When it comes to the order of meals, what is the first thing you eat in each meal? Is it rice, vegetables, or soup?
Many people may think that the order of eating is not important, and the important thing is to get the food into your stomach and to feel full. However, that’s not the case. The order of eating is quite important, and the correct order of eating can help us feel full and also gain many health benefits.
Adjusting the meal order can help control blood sugar
Eating may seem simple, but there are techniques involved, and changing the order of eating is a highly recommended key step.
Many people think that eating is just about getting the food into the stomach, and no matter what is eaten, it will be temporarily stored in the same small space, then digested and absorbed by the body. Why does the order of eating matter?
Well, eating also involves a sequence. Besides the types of food eaten in each meal affecting blood sugar, many studies have confirmed that the order of eating during meals also affects post-meal blood sugar. Different eating orders have different effects on blood sugar, which is particularly important for those who need to control their blood sugar.
The concept of meal order originates from the Japanese traditional culture of “Kaiseki cuisine,” which advocates the order of eating as “dietary fiber – protein/fat – carbohydrates.”
In 2010, Japanese scholar Sakie Imai conducted a crossover trial comparing the order of rice and vegetables on the post-meal blood sugar of 15 patients with type 2 diabetes. The subjects ate the same meal on two test days, but in different orders. The meal consisted of white rice and vegetable salad, totaling 340kcal.
On the first day, 8 people ate rice first, followed by vegetables 10 minutes later, while 7 others ate vegetables first and rice 10 minutes later; on the second day, the participants switched the order they ate in. The mealtime was limited to 15 minutes.
The results showed that compared to eating rice first, eating vegetables first led to a 21% decrease in blood sugar 30 minutes after the meal. This trial was the first to demonstrate that changing the meal sequence can help improve post-meal blood sugar in patients with type 2 diabetes.
In 2018, British researchers used continuous glucose monitoring systems to compare the impact of meal order on post-meal blood sugar in 20 patients with type 1 diabetes. The participants consumed the same breakfast in different meal orders on two test days.
On the first day, they ate protein and fat first, followed by carbohydrates (experimental meal); on the second day, they ate a mixed meal (standard meal). The results showed that the average blood sugar after the experimental meal was significantly lower than after the standard meal.
In 2020, researchers in Singapore also conducted a study comparing the effects of the first mouthful of food (vegetables, meat, staple food, or mixed) on our body’s blood sugar, insulin, satiety, etc.
16 participants ate 5 types of calorically equal meals in randomized order, including 63.2g rice, 100g skinless chicken breast, and 180g bok choy.
The five types were:
1. Vegetables first, followed by meat and rice after 10 minutes.
2. Meat first, followed by vegetables and rice after 10 minutes.
3. Eating in the order of vegetables, meat, and rice, with a 10-minute interval between them.
4. Mixing vegetables, meat, and rice and eating together.
5. Rice first, followed by vegetables and meat after 10 minutes.
The results showed that the first, second, and third methods all weakened post-meal blood sugar responses, avoiding large fluctuations in blood sugar. However, the second method did not help much with insulin sensitivity. The third method provided the strongest satiety feeling with the lowest insulin peak and the smallest blood sugar fluctuation. The fifth method resulted in the highest post-meal blood sugar response with the largest insulin fluctuation. Overall, the two methods of eating vegetables first (the first and third methods) were more beneficial for stabilizing post-meal blood sugar than the other three methods.
It is worth noting that these studies had limited sample data, so further confirmation by researchers is needed. However, in addition to these studies, China’s “Chinese Type 2 Diabetes Dietary Guidelines” also mention that diabetes patients should adjust the order of their meals, cultivate the habit of eating vegetables first, and eating staple food last, following the order of vegetables – meat – staple food during meals, which is beneficial for short-term and long-term blood sugar control in diabetes patients.
Adjusting the meal order helps in weight loss
In addition to controlling blood sugar, adjusting the order of meals can also help you lose weight, thanks to the following two reasons.
1. Strong satiety feeling helps control appetite
Dietary fiber, protein, and fats in food can inhibit gastric emptying and appetite, increase satiety, reduce food intake, and prevent overeating.
Importantly, most vegetables are not easy to chew, require thorough chewing, and are rich in dietary fiber. Therefore, compared to protein foods and staples, eating more vegetables first can enhance satiety, help control appetite, prevent overeating, obesity, and reduce fat absorption, thus aiding in weight loss.
2. Stable post-meal blood sugar prevents fat accumulation
If post-meal blood sugar levels are high, the body releases a large amount of insulin, which hampers fat breakdown and promotes fat synthesis, increasing the risk of obesity. Stable post-meal blood sugar levels make it less likely for the body to accumulate fat, aiding in weight loss and weight control.
Recommended eating practice
Japanese scholar Sakie Imai and others first defined the dietary treatment method of changing the meal sequence as: “During the meal, spend 5 minutes eating vegetables first, 5 minutes eating protein side dishes, and finally 5 minutes eating carbohydrate staple foods.”
What specifically is recommended to eat? And how much should you eat?
1. Vegetables
If you say you have eaten two bites of cabbage and consider that you have eaten vegetables first, that may not be effective. To make “changing the meal order” meaningful, you need to eat an adequate amount.
It is recommended to eat cooked vegetables equivalent to 1-2 fists per meal, and choose more dark-colored vegetables, such as dark green cabbage, bok choy, broccoli; orange-yellow carrots, pumpkins, yellow bell peppers; red tomatoes, red bell peppers; purple cabbage, purple lettuce, amaranth, purple onions, etc.
2. Protein foods
Eating about 1 fist is enough. It is recommended to choose soy products, fish, shrimp, poultry, and less red meats like pork, beef, lamb. Excessive consumption of red meat increases the risk of type 2 diabetes and obesity, so try to avoid fatty meats.
When cooking, choose steaming, boiling, stewing over braising, frying, and pickled foods to maintain a light diet.
3. Staple foods
For the general population, 1-2 bowls of rice per meal are sufficient, and it is advisable to eat a variety of grains. Avoid consuming only white rice and refined flour. For example, oatmeal rice, buckwheat rice, quinoa rice, barley rice, chickpea rice, red bean rice, steamed sweet potatoes, steamed potatoes, boiled corn, etc., are all good choices.
Therefore, changing the meal sequence is a simple, achievable, and effective method for diabetes patients to control blood sugar in the long run. Compared to traditional dietary guidelines, changing the meal order is easy to implement and easier for people to adhere to. Some people may not be used to eating rice last; in that case, they can try two methods:
1. Eat a large bowl of cooked vegetables first, then alternate between a bite of meat and a bite of rice.
2. Set aside a small portion of vegetables and meat in advance, eat them following the method of vegetables first, then meat, finish eating, and then eat the reserved portion along with the rice.
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