If you eat your vegetables before eating carbohydrate rich foods and especially any food containing sugar (whether refined or from natural sources), you slow down the absorption of glucose into the bloodstream. And slower absorption means more stable blood sugar readings. Non-starchy vegetables and dietary fiber form a physical barrier in the digestive tract, which slows down how fast food passes from the stomach. This blunts the rise in glucose.
So, the order that you eat your food in actually can make a difference.
The Science on Eating Vegetables First
Here is a summary of a study that examined exactly this question:
Carbohydrate-last meal pattern lowers postprandial glucose and insulin excursions in type 2 diabetes
Objective
This study explored whether the order in which food is eaten during a meal affects blood sugar and insulin levels in people with type 2 diabetes. Specifically, it looked at whether eating vegetables and protein before carbohydrates could help improve blood sugar control.
Research Design and Methods
The researchers conducted a small experiment with 16 people who have type 2 diabetes. Participants ate the same meal on three different days but in different orders: (1) vegetables and protein first, then carbohydrates; (2) carbohydrates first, then vegetables and protein; and (3) all foods together. Blood sugar and insulin levels were measured before and after each meal to see how the food order impacted these levels.
Results
The study found that eating vegetables and protein first significantly reduced blood sugar spikes after the meal compared to eating carbohydrates first or eating everything together. Insulin levels were also lower when vegetables and protein were eaten first, showing that this food order may help the body manage blood sugar more effectively.
Conclusions
Changing the order in which food is eaten—starting with vegetables and protein before carbohydrates—can be a simple and effective way for people with type 2 diabetes to control their blood sugar levels after meals. This strategy may be a useful addition to other diabetes management techniques.
Here is the figure from the article that shows the results. There was about a 50% drop in the area under the curve when carbs were eaten last compared to carbs eaten first. CF = carbohydrate first; CL = carbohydrate last; S = sandwich, all eaten together.
So, there you have it. Eat your vegetables first. That would include salads and cooked non-starchy vegetables. Get the fibrous foods in first, and even the protein first before the carbohydrates. It does make a difference.
