When it comes to the order of eating, what do you have as the first bite of food in each meal? Is it rice, vegetables, or soup?
Many people may think that the order of eating is not important; what matters is just getting the food into their stomachs and feeling full. However, this is not the case. The order in which we eat is quite crucial, as a correct eating sequence can allow us to feel full while also gaining many health benefits.
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Adjusting the dining order
Helps you control blood sugar
Eating may seem simple, but there are techniques—and changing the order of eating is a crucial step that is highly recommended.
Many people believe that eating is simply about sending food into the stomach, and regardless of what is eaten, it will be temporarily stored in the same small space before being digested and absorbed by the body. What does it matter how you eat? What does the order have to do with it?
It’s really not that simple; there is indeed a priority to eating. Besides the types of food consumed in each meal affecting blood sugar levels, numerous studies have confirmed that the order of eating also impacts post-meal blood sugar levels. Different eating sequences can have different effects on blood sugar, which is particularly important for those who need to manage their blood sugar.
The concept of eating order originates from the Japanese traditional culture of “kaiseki cuisine,” which advocates the eating order of “dietary fiber – protein/fat – carbohydrates.”
In 2010, Japanese scholar Imai Saeko conducted a crossover trial comparing the meal order of rice and vegetables on the post-meal blood sugar levels of 15 type 2 diabetes patients. The subjects consumed the same meal on both trial days, but the order of eating was different. The meal consisted of white rice and vegetable salad, with a total caloric intake of 340 kcal.
On the first day, 8 people ate rice first, then vegetables after 10 minutes, while 7 others ate vegetables first and rice after 10 minutes; on the second day, all subjects consumed the same meal in the reverse order, with a dining time limit of 15 minutes.
The results showed that compared to eating rice first, those who ate vegetables first experienced a 21% decrease in blood sugar 30 minutes after the meal. This experiment was the first to prove that changing the dining order can help improve post-meal blood sugar levels in patients with type 2 diabetes.
In 2018, British researchers used continuous blood glucose monitoring systems to compare the effects of eating order on post-meal blood sugar in 20 type 1 diabetes patients, who consumed the same breakfast in different orders on two trial days.
On the first day, they ate protein and fat first, followed by carbohydrates (the trial meal); on the second day, they consumed all foods mixed together (the standard meal). The results indicated that the average blood sugar after the trial meal was significantly lower than after the standard meal.
In 2020, researchers in Singapore conducted related studies comparing the first bite of food (vegetables, meat, staple food, or mixed) on our body’s blood sugar, insulin, satiety, and other effects.
Sixteen subjects consumed five experimental isocaloric meals in a randomized order, including 63.2g of cooked rice, 100g of skinless chicken breast, and 180g of bok choy.
First meal: eat vegetables first, then meat and rice after 10 minutes.
Second meal: eat meat first, then vegetables and rice after 10 minutes.
Third meal: consume food in the order of vegetables, meat, and rice.
