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Dr. Suhail M. Marfani — Health Matters
Conditions we treat

Hypoglycemia

Low blood sugar — recognising symptoms, quick treatment and prevention.

Hypoglycemia Food Guide — search rice, roti, dal and 200 more foods, rated Green / Amber / Red for fast vs slow carbohydrates.

Open the Food Guide

South Indian Foods · Hypoglycemia

Idli, dosa, sambar, ragi and coconut-based dishes.

Educational guidance only — not a personal diet prescription. Content is medically reviewed and based on recognised clinical guidelines — see references. If you have feedback or a suggestion to improve this website, .

Vegetables — illustrative photo
Green · Choose more often

Avial

aviyal

Steady energy — a good regular meal or bedtime snack to help prevent lows.

Portion: 1 cup (about 150 g)

Brown Rice — food photograph
Green · Choose more often

Brown rice

red rice, unpolished rice

Steady energy — a good regular meal or bedtime snack to help prevent lows.

Portion: ½ cup cooked (about 100 g)

Vegetables — illustrative photo
Green · Choose more often

Cabbage thoran

palya, poriyal

Steady energy — a good regular meal or bedtime snack to help prevent lows.

Portion: 1 cup (about 150 g)

Grilled Fish — food photograph
Green · Choose more often

Grilled white fish

hammour, machli, samak

Steady energy — a good regular meal or bedtime snack to help prevent lows.

Portion: palm-size piece (about 120 g)

Protein Foods — illustrative photo
Green · Choose more often

Kerala fish curry

meen curry, meen kuzhambu

Steady energy — a good regular meal or bedtime snack to help prevent lows.

Portion: 1 cup (about 200 g)

Pulses & Legumes — illustrative photo
Green · Choose more often

Moong dal

green gram dal, mung dal

Steady energy — a good regular meal or bedtime snack to help prevent lows.

Portion: 1 cup cooked (about 200 g)

Pulses & Legumes — illustrative photo
Green · Choose more often

Moong sprouts

bean sprouts, togue

Steady energy — a good regular meal or bedtime snack to help prevent lows.

Portion: 1 cup (about 100 g)

Fruits — illustrative photo
Green · Choose more often

Papaya

papaya, papita

Steady energy — a good regular meal or bedtime snack to help prevent lows.

Portion: 1 cup cubes (about 145 g)

Dahi — food photograph
Green · Choose more often

Plain yogurt (dahi)

curd, yoghurt, zabadi

Steady energy — a good regular meal or bedtime snack to help prevent lows.

Portion: ¾ cup (about 150 g)

Grains & Cereals — illustrative photo
Green · Choose more often

Ragi roti

nachni bhakri, ragi rotti

Steady energy — a good regular meal or bedtime snack to help prevent lows.

Portion: 1 small (about 60 g)

Pulses & Legumes — illustrative photo
Green · Choose more often

Sambar

sambhar

Steady energy — a good regular meal or bedtime snack to help prevent lows.

Portion: 1 cup (about 200 g)

Milk & Dairy — illustrative photo
Green · Choose more often

Spiced buttermilk (moru)

majjige, neer mor

Steady energy — a good regular meal or bedtime snack to help prevent lows.

Portion: 1 glass (250 ml) (about 250 g)

Pulses & Legumes — illustrative photo
Green · Choose more often

Sundal

chana sundal

Steady energy — a good regular meal or bedtime snack to help prevent lows.

Portion: ½ cup (about 100 g)

Grains & Cereals — illustrative photo
Amber · Watch your portion

Appam

hoppers, palappam

Provides carbohydrate — eat regularly and don't skip meals.

Portion: 2 pieces (about 100 g)

Banana — food photograph
Amber · Watch your portion

Banana

kela, mauz, saging

Provides carbohydrate — eat regularly and don't skip meals.

Portion: 1 small (about 100 g)

Snacks & Desserts — illustrative photo
Amber · Watch your portion

Banana chips

kaya varuthathu

Provides carbohydrate — eat regularly and don't skip meals.

Portion: small handful (about 30 g)

Rice & Rice Dishes — illustrative photo
Amber · Watch your portion

Bisi bele bath

sambar rice

Provides carbohydrate — eat regularly and don't skip meals.

Portion: 1 cup (about 200 g)

Karela — food photograph
Amber · Watch your portion

Bitter gourd (karela)

ampalaya, bitter melon, pavakkai

Provides carbohydrate — eat regularly and don't skip meals.

Portion: 1 cup cooked (about 125 g)

Protein Foods — illustrative photo
Amber · Watch your portion

Chicken chettinad

chettinad kozhi

Provides carbohydrate — eat regularly and don't skip meals.

Portion: 1 cup (about 200 g)

Vegetables — illustrative photo
Amber · Watch your portion

Coconut chutney

thengai chutney

Low in carbohydrate — pair with a starchy food so the meal protects against lows.

Portion: 2 tablespoons (about 30 g)

Rice & Rice Dishes — illustrative photo
Amber · Watch your portion

Curd rice

mosaranna, thayir sadam

Provides carbohydrate — eat regularly and don't skip meals.

Portion: 1 cup (about 200 g)

Egg Boiled — food photograph
Amber · Watch your portion

Egg (boiled)

anda, bayd, itlog

Low in carbohydrate — pair with a starchy food so the meal protects against lows.

