Bihari Foods
Bihari cooking is built on sattu (roasted gram flour), wheat, rice and pulses: litti chokha, sattu paratha, dal pitha, chura dahi for breakfast and makhana from the ponds of Mithila, with thekua and khaja for festivals. Sattu and makhana are two of the best foods in India for steady blood sugar; chura with jaggery, fried sweets and large rice portions are the ones to watch.
Best picks for blood sugar
- GhugniGI 35
- Sattu (Roasted Gram Flour)GI 35
- Makhana (Fox Nuts)GI 37
- Sattu ParathaGI 54
Keep these small
- KhajaGI 78
- ThekuaGI 70
- Chura Dahi (Poha with Curd)GI 66
- Dal PithaGI 62
- Litti ChokhaGI 58
Easy swaps
The same kind of food, with a gentler effect on blood sugar.
Bihari foods ranked by glycemic index
Lowest GI first. Tap any food for its full nutrition, portion advice and swaps.
| Food | GI | GL | Serving | Calories | Protein | Fiber |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ghugni | 35 | 7 | 1 bowl | 190 kcal | 9g | 7g |
| Sattu (Roasted Gram Flour) | 35 | 5 | 2 tablespoons in a glass of water | 120 kcal | 7g | 5g |
| Makhana (Fox Nuts) | 37 | 9 | 1 bowl roasted (30 g) | 105 kcal | 3g | 1.5g |
| Sattu Paratha | 54 | 21 | 1 paratha | 280 kcal | 10g | 6g |
| Litti Chokha | 58 | 34 | 2 litti with chokha | 420 kcal | 13g | 9g |
| Dal Pitha | 62 | 25 | 4 pithas | 230 kcal | 8g | 4g |
| Chura Dahi (Poha with Curd) | 66 | 32 | 1 bowl with curd and jaggery | 290 kcal | 8g | 1.5g |
| Thekua | 70 | 21 | 2 thekua | 230 kcal | 3g | 1.5g |
| Khaja | 78 | 25 | 1 piece | 250 kcal | 2.5g | 0.5g |
GL and nutrition are per serving. How these values are sourced
Low-GI Bihari foods
GI 55 or below. These raise blood sugar slowly and make good everyday choices.
GI 35· LowGhugni
घुगनी · ఘుగ్ని
A spiced curry of dried yellow or white peas, the favourite street breakfast and snack of Odisha and Bengal, usually topped with onion and served with puri or on its own. The whole peas keep it high in fiber and low GI.
GI 35· LowSattu (Roasted Gram Flour)
सत्तू · సత్తు పిండి
Flour of roasted Bengal gram (chana), a Bihar and UP staple drunk with water, lemon and salt in summer or stuffed into litti and parathas. High in protein and fiber, it gives slow, steady energy.
GI 37· LowMakhana (Fox Nuts)
मखाना · మఖానా
Popped lotus seeds (phool makhana) from Bihar, eaten roasted as a snack, in kheer or in curries. Light, crunchy and low in fat, roasted makhana has a low GI and is a popular snack for people managing diabetes.
GI 54· LowSattu Paratha
सत्तू पराठा · సత్తు పరాఠా
Whole-wheat paratha stuffed with sattu (roasted gram flour) mixed with onion, garlic, green chilli, lemon and ajwain, a common breakfast in Bihar and eastern UP. The sattu makes it higher in protein and fiber than an aloo paratha.
Medium-GI Bihari foods
GI 56 to 69. Fine in moderate portions, ideally with protein or fiber on the plate.
GI 58· MediumLitti Chokha
लिट्टी चोखा · లిట్టి చోఖా
Bihar's signature dish: balls of whole-wheat dough stuffed with spiced sattu (roasted gram flour), baked or roasted on coals and dipped in ghee, served with chokha, a smoky mash of roasted brinjal, tomato and potato. The sattu filling adds protein and fiber.
GI 62· MediumDal Pitha
दाल पीठा · దాల్ పీఠా
Bihari steamed dumplings of rice-flour dough shaped like gujiya and filled with a spiced chana dal paste, sometimes simmered in water instead of steamed. The dal filling adds protein, but the rice-flour shell is the larger part.
GI 66· MediumChura Dahi (Poha with Curd)
चूड़ा दही · చూడా దహీ
A Bihari breakfast and Makar Sankranti favourite of flattened rice (chura) soaked in curd and sweetened with jaggery or sugar, often eaten with tilkut and seasonal fruit. The curd helps, but chura and gud raise blood sugar quickly.
High-GI Bihari foods to keep small
GI 70 or above. These raise blood sugar fastest, so keep portions small and have them with a meal.
GI 70· HighThekua
ठेकुआ · ఠేకువా
Crisp, deep-fried cookies of whole-wheat flour, jaggery or sugar, ghee, coconut and fennel, pressed in a wooden mould and made for Chhath Puja in Bihar and Jharkhand. Sweet and dense, they are easy to eat several of.
GI 78· HighKhaja
खाजा · ఖాజా
Flaky, many-layered pastry of maida, deep fried in ghee and dipped in sugar syrup, famous from Silao in Bihar and Puri in Odisha. Refined flour, frying and syrup together make it one of the fastest-acting sweets.
Related guides
Common questions
Is Bihari food good for diabetes?
It depends on the dish: 4 of the 9 Bihari foods in our database are low GI. Foods like Ghugni (35), Sattu (Roasted Gram Flour) (35), Makhana (Fox Nuts) (37) raise blood sugar slowly, while Khaja (78), Thekua (70), Chura Dahi (Poha with Curd) (66) raise it fastest and are best kept to small portions.
Which Bihari foods have the lowest glycemic index?
The lowest-GI Bihari foods in our database are Ghugni (35), Sattu (Roasted Gram Flour) (35), Makhana (Fox Nuts) (37), Sattu Paratha (54).
Which Bihari foods should diabetics limit?
The highest-GI Bihari foods are Khaja (78), Thekua (70), Chura Dahi (Poha with Curd) (66), Dal Pitha (62), Litti Chokha (58). You don't have to avoid them entirely — keep portions small and pair them with protein, fiber or curd.
Sugar ke mareez ke liye kaun sa Bihari khana sabse accha hai?
Ghugni, sattu, makhana, sattu paratha jaise options sabse behtar hain, kyunki inka GI kam hai aur yeh sugar dheere badhate hain. khaja, thekua, chura dahi kam matra mein hi lein, aur dal, sabzi ya dahi ke saath khayein.
Is litti chokha good for diabetes?
It's one of the better choices among North Indian breads. The sattu filling adds protein and fiber, giving litti chokha a GI of about 58 (medium GI). Have two litti rather than four, go light on the ghee dip, and load the chokha with brinjal and tomato rather than potato.
Is sattu good for sugar patients?
Yes. Sattu (roasted chana flour) has a GI of about 35 and is rich in protein and fiber. A glass of salted sattu with lemon, jeera and onion makes a filling, low-GI breakfast drink; avoid the sweet version with sugar or gud.
Building a full meal? Add foods to the meal calculator to see the glycemic load of the whole plate, or browse the complete list of low-GI Indian foods.