A person’s diet plays an important role in managing their diabetes. The amount and type of food a person with diabetes eats can affect blood sugar levels. Foods containing carbohydrate – such as starchy vegetables, grains and fruits – have the most impact on blood sugar levels. Choosing carbohydrate-containing foods that have a low glycemic index and are higher in fibre can help reduce blood sugar spikes. The plate method is another way of managing post-meal blood sugar spikes by creating a healthy balance of vegetable, protein and carbohydrate portions.
In addition to choosing the right foods in the right portions, researchers have found that changing the order of the foods eaten in a meal can also help reduce blood sugar spikes. This is known as “food sequencing,” meaning that the order in which someone eats the main nutrient components of a meal can affect the blood sugar response. The main nutrient components of a meal are generally non-starchy vegetables, protein and carbohydrates.
In one study, participants ate the same meal on 3 different days but changed the order in which they ate the meal components:
- One day the carbohydrates were eaten first, followed 10 minutes later by protein and non-starchy vegetables
- Another day participants ate the protein and non-starchy vegetables first, followed 10 minutes later by carbohydrates
- The third day was non-starchy vegetables first, followed by protein and carbohydrates
The results of this study showed that eating the carbohydrates last saw a lower blood sugar response, compared with eating them first. In addition, the body needed to produce less insulin during the meal where carbohydrates were eaten last. This could have positive implications for people with prediabetes to help delay or possibly prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes.
How to plan for meals using food sequencing
Let’s look at a typical meal made up of potatoes, chicken and salad. An example of food sequencing would be to eat the chicken and salad first and the potatoes last. It’s helpful to eat slowly so that there is enough time for the food sequencing to make a difference. It is also helpful to plan meals where the components of the meal are separate and not combined, such as lasagna or tacos.
Start the meal with a non-starchy vegetable, such as:
- Carrots
- Broccoli
- Asparagus
- Cabbage
- Salad greens (arugula, spinach, lettuce)
Follow this with your choice of protein, such as:
- Eggs
- Lean meats and poultry (lean cuts of beef, pork, skinless chicken, turkey)
- Fish and shellfish
- Cheese
Finish the meal with a carbohydrate food, such as:
How does it work?
Eating non-starchy vegetables and protein before carbohydrates:
- Promotes the release of a hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), which helps delay digestion and reduces the blood sugar response to the meal
- Helps you feel full for a longer period of time, which prevents overeating and curbs cravings
- Slows the absorption of carbohydrates, which gives the body more time to release insulin and deal with the glucose produced by the carbohydrate food
What does this mean for a person with diabetes?
Combined with choosing low glycemic index foods and using the plate method for portion sizes, food sequencing can help maintain healthy blood sugar levels. Food sequencing can also be a useful tool for including carbohydrates that do not have a low glycemic index, such as white rice. By eating this at the end of a meal, the resulting blood sugar would be lower than if the rice was eaten at the beginning or together with the rest of the meal. Remember to choose moderate portions and to eat slowly.
Food sequencing might take some getting used to, however with careful planning this simple adjustment of food order can help people living with diabetes to reach their blood sugar targets.
