Reorganize Your Menu for a Healthier Meal

As nutrition studies have focused more on metabolism, options for healthy eating have expanded beyond food restriction and counting calories. One new approach, called “meal sequencing,” suggests that the order in which you eat your food can have a positive impact on blood sugar levels and satiety, no matter what is on the menu.

Researchers have found that when we eat fiber-filled vegetables, protein, and fats before refined carbohydrates, our digestion is slowed, and we reach a feeling of fullness earlier in a meal. The sequence helps balance blood sugar levels while triggering a higher level of the hormones that create a sense of satiety. (New weight-loss drugs like Ozempic are designed to initiate the same effect.)

It is a simple rule: Start a meal with the lowest glycemic foods, end with the highest. And if you can, reduce your overall intake of highly refined carbohydrates. Other tips:

• Start your meal with a fresh salad dressed with olive oil. Combining fiber and fat is a heart-healthy move that improves blood sugar levels and may lead to smaller portions of carbs that come later.
• Have some nuts as an appetizer. Two studies found that eating a handful of almonds before a meal can lower body fat and improve blood sugar response.
• Between meals, try to pair your carbs with protein, fiber, or healthy fats. Eaten alone, carbs like bread or crackers cause a spike in blood sugar that can trigger a cycle of crashing and craving. By spreading avocado on toast or almond butter on a cracker, you slow digestion enough to moderate the blood sugar level.