The order in which we eat food impacts our health
We are what we eat, and we are also how we eat. If you have any health resolutions for 2023, the science of our eating order may help you. The order in which we eat our food at a meal makes a difference for our health and nutrition:
- Vegetables and fruits first
- Then protein and fats
- Then starch and simple sugars
An easy way I remember this is to visualize a parfait or a 3-course meal.
1.) Parfait example: Granola on the bottom of the bowl, then yogurt, nuts, and seeds on top of the granola, and then fruit on top of the yogurt. Eat from top to bottom.
2.) Meal example: First course is a vegetable and fruit salad. For the main course, eat vegetables, then protein, and then starch. Dessert is last.
Science shows this order of eating has the following benefits:
- Lower glucose peak up to 73%
- Satiety longer and fewer cravings
- Better hormonal balance
- Better skin
- Less inflammation
- Slowed aging
- Lower risk of disease
This is a piece from Cornell from a few years ago about this research: https://news.weill.cornell.edu/news/2015/06/food-order-has-significant-impact-on-glucose-and-insulin-levels-louis-aronne
Many diets fall apart because they’re so restrictive that they’re unsustainable. This idea is that we can eat healthier based upon the order in which we eat our foods rather than denying ourselves a food we love.