refined-rice load.
Masala Dosa	≈ 77 (High)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Refined rice crepe wrapped around potato and cooked in generous oil.
Moong Dal Chilla	≈ 38 (Low)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Whole-food protein breakfast, minimal starch.
Paratha	≈ 62 (Medium)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	The atta base is fine; the ghee load and the potato filling are the issue.
Pesarattu	≈ 38 (Low)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Whole moong batter - one of the best breakfast options in this list.
Poha	≈ 72 (High)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Plain poha is refined rice flakes plus potato - almost pure fast carbohydrate.
Puri	≈ 80 (High)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Deep-fried refined flour, usually served with potato.
Puttu	≈ 67 (Medium)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Rice flour steamed cake; the kadala curry beside it is what saves it.
Rava Dosa	≈ 72 (High)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Semolina plus rice flour, unfermented, and fried in more oil than plain dosa.
Sabudana Khichdi	≈ 85 (High)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Sabudana is almost pure starch with essentially no protein or fibre.
Thepla	≈ 58 (Medium)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Atta plus fenugreek leaves - genuinely one of the better Indian breads.
Upma	≈ 66 (Medium)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Refined semolina digests quickly when there is no protein or fat alongside.
Uttapam	≈ 64 (Medium)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Same batter as dosa but the vegetable topping slows it down usefully.

Dairy

Dairy foods we rate, with glycemic index, the conditions each is rated for, and the key issue
Food	GI	Rated for	Why
Buttermilk	≈ 30 (Low)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Hydrating, low calorie, aids digestion.
Cheese	—	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes, Thyroid	Processed slices carry high sodium and emulsifiers.
Curd	≈ 35 (Low)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes, Thyroid	Protein plus probiotics, and it lowers the glucose response of the meal beside it.
Milk	≈ 39 (Low)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes, Thyroid	Lactose is a sugar; some women with PCOS report improvement on less dairy.
Paneer	—	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	High protein, near-zero carbohydrate; watch the gravy it arrives in.

Dal

Dal foods we rate, with glycemic index, the conditions each is rated for, and the key issue
Food	GI	Rated for	Why
Chana	≈ 28 (Low)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Excellent protein-fibre ratio, cheap, widely available.
Chole	≈ 28 (Low)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Chickpeas are one of the best carbohydrate sources available in India.
Dal Makhani	≈ 32 (Low)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	The dal is fine - the cream, butter and overnight ghee are not.
Dal Tadka	≈ 29 (Low)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Protein and fibre; only the ghee-heavy restaurant version is a concern.
Masoor Dal	≈ 26 (Low)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Fast cooking, low GI, high folate.
Moong Dal	≈ 25 (Low)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Lightest and most digestible dal, very low GI.
Rajma	≈ 29 (Low)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Very low GI, high fibre, high satiety.
Rasam	—	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Very light, mostly tamarind and spices, minimal carbohydrate.
Sambar	≈ 32 (Low)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Toor dal plus vegetables plus tamarind - a genuinely excellent dish.
Sprouts	≈ 25 (Low)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Sprouting raises available protein and drops the starch load further.
Urad Dal	≈ 43 (Low)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Good protein; dal makhani is the version to watch, not the dal.

Fat

Fat foods we rate, with glycemic index, the conditions each is rated for, and the key issue
Food	GI	Rated for	Why
Ghee	—	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	No carbohydrate at all, but very energy dense - portion is everything.

Fruit

Fruit foods we rate, with glycemic index, the conditions each is rated for, and the key issue
Food	GI	Rated for	Why
Apple	≈ 36 (Low)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Low GI, high soluble fibre, widely available.
Banana	≈ 51 (Low)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	GI rises sharply as it ripens - a spotted banana is a different food.
Chikoo	≈ 70 (High)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	One of the highest-sugar fruits commonly eaten in India.
Coconut	—	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Fat and fibre, very little sugar.
Dates	≈ 62 (Medium)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Concentrated sugar but with fibre and minerals intact.
Grapes	≈ 59 (Medium)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Easy to eat a very large quantity without noticing.
Guava	≈ 33 (Low)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	One of the best fruits available in India for blood sugar.
Mango	≈ 51 (Low)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Moderate GI but very high glycemic load because nobody eats just one slice.
Papaya	≈ 60 (Medium)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Moderate GI but low glycemic load per serving.
Pomegranate	≈ 53 (Low)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Low GI, high antioxidant.
Watermelon	≈ 72 (High)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	High GI but mostly water, so the actual load per bowl is modest.

