A practical guide to choosing the right grains when blood sugar matters — backed by research, not marketing.
India is now home to over 10 crore people living with diabetes, according to the ICMR-INDIAB 2023 study published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology. In Haryana — where our farms are based — the figure is 12.4%, higher than the national average, with urban Haryana sitting at 17.9%. And nearly half of all Indians with diabetes don’t yet know they have it.
If you’ve recently been diagnosed, or you’re cooking for someone who has, you’ve probably heard the standard advice: cut carbs, eat whole grains, avoid white rice. But that advice is incomplete. Not all whole grains are equal. Some genuinely help stabilise blood sugar. Some are marketed as healthy but barely move the needle. This guide cuts through the noise, explains where the common Indian grains actually fall, and addresses where bulgur fits in.
What the Glycemic Index actually measures
The glycemic index (GI) is a number between 0 and 100 that measures how quickly a carbohydrate-containing food raises blood sugar compared to pure glucose. The lower the number, the slower the rise.
- Low GI: 55 or below
- Medium GI: 56–69
- High GI: 70 or above
For someone managing diabetes or prediabetes, low-GI foods matter because they don’t force your pancreas to work hard. A high-GI meal causes a sharp blood sugar spike, followed by a sharp insulin response, often followed by a crash. A low-GI meal releases glucose gradually.
But GI alone isn’t the whole picture. Glycemic load (GL) factors in how much carbohydrate you actually eat in a serving. A small portion of a higher-GI food may impact blood sugar less than a large portion of a lower-GI food. Both numbers matter — and portion size remains one of the most underrated tools in diabetes management.
Where the major Indian grains fall on the GI scale
Here’s a verified ranking based on data from peer-reviewed studies and the international glycemic index database. Values are for cooked grains.
| Grain | Glycemic Index | Category |
| Daliya (cracked wheat) | ~41 | Low |
| Bulgur | ~46–55 | Low to medium |
| Barnyard millet (sanwa) | ~50 | Low |
| Foxtail millet (kangni) | ~50–54 | Low |
| Steel-cut oats | ~52–55 | Low to medium |
| Brown basmati rice | ~50–55 | Low |
| Basmati rice (white) | ~50–58 | Low to medium |
| Ragi (finger millet) | ~50–58 | Low to medium |
| Jowar (sorghum) | ~50–65 | Low to medium |
| Rolled oats | ~55–59 | Medium |
| Bajra (pearl millet) | ~55–68 | Medium |
| Whole wheat roti | ~62–70 | Medium |
| White rice (jasmine, sticky, short-grain) | ~70–90 | High |
| Instant oats | ~75–79 | High |
Two things stand out. First, the spread within categories: “oats” could mean steel-cut (low-GI) or instant (high-GI) — the same word, two very different metabolic outcomes. Same for rice — basmati behaves very differently from sticky white rice. Second, bulgur and daliya are both made from wheat, but bulgur lands lower on the scale despite looking similar. The reason is processing.
Why bulgur sits where it does
Whole durum wheat kernels are parboiled (partially cooked in their husk), dried, and then cracked. That parboiling step changes the starch structure — it gelatinises and then retrogrades, making the carbohydrates more resistant to rapid digestion in the gut. The result is a grain that visually resembles cracked wheat but behaves more like an intact whole grain when eaten.
This isn’t a new finding. A landmark 1986 study by Jenkins et al., published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, tested seven wheat and rye products on people with both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. Bulgur produced a substantially lower blood glucose response than wholemeal wheat bread and behaved similarly to intact whole wheat kernels. The researchers concluded that traditional parboiling can preserve the low-glycemic value normally associated with the unprocessed grain.
Modern studies have continued to confirm this, which is why bulgur consistently appears in whole-grain dietary recommendations for Type 2 diabetes management.
How to actually use this information in an Indian kitchen
A doctor can give you a list of low-GI grains. What that list rarely tells you is how to make these grains work in a real household feeding multiple people. Here’s what actually helps.
