How Meal Sequencing Can Help Steady Your Blood Sugar
A small shift in how you eat—not what you eat—may help improve fullness, curb cravings, and support healthier blood sugar levels. That’s according to Elliot Beadle, RDN, LDN, a sports dietitian with St. Luke’s University Health Network, who says meal sequencing is one of the most underrated nutrition strategies for everyday lifters and anyone trying to manage energy swings.
Why Eating Foods in a Specific Order Can Improve Blood Sugar Control
The idea isn’t new, but more recent research backs it up. A 2023 paper in Nutrients found that eating vegetables before carbs significantly reduced post-meal glucose and insulin spikes. And a well-known Weill Cornell Medicine study reported similar results: when participants ate protein and vegetables before carbohydrates, their blood sugar rose dramatically less over the next two hours.
1. Start With Veggies and Healthy Fats
Beadle says beginning your meal with non-starchy vegetables plus healthy fats—like olive oil, nuts, or avocado—helps slow digestion and soften the blood sugar rise that typically comes later. The added fiber also helps you feel fuller before the main event arrives.
2. Add Protein Next
Protein should be your second step, explains Beadle. Chicken, fish, beans, tofu, or eggs all help kick-start satiety hormones and support muscle maintenance. Eating protein before carbs also helps blunt that quick post-meal glucose surge.
3. Save Carbs for the End
Finishing with high-fiber carbohydrates—sweet potatoes, brown rice, quinoa, whole-grain pasta—keeps the meal balanced without spiking energy levels. Beadle says this simple order may help prevent the mid-afternoon slump many people blame on “bad carbs” rather than timing.
Easy Ways to Try This Meal-Order Strategy Today
Here’s how to put the meal-order strategy into practice without overhauling your diet, explains Beadle.
- Start with a salad dressed in olive oil and topped with nuts or seeds.
- Add your protein next, whether that’s chicken, salmon, tofu, or beans.
- Finish with smart carbs like whole grains or roasted root vegetables.
- Slow down your pace to help satiety hormones kick in.
- Aim for consistency, not perfection—mixed dishes aren’t off-limits.
You don’t need to ditch carbs. You just need to reorder the lineup. This small habit may help you feel fuller, stay energized, and keep your nutrition goals on track.
Related: Are 'Natural' Sugars Like Honey and Agave Really Healthier? Expert Weighs In