Have you ever thought about the order in which you eat your food? It turns out that eating your meal in a specific sequence can have a big impact on your blood sugar levels. Recent studies indicate that eating proteins and vegetables before carbohydrates can help keep blood sugar levels stable, which is great news for anyone looking to maintain their energy levels and overall health.
Why Food Order Matters
Researchers have found that eating carbohydrates (like rice or bread) at the end of your meal can significantly reduce the spike in blood sugar and insulin levels after eating. Here’s a brief look at what studies reveal:
For Healthy Individuals: A study showed that people who ate their rice after vegetables and meat had lower blood sugar spikes compared to those who ate rice first. In simple terms, eating carbs last helps keep your blood sugar in check. (Nishino et al. 2018)
For People with Diabetes: In another study, people with type 2 diabetes who ate vegetables and protein before carbs had much lower blood sugar levels afterward. The decrease was similar to what some diabetes medications achieve, just by changing the order of food. (Shukla et al. 2015, 2023)
The Prediabetes Perspective
A study focusing on people with prediabetes showed similar results. Eating proteins and vegetables before carbs led to smaller increases in blood sugar levels. This suggests that changing the order of food might help prevent the progression from prediabetes to type 2 diabetes. (Shukla et al. 2019)
A Simple Strategy for Everyone
You don’t have to cut out your favorite foods to benefit from this strategy. Instead, just change the order in which you eat them:
- Start with Vegetables: Begin your meal with a salad or some steamed vegetables.
- Move on to Proteins: Next, enjoy your chicken, fish, or tofu.
- Finish with Carbs: Finally, savor your bread, rice, or pasta.
The Benefits
- Stable Blood Sugar
- Increased Energy
- No Drastic Changes Needed
By simply changing the order in which you eat your food, you can make a big difference in your blood sugar levels. This approach is easy to adopt and doesn’t require any drastic dietary changes. So next time you sit down to eat, try starting with your veggies and proteins, and save the carbs for last. Your body will thank you!
Literature
Nishino, K., Sakurai, M., Takeshita, Y., and Takamura, T. 2018. “Consuming Carbohydrates after Meat or Vegetables Lowers Postprandial Excursions of Glucose and Insulin in Nondiabetic Subjects,” Journal of Nutritional Science and Vitaminology (64:5), Center for Academic Publications Japan, pp. 316–320. (https://doi.org/10.3177/JNSV.64.316).
Shukla, A. P., Dickison, M., Coughlin, N., Karan, A., Mauer, E., Truong, W., Casper, A., Emiliano, A. B., Kumar, R. B., Saunders, K. H., Igel, L. I., and Aronne, L. J. 2019. “The Impact of Food Order on Postprandial Glycaemic Excursions in Prediabetes,” Diabetes, Obesity & Metabolism (21:2), Diabetes Obes Metab, pp. 377–381. (https://doi.org/10.1111/DOM.13503).
Shukla, A. P., Iliescu, R. G., Thomas, C. E., and Aronne, L. J. 2015. “Food Order Has a Significant Impact on Postprandial Glucose and Insulin Levels,” Diabetes Care (38:7), American Diabetes Association, p. e98. (https://doi.org/10.2337/DC15-0429).
Shukla, A. P., Karan, A., Hootman, K. C., Graves, M., Steller, I., Abel, B., Giannita, A., Tils, J., Hayashi, L., O’Connor, M., Casper, A. J., D’Angelo, D., and Aronne, L. J. 2023. “A Randomized Controlled Pilot Study of the Food Order Behavioral Intervention in Prediabetes,” Nutrients (15:20), Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI), p. 4452. (https://doi.org/10.3390/NU15204452/S1).