Rotate grains. Don’t commit to one. Eating bulgur every single day isn’t better than eating roti every single day. Variety improves gut microbiome diversity, which has its own effect on insulin sensitivity. A weekly rotation of daliya, bulgur, millet, and basmati tends to give better outcomes than committing to one “superfood.”
Portion matters more than perfection. A small portion of basmati rice can affect your blood sugar less than a large portion of bulgur. The grain you choose matters; the amount you eat matters more.
Pair every grain with protein and fibre. A bowl of plain bulgur will raise blood sugar more than the same bulgur eaten with dal, vegetables, and curd. Protein and fibre slow carbohydrate absorption further. Never eat a grain in isolation.
Cooking method matters. Overcooking any grain tends to raise its GI; cooking it al dente keeps the GI lower. Research has also shown that cooling cooked rice and reheating it before eating can reduce the glycemic response, due to the formation of resistant starch during cooling.
Avoid anything labelled “instant.” Instant oats, masala oats sachets, ready-to-eat poha — these are processed in ways that defeat the purpose. As a general rule: if it cooks in under three minutes, your body absorbs it almost as fast as sugar.
A note on what this article isn’t
This isn’t medical advice. It’s information meant to sit alongside the guidance of your physician or registered dietitian, not replace it. Diabetes is highly individual — two people eating the same bowl of bulgur can have different blood sugar responses depending on their insulin sensitivity, gut microbiome, activity level, medication, and what they ate the day before. Continuous glucose monitors are now affordable enough that many patients use them to understand what specifically works for their body, and that’s a far better source of personalised guidance than any food guide on the internet.
What can be said with confidence, backed by decades of research: low-GI grains, eaten in sensible portions, paired with protein and vegetables, are a reliable foundation for managing blood sugar. Bulgur belongs firmly in that category. So does daliya. So do several millets. So does basmati, in moderation.
The grain that works best is the one you’ll eat consistently, prepare correctly, and combine wisely.
Why Farmili is in this space
We grow bulgur from Indian durum wheat because we wanted to make a low-GI grain available to Indian families without the import markup. We grow aged basmati because basmati naturally has one of the lowest GIs among white rice varieties, and we believe families managing blood sugar shouldn’t have to give up rice entirely. Every batch we sell is NABL-lab tested, so when we say something is what it is, you can scan the QR code and verify.
You don’t need our products to manage your diabetes. Any well-chosen, well-cooked low-GI grain — bulgur, daliya, millet, or basmati — can become part of a diet that works. We just want to make sure that when you reach for one, you know exactly what you’re choosing and why.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is bulgur safe for diabetics to eat daily? Bulgur is a low-to-medium GI whole grain and is generally considered diabetes-friendly. As with any grain, portion size and what you eat alongside it matter. Consult your dietitian for personalised guidance.
Which is better for diabetics — bulgur or daliya? Both are good options. Daliya has a slightly lower GI; bulgur cooks faster and has slightly higher fibre per 100g. For most households, rotating between them works better than choosing one.
Can a diabetic eat basmati rice? Yes, in moderation. Basmati has one of the lowest GIs among white rice varieties due to its naturally high amylose content. Brown basmati is even better. Portion control and pairing with protein and vegetables remain important.
Does cooking method really change the glycemic index? Yes. Overcooked grains generally have a higher GI than al dente versions. Cooling cooked starches like rice or bulgur and reheating them before eating can also reduce the glycemic response by forming resistant starch.
Are millets always better than wheat for diabetics? Not always. Not all millets are equal — bajra (pearl millet) sits in the medium GI range, while ragi flour, when ground very fine, can have a higher GI than whole ragi grain. Choose based on actual GI values, not the general “millet” label.
If you found this useful, share it with someone newly diagnosed. The first six months after a diabetes diagnosis are when most dietary habits get locked in — clear, evidence-based information at that stage changes outcomes.