How the Order of What You Eat Matters

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 for anyone who tends to overeat, eat 
mindlessly, or almost always go for seconds or extra snacks after you have finished a 
meal.

Believe it or not, the order of what you eat on your plate does make a big difference. 
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 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 like 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 like potatoes and bread. There is nothing wrong with eating a roll 
with dinner, but try to save it for last.



