Blood Sugar Bombs: Everyday Foods to Watch Out For

17. Rice Milk (The Highest-Glycemic Non-Dairy Option)

Among all the common non-dairy milk alternatives, rice milk is the single highest-glycemic offender, even when unsweetened. It is made by cooking rice and using enzymes to break down the starches into sugars (mostly maltose). This process makes the starches highly available and easy to digest, resulting in a rapid and substantial blood sugar spike. Unlike nut or soy milks, which contain more fat and protein to stabilize glucose, rice milk is mostly water and quickly available carbs. If you need a dairy alternative, always prioritize unsweetened almond, soy, or cashew milk for better metabolic control.

18. Flavored Nut and Seed Milks (Especially Low-Fat Versions)

Beyond rice milk, many commercially flavored nut and seed milks (like almond or cashew) are metabolic traps. Even those labeled "lightly sweetened" or "original" often contain cane sugar, brown rice syrup, or high-glycemic starches (like carrageenan) for thickening. The problem is amplified if the product is low-fat, as the lack of healthy fat means the added sugars and starches hit the bloodstream faster. Always choose the unsweetened versions and add a small amount of healthy fat (like a nut butter swirl) yourself to control the sugar load and slow down absorption.