Why you should eat your veggies first
Some claim that changing the order you eat foods can naturally lower your post-meal glucose levels, but is that true? Here’s what the science says.
What if the secret to steady energy levels wasn’t what you ate, but the order you ate it in? This is the premise of food sequencing. And while it may sound complex, in practice it’s radically simple. In fact, if you’ve ever started dinner with a salad appetizer before digging into something like steak and roasted asparagus, ending with a chocolate dessert, you’ve done food sequencing without even realizing it. Below, find out what it is, why people do it, and what the science actually shows.
What is “food sequencing”?
In plain terms, “food sequencing” refers to the idea that the order in which you eat foods during a meal or snack can influence your blood sugar response. “It involves eating fat, fiber, and protein-containing foods before carbohydrates during a meal to blunt the blood sugar response and delay gastric emptying,” says Edwina Cark, R.D., a registered dietitian based in Washington, D.C.
This means eating veggies and proteins before grains. Here’s how it can look:
Breakfast: Eggs with spinach first, then some toast
Lunch: A salad with chicken on it before a side of pasta
Dinner: Steak and broccoli followed by some rice
The reason this trend has caught on is that it doesn’t involve restriction — you aren’t eating less of any foods, just changing the order you eat them in. It also comes with appealing claims: fewer blood sugar spikes, increased satiety, and improved metabolic health. For people focused on weight loss or blood sugar control, food sequencing can feel much more doable than cutting carbs or counting calories.
Does food sequencing work?
Unlike some trends that aren’t based on facts, food sequencing does seem to be grounded in science. It’s also not a completely new concept. Researchers have studied meal order, macronutrient sequencing, and post-meal blood sugar fluctuations for decades — well before the internet started talking about it. And registered dietitians have long advised patients with elevated blood sugar to eat their vegetables first and save starches for last as a way to reduce insulin spikes.
Research backs this up: Across controlled trials and recent meta-analyses, consuming carbohydrates last is associated with lower post-meal blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes. This eating pattern has also been linked to enhanced secretion of GLP-1 — the naturally-occurring hormone that GLP-1 medications mimic — along with delayed gastric emptying, helping you stay fuller longer.
For example, one small study in people with prediabetes found that eating protein and vegetables before carbohydrates significantly reduced blood sugar spikes post meal compared with eating carbs first, even though the meals contained the same foods and calories. When carbs were eaten last, blood sugar levels rose more gradually and were more stable. Keeping blood sugar steady means more stable energy, reduced cravings, and may support better long term metabolic health.
There’s another element to consider. Food sequencing can lead you to eat more veggies and protein and fewer refined carbs. You’ll just naturally be less hungry by the time you get to the carb portion of your meal, which can help improve your overall diet.
The food-glucose connection
To understand why food sequencing impacts blood sugar, you have to understand how foods and blood sugar are linked. When you eat, your body breaks food down into glucose (or sugar), which your body uses for fuel. When glucose enters the bloodstream, it causes your blood sugar to rise. As a response, your pancreas releases insulin to help shuttle glucose into your cells where it can be used for energy. Different foods raise blood sugar at different speeds. Refined carbs increase blood sugar the fastest, while protein, fat, and fiber are digested more slowly and lead to a smaller, more steady rise in blood sugar.
That brings us to food sequencing: Starting with protein and fiber-rich veggies creates a sort of speed bump for whatever comes next, slowing down the digestion of the carbs, says Caroline Thomason Bunn, R.D., a registered dietitian and diabetes educator in Virginia. And slower digestion means a smaller, smoother rise in blood sugar. Think a gentle rolling hill instead of a sharp mountain peak.
Should you try food sequencing?
There’s little downside to trying food sequencing, and evidence suggests it’s a simple, safe, and inexpensive way to help improve post-meal blood sugar. Even if you’re not necessarily worried about your blood sugar, at least you’re prioritizing eating protein and veggies, which is a win for overall health.
It’s important to note that these benefits are most pronounced in people with existing insulin resistance, prediabetes, or type 2 diabetes. It does work for other people, but has less of an effect. As Clarke explains, “I think this can be helpful for some people, such as those at risk of diabetes or with an existing diagnosis of prediabetes. It may also be helpful for people looking to have more consistent energy levels throughout the day.”
One other group that may see a benefit: women going through the menopause transition. The lower levels of estrogen are associated with lower insulin sensitivity, which can raise blood sugar after meals. Food sequencing, in theory, could help counter that.
If you think food sequencing is going to magically lead to weight loss, you might be disappointed. “It would be lovely if we could simply rearrange the order in which we eat our food to solve our health concerns, but metabolic health doesn’t usually change from one small tweak,” says Thomasson. “If you haven’t spent time changing your nutrition habits like increasing your fruit and vegetable intake, prioritizing protein at every meal and snack, hitting your daily fiber goal, and exercising regularly every week, then focusing on food order is akin to rearranging the chairs on the Titanic.”
In that context, food sequencing is an excellent supportive strategy, not a foundational part of a healthy, balanced diet. As Clark notes, “blood sugar is complex and influenced by many other factors, including portion size, exercise, stress, sleep, meal timing, and sickness. Food sequencing can be helpful for blood sugar control, but it’s not the only strategy that needs to be considered.”
The bottom line
“Food sequencing” is changing the order you eat your foods during a meal, starting with protein and vegetables before moving on to the carbohydrates. Research shows eating this way can improve post-meal blood sugar in people with existing blood sugar challenges like insulin resistance, prediabetes, or type 2 diabetes. Another benefit: You may find yourself eating more fiber and protein and less refined carbohydrates when you eat your meals in this order.