Veggies-First Meal Sequencing
Reorder a meal to slow the arrival of glucose
- Difficulty
- Starter
- Time to result
- ~days to results
- Steps
- 5
- Confidence
- 98%
Inchauspé presents meal sequencing as a practical way to alter the glucose response to food without changing the meal itself. Her order is vegetables first, protein and fat second, and starches and sugars last. She explains that fiber from vegetables forms a viscous layer in the digestive tract, which she says slows the movement of glucose from later foods into the bloodstream. The episode claims this ordering can reduce a meal's glucose spike substantially, although it does not inspect the underlying studies in detail. The most practical version is simply to add a vegetable starter and then eat the rest normally; no pause between components is required. The method is framed as an optional experiment, not a treatment or a reason to ignore medical advice.
Origin
Extracted from The Diary of a CEO. Jessie Inchauspé presents the sequence as one of the glucose-management hacks she derived from her reading of scientific studies.
Core principles
- 01Food order can change a meal's glucose response
- 02Fiber eaten first may slow later glucose absorption
- 03The method changes sequence rather than banning foods
- 04A vegetable starter captures most of the practical benefit described
How to run it
- 1
Map the Meal
Identify which foods provide vegetables and fiber, protein and fat, and starches or sugars. This makes the intended order visible before you start eating.
Pro tip Treat oils, avocado, or cheese as accompaniments rather than a separate required course.
Watch out Do not turn the sequence into a rigid rule that makes eating socially or psychologically difficult.
- 2
Start With Vegetables
Eat a vegetable starter or the vegetable portion first. Inchauspé suggests raw or cooked vegetables and says they can be dressed to make the starter enjoyable.
Pro tip At a restaurant, choose a vegetable starter instead of beginning with bread when practical.
- 3
Add Protein and Fat
Move next to the protein and fat in the meal. There is no waiting period in the method described in the episode.
Pro tip Keep the normal composition of the meal; the experiment is primarily about order.
- 4
Finish With Starch and Sugar
Eat bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, or dessert after the earlier components. This is intended to slow, not eliminate, their glucose impact.
Pro tip Dessert already arrives last in many restaurant meals, so focus first on changing the opening course.
Watch out A smaller glucose response does not make every quantity or food appropriate for every person.
- 5
Observe the Response
Notice energy and cravings after sequenced and unsequenced meals. Use the comparison to decide whether the habit is useful and sustainable for you.
Pro tip Compare similar meals rather than attributing every change to food order.
Watch out Subjective improvement does not diagnose or treat a medical condition.
In the wild
In the episode's example, broccoli comes first, fish follows, and pasta and the cookie come last; avocado and olive oil can accompany the fish. The foods and quantity remain unchanged while their order changes.
→ The example shows how to translate the sequence into an ordinary mixed meal.
Illustrative example: a diner who normally starts with bread chooses dressed vegetables first, then eats the main course and bread as usual. They compare their later energy and cravings with similar meals that began with bread.
→ The diner tests the method without banning bread or redesigning the whole meal.
Common mistakes
Starting With Bread
The method specifically aims to avoid eating starch first on an empty stomach, when Inchauspé says glucose reaches the bloodstream more quickly.
Waiting Between Courses
The episode says no delay is needed; adding one makes the habit harder without being part of the described method.
Treating the Order as Medical Care
Meal sequencing is presented as a general habit and should not replace diagnosis, prescribed treatment, or individualized advice.
Is it for you?
Best for
It is best for people who want to experiment with meal order while continuing to eat familiar mixed meals.
Not ideal for
It is not a substitute for individualized medical or dietary care, especially for diabetes, eating disorders, or gastrointestinal conditions.
From the transcript
“veggies first, proteins and fats second and starches and sugars last”
“you don't actually have to wait between any of these foods”
“always have a veggie starter at the beginning of a meal”
From the episode
The Scary New Research On Sugar & How They Made You Addicted To It! Jessie Inchauspé