Eating vegetables before rice can stabilize blood sugar

Consuming vegetables before carbohydrate-rich foods, such as rice, can provide significant health benefits, particularly regarding post-meal blood glucose levels. Research cited from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) suggests that eating vegetables, fruits, or protein before carbohydrates helps stabilize blood sugar.

According to Associate Professor Nguyen Trong Hung of the National Institute of Nutrition, while eating vegetables first is not a magic cure for detoxification or weight loss, it is a simple way to improve health when maintained as part of a balanced diet. The fiber found in vegetables slows down the digestion and absorption of carbohydrates, preventing the rapid glucose spikes often caused by refined carbohydrates like white rice. This mechanism is also supported by observations from Harvard Health, which notes that high-fiber foods digest more slowly, leading to more moderate blood sugar increases.