Grain

Grain foods we rate, with glycemic index, the conditions each is rated for, and the key issue
Food	GI	Rated for	Why
Bajra Roti	≈ 54 (Low)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes, Thyroid	Excellent for glucose, but bajra is goitrogenic in large raw amounts.
Basmati Rice	≈ 58 (Medium)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Genuinely lower GI than short-grain rice, which is a real advantage.
Brown Rice	≈ 68 (Medium)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Better than white but the gap is smaller than most people assume.
Chapati	≈ 58 (Medium)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Fine in portion; problems start at four-plus rotis with little protein.
Daliya	≈ 52 (Low)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Intact wheat kernel, digests far slower than atta.
Jowar Roti	≈ 55 (Low)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Higher fibre and lower GI than wheat, gluten free.
Oats	≈ 55 (Low)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Rolled oats are fine; instant and flavoured sachets are not.
Quinoa	≈ 53 (Low)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Complete protein and low GI, but expensive relative to millets.
Ragi Mudde	≈ 55 (Low)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes, Thyroid	Same goitrogen caution as ragi roti; portions are typically very large.
Ragi Roti	≈ 55 (Low)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes, Thyroid	Great mineral and fibre profile but goitrogenic in heavy daily raw use.
Red Rice	≈ 66 (Medium)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Higher fibre and antioxidants than polished white rice.
Samak Rice	≈ 50 (Low)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Fasting staple that happens to be a genuinely good grain.
White Rice	≈ 73 (High)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	The single largest glucose load on most Indian plates.

Ingredient

Ingredient foods we rate, with glycemic index, the conditions each is rated for, and the key issue
Food	GI	Rated for	Why
Maida	≈ 85 (High)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Stripped of bran and germ - the fastest-digesting flour in the Indian kitchen.

Main

Main foods we rate, with glycemic index, the conditions each is rated for, and the key issue
Food	GI	Rated for	Why
Biryani	≈ 70 (High)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	A very large rice portion with fat, usually eaten without vegetables.
Chole Bhature	≈ 80 (High)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	The chole is excellent; the deep-fried maida bhature ruins it.
Curd Rice	≈ 62 (Medium)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	The curd blunts the rice response meaningfully.
Idli Sambar	≈ 58 (Medium)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	One of the better restaurant meals available anywhere in India.
Khichdi	≈ 63 (Medium)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Rice plus dal in one pot is a genuinely balanced meal.
Lemon Rice	≈ 70 (High)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Plain white rice with tempering - almost no protein.
Misal Pav	≈ 64 (Medium)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	The misal is sprouts and excellent; the pav is the weak link.
Pasta	≈ 55 (Low)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Durum wheat pasta is lower GI than white rice, which surprises people.
Pizza	≈ 74 (High)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Refined base, high sodium, easy to eat half a large one.
Poori Bhaji	≈ 80 (High)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Fried bread with potato.
Pulao	≈ 66 (Medium)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Better than biryani because of the vegetables, but still a big rice load.
Rajma Chawal	≈ 60 (Medium)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	The rajma genuinely lowers the response of the rice beside it.
Thali	≈ 65 (Medium)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	The structure is good; the rice, sweet and papad quantities are the problem.

Non Veg

Non Veg foods we rate, with glycemic index, the conditions each is rated for, and the key issue
Food	GI	Rated for	Why
Butter Chicken	—	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Cream, butter and often sugar in the gravy.
Chicken Curry	—	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Protein with no carbohydrate; the gravy base determines the rest.
Egg	—	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Near-perfect protein, no carbohydrate, cheap.
Fish Curry	—	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Omega-3s help with the inflammation side of PCOS.
Mutton Curry	—	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	No carbohydrate but high saturated fat.
Prawns	—	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Lean protein, quick cooking.
Tandoori Chicken	—	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Grilled, high protein, minimal added fat.

Nut

Nut foods we rate, with glycemic index, the conditions each is rated for, and the key issue
Food	GI	Rated for	Why
Almonds	—	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Magnesium and healthy fat; soaked or raw makes little practical difference.
Cashews	—	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Higher carbohydrate than other nuts, and very easy to overeat.
Peanuts	—	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Cheapest protein-and-fat snack in the country.
Walnuts	—	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	The best plant omega-3 source available cheaply in India.

Packaged

Packaged foods we rate, with glycemic index, the conditions each is rated for, and the key issue
Food	GI	Rated for	Why
Biscuits	≈ 74 (High)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Maida plus sugar plus palm oil, and portions are never just two.
Bread	≈ 75 (High)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	White bread has a GI close to table sugar.
Maggi	≈ 70 (High)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Refined maida, high sodium, no protein.

Protein

Protein foods we rate, with glycemic index, the conditions each is rated for, and the key issue
Food	GI	Rated for	Why
Soya Chunks	≈ 20 (Low)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes, Thyroid	High protein but soy isoflavones interfere with levothyroxine absorption.
Tofu	—	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes, Thyroid	Same soy-levothyroxine timing issue as soya chunks.

