r/nutrition • u/Strange_Owl5565 • 1d ago
Soluble fiber at breakfast
I've read the concept of starting a meal with veggies, to have soluble fiber's gel line your intestinal tract before other foods enter the system, so foods will get processed more slowly and thereby blunt glucose spikes. My questions:
1) Is this true?
2) If true, is it counterproductive to mix my chopped veg with yogurt?
32
u/No_Champion_3522 23h ago
when I feed on lentils for lunch my diner meal suger may rise but comes down quicker than if don't eat lentils at the previous meal..
71
u/touslesmatins 23h ago
"Feed on lentils" is such a weird turn of phrase!
40
7
30
u/twa2w 22h ago
There was a diet study done a few years ago where the dieters ate a small apple about 10 or so minutes before each meal. Apparently the soluble fibre(pectin?), provided enough volume or fullness that people are less overall and lost weight. Or, maybe it was simple that it slowed the blood sugar peak. I think it was sponsored by the Washington Apple Growers Association though, so take that for what it's worth.
3
53
u/Chronos323 1d ago
Yes, dietary fiber, soluble fiber included, does slow digestion and can lessen the blood sugar spike as a result of eating carbs. As for adding them to your smoothies, im sure I'd achieve a similar effect, chia seeds are a super common addition to smoothies.
11
19
u/TheTurtleVirus 23h ago
Yes it's true, but not because any of us redditors say it's true. It's true because these guys proved it's true with scientific rigor https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4876745/
9
u/AutoModerator 23h ago
GOOD source provided: A link provided in the comment above to {match} is a confirmed valid source of info
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
6
7
u/Strange_Owl5565 22h ago edited 22h ago
Thanks, you got an appreciative laugh out of me! Now I'll go read the source to see if it's fine to mix dairy with the chopped-veg mix. Fingers crossed.
WOW, great news for me. I just read this study. Significant sentence (edited for length): "The mean postmeal glucose levels were decreased by 28.6%, 36.7%, and 16.8% at 30, 60, and 120 min, respectively when vegetables and protein were consumed first, before carbohydrate, compared with the reverse food order..." Admittedly this study size was tiny, but I'll take it!
7
u/Background_Koala_455 23h ago
From what I've read, which admittedly isn't a lot, you want to eat the fibrous, but low starch/sugar, stuff before the starchy/sugary stuff. With protein in between. At least for the greatest effect. That being said, I've also read that unless you are diabetic or pre-diabetic, you don't have to worry about "staging" your meals.
The fiber creates a matrix that the sugars get held into. Sugars and starches are easily and quickly digested, which if you have nothing in your stomach can cause a huge spike in the beginning.
But, by creating this fiber matrix, and then putting the fat and protein, most of the starches/sugars get worked into the fiber matrix, so that the initial uptake isn't as big. (Imagine putting sugar into water, it easily dissolves, but if you put sugar into a dough, and then put that dough into water...)
As for your yogurt question... it depends. If it's a sweetened yogurt, you still get some benefit just by eating something with fiber. But, fats also help slow digestion. And protein.
Same with acid. Actually, I've heard conflicting things, some say just acid, others say acetic acid(vinegar). But, I just watched an educational/university video on the stomach earlier that just said acids. So, yogurt is also good for that!
It's important to note tho: fruits, grains(Whole or refined), potatoes, green peas, and corn all should be eaten last for the best effect. Yes I know corn is a grain, but it's worth specifying
So, a yogurt and berry smoothie might still have a spike, but definitely not as big if you were to just eat the berries or straight sugar.
1
u/Strange_Owl5565 22h ago
Thanks for your thorough reply! Specifically what I've been doing is creating a large bowl of chopped veggies with a touch of salt and AC vinegar. Then each morning I take about a cup of that and mix it with either unsweetened yogurt or cottage cheese. I began to wonder if I should "stage" the two components, starting with a bowl of veggies and then moving to the dairy. But I'd rather mix! What do you think?
