Dietitian says eating salad before roti and rice helps regulate blood sugar levels if you have diabetes

In a recent video, dietitian Shweta Panchal highlighted the impact of fibre on blood sugar levels when you eat salad before roti and rice.

If you or someone in your house has diabetes, controlling the intake of carbs becomes a top priority, as simple carbs like roti and rice can increase your blood sugar quickly and can make it harder to manage your diabetes.

However, if it is not recommended by your healthcare professional, removing roti and rice from your diet cannot be the answer. According to dietitian Shweta J Panchal, MSc clinical nutrition, the sugar spike from roti and rice can easily be managed by eating salads before. “You have to eat salad before eating roti and rice, especially if you have diabetes,” she stressed.

Don't sleep on salads if you have diabetes

In a video shared on June 15, Shweta stated that if someone has diabetes, they shouldn't skip eating salads before eating roti or rice. “Eating a salad first adds fibre to your meal, and fibre slows down how quickly sugar enters your bloodstream. This means fewer sugar spikes and more stable energy after eating. It’s a small change, but it makes a big difference,” she explained.

How fibre helps in stabilising sugar levels

The dietitian also did an experiment in the video, which showcased our blood sugar levels with and without fibre. She took two glasses of water and mixed blue dye in them.

The first glass indicated our body without fibre, the second with fibre, with the dye acting as sugar. When she added the dye directly to the first glass, it indicated how quickly sugar mixes in our bloodstream. The dietitian explained that when we eat roti and rice without fibre, this is how sugar mixes in our blood, and our blood sugar levels also rise.

To show the role of fibre, she added the dye to a strainer and kept it over the glass. The strainer acted as a filter in the second glass and did not allow glucose to mix in the bloodstream as easily as in the first glass, allowing the sugar levels to rise steadily in the second glass.

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.