Seed

Seed foods we rate, with glycemic index, the conditions each is rated for, and the key issue
Food	GI	Rated for	Why
Chia Seeds	—	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Very high soluble fibre.
Fenugreek Seeds	—	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Modest evidence for lowering fasting glucose - which means it can add to the effect of diabetes medication.
Flaxseed	—	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Lignans and omega-3; useful for the hormonal side of PCOS.
Pumpkin Seeds	—	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Zinc and magnesium, both relevant to PCOS.

Snack

Snack foods we rate, with glycemic index, the conditions each is rated for, and the key issue
Food	GI	Rated for	Why
Aloo Tikki	≈ 80 (High)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Shallow-fried potato patty, usually with sweet chutney.
Bhel Puri	≈ 65 (Medium)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Puffed rice is very high GI but portions are small and vegetables are real.
Chaat	≈ 74 (High)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Almost all variants combine potato, fried base and sweet chutney.
Dahi Puri	≈ 68 (Medium)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	The curd helps but the sweet chutney and puri base dominate.
Khandvi	≈ 45 (Low)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Besan and curd base, steamed not fried.
Makhana	≈ 40 (Low)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Light, low GI, high satiety when roasted rather than fried in ghee.
Momos	≈ 66 (Medium)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Steamed is fine; maida wrapper and fried versions are not.
Murukku	≈ 75 (High)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Rice flour, deep fried.
Namkeen	≈ 72 (High)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Fried besan and rice flour with high sodium.
Pakora	≈ 60 (Medium)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Besan is good; deep frying it is not.
Pani Puri	≈ 75 (High)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Fried maida shells plus sweet chutney plus potato.
Pav Bhaji	≈ 76 (High)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	The bhaji is vegetables and butter; the maida pav and the butter volume are the issue.
Roasted Chana	≈ 28 (Low)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	The single best packaged Indian snack for all three conditions.
Samosa	≈ 78 (High)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Maida shell, potato filling, deep fried - three problems in one.
Sev Puri	≈ 72 (High)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Fried base plus fried sev plus sweet chutney.
Vada Pav	≈ 80 (High)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Fried potato in a maida bun - essentially a starch sandwich.

Sweet

Sweet foods we rate, with glycemic index, the conditions each is rated for, and the key issue
Food	GI	Rated for	Why
Barfi	≈ 76 (High)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Condensed milk and sugar in a dense, easy-to-overeat block.
Gulab Jamun	≈ 85 (High)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Fried khoya soaked in sugar syrup - among the highest sugar loads in Indian food.
Halwa	≈ 80 (High)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Semolina or carrot cooked in ghee and sugar in roughly equal measure.
Honey	≈ 61 (Medium)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Still sugar, despite the health halo.
Jaggery	≈ 84 (High)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Nutritionally slightly better than sugar but glycemically almost the same.
Jalebi	≈ 88 (High)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Fermented maida, deep fried, then soaked in sugar syrup.
Kheer	≈ 78 (High)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Rice plus milk plus sugar, cooked down to concentrate all three.
Ladoo	≈ 74 (High)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Besan is good, but ladoo is roughly a third sugar and a third ghee.
Modak	≈ 76 (High)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Rice flour shell with jaggery and coconut filling.
Rasgulla	≈ 82 (High)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Chhena is protein but it sits in pure sugar syrup.
Sugar	≈ 65 (Medium)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	The reference point for everything else on this list.

Vegetable

Vegetable foods we rate, with glycemic index, the conditions each is rated for, and the key issue
Food	GI	Rated for	Why
Aloo	≈ 82 (High)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Highest-GI common Indian vegetable, and it usually replaces a better one.
Arbi	≈ 58 (Medium)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Starchier than most vegetables - treat it as part of your carbohydrate quota.
Baingan	—	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Low GI but acts like a sponge for oil.
Bhindi	—	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Soluble fibre; the fried version undoes most of the benefit.
Broccoli	—	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes, Thyroid	Excellent vegetable but the most goitrogenic of the common ones raw.
Cabbage	—	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes, Thyroid	Cruciferous and goitrogenic in large raw quantities.
Cauliflower	—	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes, Thyroid	Same cruciferous goitrogen caution as cabbage.
Corn	≈ 60 (Medium)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	A starch, not a vegetable, despite where it sits on the plate.
Green Peas	≈ 22 (Low)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Protein and fibre, genuinely low GI.
Karela	—	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Some evidence for modest glucose lowering - which also means it can stack with your diabetes medication.
Lauki	—	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Very low calorie and low GI; ideal volume food.
Methi	—	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Fibre and some insulin-sensitising effect from the seeds especially.
Palak	—	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes, Thyroid	Iron and folate, very low carbohydrate.
Sweet Potato	≈ 63 (Medium)	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Lower GI than potato and far higher in fibre and beta carotene.
Tinda	—	PCOS, Type 2 Diabetes	Low calorie, high water.

Medical disclaimer

Plate.Fit provides diet recommendations and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified medical practitioner before starting a new diet, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a chronic health condition.