All of your favorite foods don’t always have to be avoided due to high blood sugar. The best eating habits for glucose management may need some deliberate alterations, but managing your blood sugar while indulging in tasty food is still possible.
For instance, eating a healthy breakfast in the morning is a fantastic option to focus on blood glucose control, but what specifically can you do at breakfast to prevent blood sugar spikes?
Author of Sports nutrition guide and a member of our expert medical council, Amy Goodson, MS, RD, CSSD, LD, says that pairing high-fiber carbohydrates with some protein at breakfast is one of the most crucial things you can do to help control your blood sugar levels.
This is because, without items that slow down digestion, carbohydrates can produce a blood sugar surge, making both of these nutrients essential for a healthy diet for persons with high blood sugar. Continue reading for the essential breakfast habit for your blood sugar.
How can combining protein and fiber with carbohydrates help lower blood sugar at breakfast?
Carbohydrates are the macronutrients absorbed the fastest because they provide the body with instant energy. Oatmeal, 100% whole grain bread, and other high fiber carbs are absorbed more slowly than more processed carbohydrates with added sugar (sugar baked goods for breakfast, muffins, some cereals, etc.), but when consumed alone, they can still cause blood sugar levels to rise.
Fortunately, having a tasty protein source along with your carbohydrates can help keep your levels under control. Protein makes you feel full more quickly and for longer after eating since it digests more slowly. So you aid in the stabilization of your blood sugar levels following a meal when you combine high-fiber carbohydrates with protein, claims Goodson.
Researchers and specialists in the diabetes field have concurred that this combination is highly advantageous. Although protein doesn’t include any carbohydrates, there is evidence that it doesn’t raise blood sugar levels and may even lower them after meals in those with type 2 diabetes.
In short, consuming simply high-fiber carbohydrates will raise blood sugar levels, but not as much as consuming simple carbohydrates, but combining them with protein will help lower those levels. However, this does not indicate that you must completely forgo carbs for breakfast. You risk consuming insufficient amounts of fiber if you cut out carbohydrates. However, protein and high-fiber carbohydrates work best when consumed together for breakfast.
Try these breakfast ideas.
Goodson has some fantastic suggestions to get you started if you’re searching for a delicious protein-rich breakfast that’s heavy in fiber and carbohydrates.
Think of waking up to breakfast options like eggs with vegetables and whole grain toast, Greek yogurt with berries and 100% whole grain cereal, oats with nuts and seeds and lean meat, or a cow’s milkshake, milk, Greek yogurt, fruit, nut oil, etc.