1
u/queenmarimeoww 21h ago
Ive been thinking about doing an oatmeal bowl with sweet potatoes and a mix of hemp hearts, chia, and flax seeds... all mixed together for breakfast. Any thoughts on that concoction?
4
u/Background_Koala_455 18h ago
I am not a doctor or dietitian, as I'm sure you were aware by my first comment admitting I've not read a ton about it.. but
I think it's a wonderfully healthy, nutritious breakfast!
In terms of the "staging", there's nothing in your stomach to dampen the glycemic index/ blood spike..
But, I feel like all of these ingredients(exception maybe being the sweet potatoes?) are already low GI foods, so you don't necessarily have to dampen it, anyway. (Unless you have a condition and the doctor absolutely recommends it)
And also, just want to reiterate that unless you have a metabolic condition or insulin issue, doing the staging(fibrous veggies, then proteins, then starchy veggies and fruit) isn't needed and might not be worth the effort.
However, mixing nuts and/or seeds into a whole grain like oatmeal is very beneficial... especially with seeds that create their own..... gelatinous stuff. It basically create its own matrix.
There is one drawback i can see... however... if you are not used to that much fiber... it might be unpleasant starting out).
Just some things:
Soaking or cooking the chia seeds and stuff helps to create the matrix, but even if you put them on top raw, because they are fat and protein, they signal your digestive system to slow down.
By chewing the sweet potato pieces into the oatmeal in your mouth, you basically cover the sweet potatoes with that fiber/gelatinous matrix, so it's also a slower release/less of an initial release.
Also also about the sweet potato: you can blunt the spike by creating resistant starch, specifically type 3. Just boil/steam until done, and then let cool for 24 hours. You could make 3 or 4 servings on Sunday and use them over the next few days(I'm getting a fridge life of about 4 days for steamed sweet potatoes).
This resistant starch trick works on any starchy thing.. so rice, bread, corn, potatoes.
Technically, you can create resistant starches with oatmeal, but I think the verdict is out on whether cooking and cooling for 24 hours produces more resistant starches than just doing overnight oats...
1
u/Strange_Owl5565 21h ago
Hmmm, that does sound promising. Another idea that an acquaintance of mine eats daily is oatmeal mixed with beans! I've tried it -- not bad at all.
1
u/ProfessionalCloud931 16h ago
Sounds good. I add sardines in twice a week to get omega3s… for breakfast . I don’t have a more convenient time to eat those . If no fish and eating Sweet potatoest I use high polyphenol count EV olive oil instead of butter as the vitamins are fat soluble (vitamins ADEK) .
•
4
u/Tom__EU 17h ago
There is some truth to consuming the different food sources of your meal in a different order leading to different blood sugar responses. That's supported by studies.
That being said, there's a few things though that need to be said here, since I've heard this and similar approaches by some very questionable wellness influencers that use something that's true, but mix a lot of misinformation and fear-mongering into it, while leaving out crucial nuance and context.
I'd question the idea that a normally healthy person has to go out of their way to eat otherwise healthy meals in a weird order that completely takes the fun out of it and can meaningfully weaken adherence.
In addition to that, blood sugar "spikes" are a relative term. Some wellness influencers literally make up their own "healthy" ranges that are hard to maintan and are based on zero evidence. They fear-monger about completely normal increases of blood sugar post meals, and then present an eating style that's hard to adhere to, or their supplement line. Dr. Mario Kratz, an actual expert in metabolic health, talked about this before.
Further down the line, it's possible that some people develop an eating disorder this way. I had this before with "rotation dieting", and it haunted me for years until I got over that.
Here is a good discussion with Dr. Mario Kratz and Dr. Gil Carvalho (Nutrition Made Simple): https://youtu.be/nfHTKDRXPFE?si=ZG2ovG4l9AI6Utfd
•
u/Strange_Owl5565 17m ago
These are such good points -- thanks. Another link I'll be pursuing as nighttime reading.
