Health coach Carol Slager talks about the benefits of food sequencing, or eating your food in a specific order to improve certain conditions and dietary choices.
Chances are good that shortly after being seated in your favorite restaurant, a server delivers a basket of warm, aromatic bread. You’re hungry, so you dive in, slathering that delightful carbohydrate with whipped butter. It’s a treat, but should you save the bread for dessert?
Some research suggests that the order in which you eat different types of foods — known as food sequencing — may positively affect blood sugar levels especially for type 2 diabetics.
Though studies on this are limited and results mixed, there may be other benefits of adopting food sequencing: It can enhance the nutritional quality of your diet and promote weight loss and maintenance.
This method encourages better food choices, portion control and overall healthier eating habits. It’s fairly easy to incorporate into your meal plan.
Simply stated, eat your vegetables before refined carbohydrates such as sugar, white rice and white flour. Vegetables are high in fiber and water, which can slow the digestion and absorption of carbohydrates when eaten first. This helps reduce the rapid rise in blood sugar levels that can occur after consuming high-carb foods. Eating vegetables before high glycemic index (GI) carbs can reduce the post-meal insulin response, which helps maintain insulin sensitivity and reduce the risk of insulin resistance.
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Starting with vegetables also can help you feel fuller sooner, which may lead to consuming fewer calories overall and better portion control of high-carb foods. It can also slow the pace of your meal, giving your body more time to register fullness and preventing overeating.
Next, consume lean proteins and healthy fats. They take longer to digest than carbs. Slowing down the digestive process leads to a more gradual release of glucose into the bloodstream. This slower digestion helps prevent blood sugar spikes and crashes, promoting more stable blood sugar levels throughout the meal and afterwards. This is helpful in preventing cravings for sugary or high-calorie foods. This stability can help maintain a balanced diet and reduce unnecessary snacking.
- Begin meals with a salad or a serving of non-starchy vegetables. This can include leafy greens, cucumbers, bell peppers and tomatoes. Adding a small amount of healthy fat, such as olive oil or avocado can enhance satiety.
- Next, focus on protein-rich foods such as grilled chicken, fish, tofu or legumes. Including healthy fats from sources such as nuts, seeds or olive oil can help slow digestion and promote fullness.
- Finish your meal with complex carbohydrates such as quinoa, brown rice, sweet potatoes or whole-grain bread. The fiber, protein and fats consumed earlier will help mitigate the glycemic impact of these carbs.
- When it comes to snacking, including a mix of protein, fat and fiber with your carbs can reduce the glycemic impact. For example, pairing a piece of fruit with nuts/nut butter or a slice of whole-grain bread with avocado can help balance blood sugar levels.
Food sequencing encourages more mindful eating by slowing the pace of your meals. This can help you pay better attention to hunger and satiety cues, leading to healthier eating habits.
By prioritizing whole foods such as vegetables, lean proteins and healthy fats, food sequencing can naturally reduce the intake of processed and high-sugar foods, for a more nutritious diet.
With scientific literature showing minimal long-term effect on blood sugar and weight management from the order in which you eat your food, it’s probably more effective to focus on broader healthy habits. These include eating a variety of whole foods, limiting ultraprocessed foods and added sugars (no more than 36 grams per day for men, 25 grams for women, according to the American Heart Association), participating in regular aerobic exercise and strength training and having periodic health screenings.
Carol Slager is a licensed pharmacist, author, blogger and health coach in Northwest Indiana. Follow her monthly in Get Healthy and at inkwellcoaching.com. Opinions expressed are the writer’s.
