I never thought that changing the order of eating would make such a big difference

Expert of this article: Gu Ruili, Deputy Chief Technician of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, Henan Food Inspection Institute

This article was reviewed by Liu Zhiyong, Professor of Henan Food Inspection Institute, Chief Science Expert of Henan Province

Food, everyone cares about what to eat every day.

But what many people don’t know is that the order of eating is also very important, especially for special groups of people with metabolic diseases such as diabetes and hyperlipidemia.

Controlling blood sugar is an important part of the treatment of diabetes. Now more and more healthy people are paying more attention to changes in blood sugar.

So, which order should be followed in eating? And what are the differences among different groups of people? Let's take a look

How does the order of meals affect blood sugar?

As we all know, carbohydrates contribute the most to blood sugar, and our staple food - rice is generally considered a high glycemic index food.

People used to eat in the traditional order of staple food first, then vegetables or meat, and finally soup.

Copyright image, no permission to reprint

However, in recent years, domestic and foreign research has shown that if you prioritize eating staple foods (carbohydrates), your blood sugar level will rise sharply after a meal. If you eat staple foods, vegetables, and meat together, your blood sugar level will be the second highest after a meal. At the same time, if you eat vegetables or meat first and then staple foods, your blood sugar level will be relatively stable.

The main reason is that staple foods (carbohydrates) have a higher blood sugar response, while dietary fiber and protein in vegetables and meat have a lower blood sugar response. At the same time, they increase the feeling of fullness, slow down gastric emptying, and delay the absorption of carbohydrates.

Which should be eaten first: vegetables, meat or staple food?

01

Mealtime

First, there should be distinction in meal times.

Because the time when blood sugar rises is different in the morning, noon and evening, blood sugar generally rises faster at noon and evening. Therefore, the total amount of food intake in the morning, noon and evening should be scientifically controlled. The proportions of breakfast, lunch and dinner are 20%, 40% and 35% respectively.

For people with hypoglycemia, they can choose to eat small amounts and frequently, and increase the number of meals between the three meals, while keeping the total amount unchanged.

Copyright image, no permission to reprint

02

Meal Order

Secondly, choose the order of eating. Studies have shown that choosing a scientific order of eating can effectively control post-meal blood sugar.

A study examined the following four different meal orders, and found that blood sugar levels after meals were quite different:

1. Eat vegetables first, then meat and rice;

2. Eat meat first, then vegetables and rice;

3. Eat vegetables, meat, and rice in order;

4. Mix vegetables, meat and rice together and eat;

5. Eat rice first, then vegetables and meat.

Studies have shown that the highest blood sugar response after a meal is in the fifth order (i.e. eating rice first, then vegetables and meat), and the second highest blood sugar response is in the fourth order (i.e. eating vegetables, meat and rice together). For the first, second and third order of eating, the changes in blood sugar after a meal are not very significant.

Of course, if you drink the soup before eating the vegetables, the effect will be better.

To sum up, eating in the order of soup → vegetables → meat → rice can not only increase the feeling of fullness, but also delay gastric emptying, reduce intestinal motility, and help lower blood sugar.

Copyright image, no permission to reprint

What are the differences among different groups of people?

In addition to diabetics, some obese and overweight people, pregnant women, and elderly people with abnormal blood sugar levels also need to pay attention to controlling blood sugar, arranging a reasonable diet, and appropriately adjusting meal times and the order of meals.

For people with abnormal blood lipids, in addition to monitoring and controlling blood sugar, they also need to pay special attention to controlling fat and cholesterol. They should eat less high-fat meat on the table, increase the consumption of chicken and beef, and eat more fish appropriately. At the same time, they should eat less animal offal and pig brains, sheep brains, etc.

Copyright image, no permission to reprint

Some people with hypertension caused by obesity or overweight also need to monitor and control their blood sugar, and limit the intake of high-fat and high-sugar foods.

On April 26, 2022, the "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents (2022)" was officially released. To achieve a balanced diet, whole grains, vegetables, fruits and dairy products are still important foods.

Cereals and potatoes: They are still the main source of energy and a good source of various micronutrients and dietary fiber. Adults should consume 200g~300g of cereals per day, including 50g~150g of whole grains and miscellaneous beans; and 50g~100g of potatoes.

Vegetables: no less than 300g per day;

Fruit: 200g~350g per day;

Fish, poultry, eggs and lean meat: 120g~200g per day on average;

Of course, you also need to eat a variety of dairy products every day, the intake is equivalent to more than 300ml of liquid milk per day, and eat nuts in moderation.

Things to note when adding food

Can you add more food when you are hungry? Of course you can. But you need to pay attention to the following points:

First, the total energy of snacks should be controlled.

For some special groups, such as diabetics, people with hyperlipidemia, and people with hypertension, it is necessary to control the total energy. They can arrange snacks appropriately according to their own physical conditions, but the total amount of snacks also needs to be controlled, and they should eat small amounts and multiple times.

The second is to choose foods with a low glycemic index and increase the intake of vegetables and high-quality protein.

Foods with a low glycemic index, such as whole grain oats, barley, whole grain wheat, etc., and high-quality protein foods, such as milk, eggs, fish, shrimp, etc.

Copyright image, no permission to reprint

Third, strictly control high-sugar and high-fat foods.

Sugary drinks, in particular, should be strictly controlled, as should high-fat foods, and fried foods should be consumed less.

The watermarked images and cover images in this article are from the copyright gallery, and the image content is not authorized for reprinting