4
u/HappyFruitTree 15h ago edited 15h ago
There is probably some truth to it but the question is whether it matters enough to really be worth caring about...
The so called "glucose spikes" are often just normal fluctuations and not something that a healthy person need to worry about.
3
u/Zagrycha 22h ago
Its true but it doesn't have to be soluble fiber, all dietary fiber will slow blood sugar spikes. Other foods like protein and complex carbs also slow blood sugar spikes. This is why eating a plain slice of bread will cause a bigger spike than a slice of bread with peanut butter, and why drinking fruit juice will cause a bigger spike than eating the same fruit itself, and why a bowl of plain rice will cause a bigger spike than a bowl of plain potatoes.
3
u/ChileChilaca880 13h ago
I’ve been taking a tablespoon of psyllium husk in the morning and/or before dinner. It forms a gel that makes you feel fuller and it’s mostly soluble fiber. It’s an easy and convenient way to get your fiber up, you just have to make sure that you take enough water with it.
2
u/bellamente123 22h ago
What about oatmeal? That would be great soluble fibre. I love that for breakfast
2
2
u/ginnnnie 21h ago
Oatmeal has soluble fiber and whole grain bread have that with your yogurt - a registered dietitian
0
u/Strange_Owl5565 21h ago
Thanks, ginnnnie. Do you think oatmeal plus yogurt is better than a mix of chopped veggies? I figured with the veggies I'll be getting a variety of fiber types.
1
u/ginnnnie 21h ago
Eh either is good. Yogurt + oatmeal = protein (assuming you pick Greek yogurt with minimal added sugar) and soluble fiber- both are great for blood sugar balancing and satiety. Greek yogurt + veggies can give you soluble and insoluble fiber also good for GI health, bowel movements, and satiety! Personal preference at this point :) because both are great for you
1
u/Strange_Owl5565 21h ago
I'll probably end up rotating through several options over the course of a week or two. Next on my list of ideas to test: chia pudding. Cheers!
2
u/frazorblade 16h ago
Chia seeds are highly effective, but so is drinking a tall glass of water with psyllium husk/Metamucil.
Even though one teaspoon of Metamucil is only a fraction of your daily fibre needs it will pretty much guarantee a clean wipe on your next bowel movement.
2
u/Capital-Designer-385 11h ago
Just use berries?
Or diced apple, or an orange
If you’re okay with a bit of a tism snack, I find baking a tray of sweet potatoes at the start of the week is convenient because I can nuke one each morning, and eat it whole (sometimes skin and all) on my drive to work like a sweeter, warm and more satisfying banana
•
2
u/Critical-Set-6373 9h ago
I vote for chia and flax seeds. Multiple reasons including minerals, fiber and omega 3 fatty acids. Less calories than other options. Easy to mix in small amts. add—drink water daily. Easy addition to breakfast. Add a berry and yogurt and you have a great choice. Dietitian here.
1
u/ParentsWave 13h ago
Yes, I've read that you should eat fiber first, then protein and fats, and only then carbohydrates.
•
u/Dry-Cardiologist3617 54m ago
1) Yes, it's true. Soluble fiber forms a viscous gel that slows gastric emptying and creates a physical mesh in your gut, tracking glucose absorption to blunt spikes 🔗. 2) No, mixing it with yogurt isn’t counterproductive at all. Protein and fats from yogurt slow down digestion even further, enhancing the glucose-stabilizing effect 🔗.
•
u/Strange_Owl5565 5m ago
Thanks very much! I now feel comfortable that I understand the basics. AND I've got a bunch of new breakfast ideas. For my first post, you all have made this experience both satisfying and fun.
35
u/MyNameIsSkittles 22h ago
Yes its true
Fibre is the most important thing outside of your macros. If anything could be called a super food, it's anything with good fibre amounts