What to eat first?

Ruan Guangfeng, Director of Science and Technology Communication Department, Kexin Food and Health Information Exchange Center

When it comes to nutrition and health, the first thing that comes to people's minds is "what to eat" and "how much to eat"
.
However, with so many foods, do you eat staple food or meat first, meat or vegetables first? How do different eating sequences affect the body? What order should I eat in what order is healthier?

The order of meals will have a great impact on
people's blood sugar after meals.
A study by Will Cornell Medical College in the United States found that diabetics should save staple foods such as rice and noodles for the last when eating, which is more conducive to blood sugar
control.
The researchers selected 16 people with type 2 diabetes who ate the same meal at different times, including bread, potatoes, pasta, chicken and salad, but in a different
order each time.
It was found that patients who ate staple foods such as bread, potatoes, and pasta last had better
postprandial blood sugar control.
If the staple food was eaten last, blood sugar levels were about 50 percent lower after a meal than when the staple food was eaten first, and participants needed 25 percent
less insulin to control their blood sugar in this meal order.

Clinical studies in China have also found similar results, eating vegetables first, then eating protein and fatty foods, and finally eating staple foods, which can better maintain postprandial blood sugar
.
Eating in this way allows the human digestive system to digest vegetables rich in dietary fiber first, increasing satiety
.

In general, eating vegetables first, then eating protein and fat foods, and finally eating staple foods has the best effect on postprandial blood sugar control, and is also very helpful for weight control, which is currently the recommended eating order
.
For ordinary people, eating vegetables first increases satiety, helps reduce calorie intake, and helps
control weight and prevent obesity and cardiovascular disease.

The eating order of "eat vegetarian dishes first, then eat meat dishes, and finally eat staple food" is especially suitable for the following two types of people:

Diabetics and people with high blood sugar The order of eating is very important for diabetics and people with high blood sugar, and you can usually eat in this order, or you can drink some soup before meals, then eat vegetables, fish and meat dishes, and finally eat staple foods
.
For diabetic patients, it is easier to control
postprandial blood sugar by adjusting the order of meals.
In addition to being conducive to blood sugar control, it will play a certain role in improving some other indicators, such as weight, waist circumference, blood lipids, etc
.

Weight control people Usually eat give priority to high-fiber foods, such as vegetables, fungi, fruits, coarse grains, etc.
, which can produce a better sense of satiety, and then eat meat, fish and shrimp, which helps reduce total energy intake
.

It's not that everyone should have a fixed eating order
.
Different people should adjust their eating habits
according to their own needs.
If the digestion is poor or the stomach feels full, or even patients with chronic atrophic gastritis and gastric ulcer, it is not recommended to eat this way, and you should give priority to eating foods that are easy to digest and absorb
.

China Food News (October 13, 2022, Edition 06)

(Editor: Zhu Meiqiao)