Eating Carbs Last Stabilizes Blood Sugar Levels

If you’re at a restaurant, one of the best things you can do for your blood sugar is to order a salad or veggies before your meal instead of other appetizers such as bread or mozzarella sticks. You can still eat the chicken wings; just have them after the salad but before the pasta. Yes, the order in which you eat your food can prevent blood sugar spikes.

The order of food for better blood sugar control

Research shows that the order in which you eat your food can stabilize blood sugar levels:

1. Eat fiber first, such as a salad or veggies
2. Eat protein and fat second
3. Eat carbs last

For example, start dinner with a salad or steamed veggies, then a baked salmon, followed by a potato or pasta.

There are many reasons this food order works. First, fiber slows the absorption of carbs. Second, proteins and fats are more slowly digested. Finally, eating meals in this order will help prevent blood sugar spikes.

Research Confirmations

Three studies confirm that eating carbs last stabilizes blood sugar levels.

• A study revealed that eating fiber-rich vegetables and protein 10 minutes before consuming carbs reduced postprandial glucose peaks for up to 3 hours, compared to eating carbs first, for individuals with type 2 diabetes. This also improved time in range. (https://diabetesjournals.org/care/article/48/2/e15/157633/Carbohydrates-Last-Food-Order-Improves-Time-in).

For more information on how time in range can be a valuable way to measure your blood glucose control, in conjunction with the A1C test, see my post https://backtonaturediabetic.com/time-in-range-provides-more-details-than-the-a1c/.

• Another study examined the meal sequencing impact on blood glucose in healthy Japanese adults wearing a CGM during a lunch meal. The participants consumed beef before rice, beef and rice together, and beef after rice. Blood glucose levels measured after meals over a 4-hour period revealed that the post-meal glucose level was lower when consuming the beef before rice (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40004986/). The study concluded that meal sequencing is a feasible dietary strategy for managing diabetes.

• A study from Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City found that food order consumption affects post-meal sugar and insulin levels in obese people. Eating vegetables and protein before carbohydrates resulted in 29%, 37%, and 17% lower glucose levels at the 30, 60, and 120-minute checkpoints, compared to eating carbohydrates first.

“Based on this finding, instead of saying ‘don’t eat that’ to their patients, clinicians might instead say, ‘eat this before that,’” says senior author Dr. Louis Aronne, the Sanford I. Weill Professor of Metabolic Research and a professor of clinical medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College (https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/295901#Glucose-and-insulin-levels-lower-when-carbohydrates-were-eaten-last).

Be a Diabetic Detective

I’ve been a diabetic detective and tried this food order. I ate pasta with beef one day, and then the pasta after a salad the next day. The result was that my blood sugar remained stable after I ate the pasta following the salad. See if this works for you as well.

Eating Carbs Last Boosts GLP-1

I’m sure you’ve heard of GLP-1, the hormone in the body that regulates blood sugar and appetite and slows digestion. Popular weight loss drugs like Ozempic work by mimicking the GLP-1 hormone. Well, it turns out that eating carbs last will increase GLP-1 by slowing the rate at which the stomach sends food to the intestines.

“You can harness your GLP-1 and boost it through this intervention,” says Dr. Alpana Shukla, an associate professor of research at Weill Cornell Medicine who studies food order.

Dr. Shukla also advises that your plate should be composed of 50% vegetables, 25% protein, and 25% carbohydrates (https://time.com/6972041/healthy-breakfast-vegetable/). This is terrific advice, considering it’s also the Diabetes Plate Method.

Eating Carbs Last Suppresses Ghrelin

Eating carbs last also suppresses ghrelin, which is the hormone that causes hunger, whereas fiber and protein will make you feel fuller longer.

Additional Tips to Prevent Blood Sugar Spikes After Meals

Three additional tips to prevent blood sugar spikes after meals are to chew food slowly (https://backtonaturediabetic.com/chewing-your-food-slowly-helps-with-blood-sugar-weight/), use acidic foods like lemon water or apple cider vinegar to reduce the body’s blood sugar (https://backtonaturediabetic.com/using-acidic-foods-to-lower-blood-sugar-levels/), and walk after meals (https://backtonaturediabetic.com/walking-after-meals-can-lower-blood-sugar-levels/).

Conclusion

Studies prove you can reduce postprandial sugars by being intentional about the order you eat your food. Be a diabetic detective and try this method for yourself. Eat fiber-rich foods first, then proteins and fat, and afterwards carbs to delay blood sugar spikes by slowing digestion.

Quote

Hara hachi bu is a Japanese term meaning “eat until you’re 80% full.”