Lima Bean Glycemic Index
Low GI · The honest verdict
Gentle on blood sugar
Glycemic index
28–32
reported range
Glycemic load
7
Low GL
This food's glycemic index is 28–32, which is Low GI.
Lima beans are one of the most blood-sugar-friendly legumes available. Their very low GI and substantial fiber and protein content make them digest slowly, producing a gentle glucose response. This is general nutrition information, not medical advice; people with diabetes should confirm portion guidance with their care team.
GI numbers vary by source, ripeness, and how a food is prepared. This is general nutrition information — not medical advice. If you manage diabetes, confirm specifics with your care team.
Key facts
A half-cup of cooked lima beans provides about 7 g of fiber — roughly 25% of the daily recommended intake.
Lima beans are one of the richest plant sources of potassium, providing about 478 mg per half-cup cooked.
A glycemic load of 10 or below is classified as low. Lima beans score approximately 7 per half-cup cooked serving.
What's actually inside
Per 100 g, with your typical serving noted as 1/2 cup (85 g), cooked. The carb family is what moves blood sugar — fiber is the number that softens the spike.
- Total carbs
- 19g
- Net carbs
- 12g
- total carbs minus fiber
- Fiber
- 7g
- slows the glucose rise
- Sugars
- 1.3g
- Protein
- 6g
- Calories
- 105kcal
Notable nutrients
- Folate78 mcg
- Potassium478 mg
- Iron2.3 mg
- Magnesium43 mg
- Phosphorus111 mg
Is it a smart choice for blood sugar?
GI is only half the story — portion (glycemic load) and what you eat it with decide the real-world effect. Here's the honest read.
The verdict
Excellent diabetes-friendly legume — very low GI, high fiber
Lima beans are one of the most blood-sugar-friendly legumes available. Their very low GI and substantial fiber and protein content make them digest slowly, producing a gentle glucose response. This is general nutrition information, not medical advice; people with diabetes should confirm portion guidance with their care team.
Portion guidance
A half-cup serving of cooked lima beans carries about 12 g of net carbs and a glycemic load of around 7 — both low. Even a full cup keeps GL in the moderate range. To maximize blood sugar stability, pair lima beans with a non-starchy vegetable side and a protein source, and avoid high-sugar sauces.
This is general nutrition information, not personal medical advice. Blood sugar responses are individual — if you have diabetes or prediabetes, your care team can tell you how this fits your plan.
How to keep the spike small
The same food can land differently depending on how it's cooked and what it's eaten with. Use these levers to your advantage.
Cooking from dried (soaking and boiling)
Lowers the spikeDried lima beans cooked at home tend to have the lowest GI because their starch granules remain the most intact. Soaking removes some surface starches.
Canned lima beans
Raises GICanned beans are pressure-cooked and softer, which can raise effective GI slightly. Rinsing canned beans removes some surface starch released during processing.
Chilling cooked lima beans
Lowers the spikeCooling cooked legumes forms resistant starch, which is digested more slowly and reduces the blood glucose response compared to eating them hot.
Mashing or pureeing
Raises GIBreaking down the cellular structure increases the rate of starch digestion and raises the effective GI compared to whole beans — though it remains in the low-GI zone.
Pairing tip
Serve lima beans in salads with olive oil and lemon juice, stir them into vegetable soups, or mix with diced tomatoes and fresh herbs as a side. The acid from lemon or vinegar further moderates glycemic response. Pairing with lean protein (grilled chicken or fish) rounds out the meal.
Why GI numbers vary
Reported GI values for lima beans range from roughly 28 to 32 across published studies. The exact figure depends on bean size (baby vs. large lima), preparation method (dried-cooked vs. canned), and serving temperature. All reported values are comfortably within the low-GI zone, making lima beans one of the more consistently low-GI legumes.
Not medical advice. This page is general nutrition information about Lima Bean. It isn't a diagnosis or a treatment plan. If you have diabetes, prediabetes, or another condition affecting blood sugar, confirm any dietary decisions with your doctor or care team.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Lima beans are among the most blood-sugar-friendly legumes — their GI of 28–32 is very low, and a half-cup serving has only about 12 g of net carbs with 7 g of fiber and 6 g of protein to slow digestion. Most diabetes nutrition guidance considers legumes like lima beans an excellent carbohydrate choice. As always, discuss your personal portion targets with your care team.
Published GI values for lima beans typically range from about 28 to 32, which places them firmly in the low-GI category (55 or below). For comparison, white bread has a GI around 70 and white rice around 64 — lima beans are roughly one-third to one-half of those values.
Yes, but very modestly. A half-cup serving carries about 12 g of net carbs and a glycemic load of approximately 7, which is low. The combination of high fiber and protein in lima beans slows digestion considerably, so blood sugar rises slowly and only slightly in normal portions.
No — lima beans are actually at the low end of the legume GI range. Lentils are similar at around 22–32, chickpeas cluster around 28–36, and cannellini beans at 31–38. Lima beans are in the same low-GI tier as these other popular legumes.
Frozen lima beans are typically blanched at peak freshness and retain good fiber structure. Dried-and-cooked from scratch tends to produce the lowest GI, but frozen is a close and convenient alternative. Both are substantially better choices for blood sugar than refined starches.
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Reviewed by
Curex Editorial TeamReviewed for accuracy
Last reviewed July 2026