Here’s something fascinating: did you know the order of what you eat during each meal can actually make a difference? It changes everything, from how full you get and how quickly you get full, to how satiated you feel after your meal. This is great news for anyone who tends to overeat, eat
mindlessly, or almost always go for seconds or extra snacks soon after finishing a meal.
When I was a kid, I was one of those picky eaters who didn’t like my mashed potatoes touching my peas, and I also had one other quirky eating habit; I would start with one item, finish it, then move on to the next item.
I have no idea or when I began that habit, but it eventually faded away, as do most childish thoughts and behaviors.
But believe it or not, the order of what you eat on your plate does make a big difference in a host of ways.
Here are some things to know about what order to eat what if you are trying to develop healthy eating habits, stop overeating, and start losing weight.
To Fill Up, Eat Protein First
If you find your appetite and overeating to be your biggest struggles when it comes to losing weight, you need to figure out how to feel fuller with each healthy meal you consume. To start with, eat your protein first! Protein is going to help keep you full and let you understand your body’s satiety levels a little better.
This is really easy to do and doesn’t have to change what you eat at all. All you need to do is eat a meal with a good protein source like chicken, fish, steak, or even vegetable proteins such as beans or tofu, and eat that part of the meal first. Don’t go around the plate eating a little of everything, as it will cause your insulin levels to rise. Instead, eat all of your protein, THEN move on to everything else on your plate.
Eat Your Veggies and Fiber Next
This is not only going to help fill you up with the healthiest items on your plate, but it also helps to keep your insulin levels low. Every time your insulin levels rise, your body is going to stop burning fat for a certain period of time. You want to keep the levels as low as possible during your meals, which means saving all of the complex carbohydrates for last.
Once you have eaten your main protein source, you can then eat the salad or veggies on your plate, or any complex carbohydrates, like rice, quinoa, beans, or lentils.
Save Refined Carbs for Last
Your carbs are going to be last, or in this case, the refined carbs. These will raise your glucose and insulin levels the fastest, plus they can cause you to overeat a bit. This is when you eat carbs such as potatoes and bread. There is nothing wrong with eating a roll with dinner, but try to save it for last.
So who knew that I was a boy genius?
Well, whether that was true or not, it seems like eating your food in a particular order is not just for kids with food issues, but can actually be a good idea!
Hope you enjoyed this little tidbit of food wisdom. Hope to see you soon, and in the meantime, be sure to live well, eat well, and BE HAPPY!
Lawrence
p.s. To order my cookbooks, spice blends, soup & dip & pasta mixes, and more, be sure to visit https://mountain-man-gourmet.myshopify.com/
