Does eating vegetables first lower blood sugar?

What the curves mean and what to do next

The same meal eaten with the bread and juice last gave a lower, slower rise in blood sugar in the trial. It's free to try. Eat the vegetables and protein first and the starch about 15 minutes later, the way the trial did. It doesn't change what's on the plate, so the plate's grade on the meal checker stays the same, since the Glucose meter there scores the food, not the order.

If the Glucose meter on your plate is low, a swap helps more than the order does, like brown rice or beans for white rice, or water for juice. If you take insulin or a medicine that can cause lows, ask your care team first.

The trial

Researchers gave 11 adults with type 2 diabetes, all taking metformin, the same 628 calorie meal on two mornings a week apart: ciabatta bread and orange juice, grilled chicken, a lettuce and tomato salad, and steamed broccoli with butter. One morning they ate the bread and juice first and the rest 15 minutes later. The other morning they ate the chicken and vegetables first and the bread and juice 15 minutes after.

With the bread and juice last, blood sugar was 29% lower at 30 minutes, 37% lower at 60 and 17% lower at 120. The total rise over two hours was 73% smaller, and insulin was lower too.

It was a pilot: 11 people, one meal, two mornings. It shows the order changes the shape of the curve after a meal. It didn't test whether eating this way for months changes A1c, and the food and calories were the same both times. If you take insulin or a medicine that can cause lows, ask your care team before changing how you eat.