Portion: 1 large egg (about 50 g)

Protein Foods — illustrative photo
Amber · Watch your portion

Egg curry

anda curry, mutta curry

Provides carbohydrate — eat regularly and don't skip meals.

Portion: 2 eggs with gravy (about 200 g)

Drinks & Beverages — illustrative photo
Amber · Watch your portion

Filter coffee with sugar

kaapi

Provides carbohydrate — eat regularly and don't skip meals.

Portion: 1 cup (150 ml) (about 150 g)

Fruits — illustrative photo
Amber · Watch your portion

Fresh coconut meat (buko)

coconut flesh, thengai

Provides carbohydrate — eat regularly and don't skip meals.

Portion: 2 tablespoons (about 40 g)

Grains & Cereals — illustrative photo
Amber · Watch your portion

Idiyappam

nool puttu, string hoppers

Provides carbohydrate — eat regularly and don't skip meals.

Portion: 2 pieces (about 80 g)

Idli — food photograph
Amber · Watch your portion

Idli

iddli

Provides carbohydrate — eat regularly and don't skip meals.

Portion: 2 idli (about 80 g)

Fruits — illustrative photo
Amber · Watch your portion

Jackfruit

chakka, kathal, langka

Provides carbohydrate — eat regularly and don't skip meals.

Portion: ½ cup (about 80 g)

Rice & Rice Dishes — illustrative photo
Amber · Watch your portion

Lemon rice

chitranna, elumichai sadam

Provides carbohydrate — eat regularly and don't skip meals.

Portion: 1 small cup (about 150 g)

Mango — food photograph
Amber · Watch your portion

Mango

aam, manga, mangga

Provides carbohydrate — eat regularly and don't skip meals.

Portion: ½ cup cubes (about 80 g)

Grains & Cereals — illustrative photo
Amber · Watch your portion

Masala dosa

masale dose

Provides carbohydrate — eat regularly and don't skip meals.

Portion: 1 large (about 200 g)

Snacks & Desserts — illustrative photo
Amber · Watch your portion

Medu vada

uddina vade, ulundu vadai

Provides carbohydrate — eat regularly and don't skip meals.

Portion: 2 pieces (about 80 g)

Plain Dosa — food photograph
Amber · Watch your portion

Plain dosa

dosai, sada dosa

Provides carbohydrate — eat regularly and don't skip meals.

Portion: 1 medium (about 80 g)

Grains & Cereals — illustrative photo
Amber · Watch your portion

Poha

aval, flattened rice

Provides carbohydrate — eat regularly and don't skip meals.

Portion: 1 cup (about 150 g)

Grains & Cereals — illustrative photo
Amber · Watch your portion

Puttu

pittu

Provides carbohydrate — eat regularly and don't skip meals.

Portion: 1 cup (about 120 g)

Grains & Cereals — illustrative photo
Amber · Watch your portion

Ragi mudde

ragi ball, ragi kali

Provides carbohydrate — eat regularly and don't skip meals.

Portion: 1 small ball (about 100 g)

Vegetables — illustrative photo
Amber · Watch your portion

Rasam

chaaru, saaru

Provides carbohydrate — eat regularly and don't skip meals.

Portion: 1 cup (about 200 g)

Snacks & Desserts — illustrative photo
Amber · Watch your portion

Table sugar

asukal, cheeni, sukkar

Useful only to TREAT a low: 15 g fast sugar (e.g. 150 ml juice), recheck in 15 minutes, then eat a snack.

Portion: 1 teaspoon (about 4 g)

Grains & Cereals — illustrative photo
Amber · Watch your portion

Upma

rava upma, uppittu

Provides carbohydrate — eat regularly and don't skip meals.

Portion: 1 cup (about 180 g)

Grains & Cereals — illustrative photo
Amber · Watch your portion

Uttapam

oothappam

Provides carbohydrate — eat regularly and don't skip meals.

Portion: 1 medium (about 120 g)

Water — food photograph
Amber · Watch your portion

Water

maa, pani, tubig

Low in carbohydrate — pair with a starchy food so the meal protects against lows.

Portion: 6–8 glasses a day (about 250 g)

White Rice — food photograph
Amber · Watch your portion

White rice (boiled)

basmati, bhaat, chawal, kanin, ruz

Provides carbohydrate — eat regularly and don't skip meals.

Portion: ½ cup cooked (1 fist) (about 100 g)

Drinks & Beverages — illustrative photo
Red · Limit / avoid routinely

Coconut water

buko juice, nariyal pani

Causes a quick rise then a drop — not a good way to prevent lows.

Portion: 1 glass (250 ml) (about 240 g)

Snacks & Desserts — illustrative photo
Red · Limit / avoid routinely

Payasam

kheer (South Indian), paysam

Causes a quick rise then a drop — not a good way to prevent lows.

Portion: ½ cup (about 120 g)

Medical disclaimer: All content on this website is for general educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment, and reading it does not establish a doctor–patient relationship. Always consult a qualified clinician about your own health. Content is medically reviewed and based on recognised clinical guidelines — see references. If you have feedback or a suggestion to improve this website, .

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