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Posted on 01/09/2026 7:04:08 PM PST by nickcarraway
Research suggests that a small shift in how you move through a plate may matter more than you’d expect, and experts say it’s worth paying attention to.
KEY POINTS:
-According to recent studies, food sequencing, or eating vegetables and protein before carbohydrates, may help reduce post-meal blood sugar spikes and promote steadier energy levels throughout the day.
-This approach doesn’t restrict foods or calories — it simply focuses on the order of eating to support blood sugar and metabolic health. While short-term studies show promise, research on the long-term benefits of food sequencing remains limited, and experts recommend it as one helpful tool rather than a strict rule.
-When you’re faced with a plate of chicken, broccoli, and rice, what do you eat first? Maybe you’ve never given it much thought, but experts have, and some now recommend a specific approach: eat vegetables and protein before carbs. This practice, known as food sequencing or meal sequencing, has been shown to have several positive nutritional effects.
At its core, food sequencing is a simple tweak to how you move through a meal—not what’s on your plate. By starting with fiber-rich vegetables, then eating protein and fat, and saving starches and sweets for last, you may be able to soften the blood-sugar “spike” that can happen when you lead with carbohydrates. Here’s what experts mean by food sequencing and what the research says so far.
What is food sequencing?
Food sequencing is the intentional order in which you eat foods in a mixed meal. “Typically, you start with fiber-rich vegetables, then move to protein and fat, and finish with carbohydrates,” says Michelle Cardel, PhD, MS, RD, a registered dietitian and chief nutrition officer at WeightWatchers.
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To be clear, food sequencing isn’t a diet. It’s not about restricting calories or cutting out food groups — it's about the order in which foods are eaten. The goal: “It’s supposed to better support your blood sugar and overall metabolic health,” explains Kaytee Hadley, MS, RDN, IFMCP, a functional medicine dietitian and founder of Holistic Health and Wellness in Richmond, Virginia.
How does food sequencing change digestion and impact blood sugar?
Digestion begins the moment we start eating, says Cambria Steffler, MS, RDN, LD, a registered dietitian and certified intuitive eating counselor. “When you start with fiber-rich vegetables and protein, digestion slows down and creates a gentler rise in blood sugar once carbohydrates are eaten.” You can think of fiber-rich foods and protein as a buffer — they slow the rate at which carbs are absorbed, leading to more stable values rather than a spike in blood sugar.
What does science say about food sequencing?
Several studies show promise for food sequencing. When vegetables are eaten first, some data suggest this leads to lower post-meal blood sugar and insulin levels, says Hadley. “Research suggests that the best way to start meals is by combining fiber with protein and/or unsaturated fat from plants to support GLP-1 levels, blood sugar, and a healthy body weight.”
It’s important to note, however, that most food sequencing studies to date have examined its impact on blood sugar levels immediately after a meal. Studies on the long-term effects of this approach are more limited and show mixed results, says Dr. Cardel.
“A recent meta-analysis showed that food sequencing resulted in no significant difference in A1c among participants with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes when compared to a control group,” she says. Other biomarkers, including plasma glucose and insulin, were also not significantly different between the food sequencing and control groups in this meta-analysis, calling into question the long-term usefulness of food sequencing.
How to try food sequencing, step by step
Start with non-starchy vegetables, such as salads, raw or roasted vegetables, or a vegetable-based soup.
Move on to protein and/or healthy fats, such as chicken, beef, fish, tofu, cheese, avocados, olives, or nut butters.
End with carbohydrates, such as starchy vegetables (potatoes or yams), rice, pasta, bread, bananas, apples, or pears.
Is food sequencing right for you?
Dietitians say those who try the method may notice more stable energy throughout the day and fewer midday slumps. Because this approach helps blunt sharp rises and falls in blood sugar, it can support overall metabolic health. People may also find they feel fuller longer and less likely to reach for extra snacks between meals.
Research suggests that sequencing may be especially helpful for people with pre-diabetes, type 2 diabetes, or insulin resistance. One study of older adults with diabetes found that consistently eating vegetables first at mealtime was associated with better higher-level functioning, defined as the ability to perform complex physical, cognitive, and social tasks essential for independent daily living. For children, however, there isn’t enough research to support this method.
Meet the Ancient, Drought-Resistant Grain Poised to Be the Next Superfood Notably, food sequencing doesn’t need to be your sole approach to eating to see whether it resonates with you, Steffler emphasizes. “You do not need to practice food sequencing at every meal to see benefits,” she says. “Food sequencing is one tool in the toolbox for managing your blood sugar, not a strict rule to follow at every meal. Even adopting this approach at one meal a day can have a positive impact.”
As always, if you have a health condition or take medications, check with your healthcare provider before making changes to your meal structure.
Reviewed by:
Lauren Manaker MS, RDN, LD, CLEC: Lauren is an award-winning registered dietitian and three-time book author, with more than 22 years in the field.
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I wear a glucose meter and can attest that eating a salad before your main meal makes a difference. Exercise after a meal also tempers your sugar spiking.
“...Start with non-starchy vegetables, such as salads...
Move on to protein, such as beef...
End with carbohydrates, such as potatoes...”
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First eat the salad,
then eat the rib-eye,
then eat the baked potato.
Obviously, simply avoiding carbs means you don’t even have to worry about spiking Blood Sugar...too bad the medical profession is not permitted to talk about that.
bkmk
Your body can break protein down into carbs.
Bingo.
I’ve got carbs generally at 20g or less per day, and my glucose (as measured each minute with CGM) is flat-lined.
But, I will also add that some days are exceptions to this, where carbs are 40 to 50, days with a salad, days with a bigger helping than usual of berries, and sugar spikes - with still decent healthy meal, but carbs in the 50 area, glucose can go to 140, 150.
“Your body can break protein down into carbs.”
Yep, there is an effect from protein on blood glucose, but it is FAR LESS than carbs, any carbs, even ‘healthy’ carbs, even ‘very healthy’ carbs.
I kind of eat like this naturally anyway. I tend to eat the things I don't like first (but they are good for me) first, just to get them out of the way. I don't like vegetables in general, so broccoli would be the first to go. Then I tend to save what I like to eat last. I really like carbs like rice, so it's always the last thing to go. Of course, I'm diabetic, so I don't have much choices anyway.
And yeah, raised as a clean your plate eater...
"I tend to eat the things I don't like first (but they are good for me) first, just to get them out of the way. "
If one is avoiding carbs, the chicken is only food on the article’s hypothetical plate that would be consumed.,
Doesn’t work for me. No matter what order I eat the donuts, apple pie or drink my beer, my glucose spikes.
Bkmk
Just eat dessert first and all will be well. 😏
I mix the mashed potatoes, gravy, peas and beef on a fork and eat.
Eat the green stuff first to supply said bugs to the bacteria on the tongue which convert nitrate to nitrite. The nitrite is reduced to nitric oxide in the stomach, which increases arterial flexibility and lowers blood pressure.
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