Flip the pecking order

Fibre, proteins, fats, carbs. The order in which you eat Indian food can make a big difference

- Tanisha Saxena

At most Indian dining tables, we first reach for roti while it’s soft, rice while it's steaming - carbs first, almost instinctively.

But emerging research suggests that this is what may be setting off the post-lunch fog, energy dips and 4pm cravings.

The fix isn’t cutting carbs or shrinking your portions. It’s sequencing them. The idea comes from a 2025 study published in the Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition, in which researchers led by Dr Saeko Imai asked patients with type 2 diabetes to simply eat vegetables before carbs. No food bans. No calorie math. Two years later, their HbA1c levels dropped from 8.3% to 6.8%.

Most good-eating guides advocate something similar: Eat your fibre first, follow with protein and fats, and leave the carbs for last. The order slows how quickly glucose enters the bloodstream, it softens blood sugar spikes and keeps you fuller for longer.