How to Make Each Meal Work for You

In this article:

• Meals are building blocks to healthy overall menus, but each meal also has immediate impacts.
• Within minutes, a single meal can affect blood sugar, blood pressure, hunger and fullness, energy levels, and more.
• Small changes to a meal can change its effects on your body. For example, studies have shown that adding lettuce to a fast food meal, adding protein to a high-carbohydrate meal, and swapping a vegan (plant-based) burger for a pork burger can improve the body’s response.
• Lark can help you choose more nutritious foods to reach your health and weight goals. Your Lark coach is available 24/7 to help you make healthy choices around nutrition, activity, and more.

Consistent healthy eating over the long term can help you reach your health and weight loss goals. A single meal doesn’t just contribute to your overall daily or weekly menu. It also affects your body within minutes.

Small changes like adding a healthy item and swapping a more nutritious alternative for a less nutritious one can have significant effects on measures related to health, mood, and hunger levels. Keep reading to learn what science says about a meal and health and how you can make small changes for a big and immediate impact.

Effects of a Single Meal

A single meal plays many roles. A meal satisfies hunger and provides energy and nutrients. It can contribute to your day’s structure and be a part of your social life.. Meals can be pleasurable, supporting mental well-being.

A meal also has many immediate effects on your body, such as these.

• Changes levels of hunger and satiety hormones
• Increases or decreases blood pressure, depending on the size and composition of the meal
• Affects blood sugar levels, insulin levels, and insulin resistance
• Alters endothelial function (“stiffness” or “elasticity” of blood vessels)
• Feeds your gut microbiome (the variety and types of bacteria in your gut)
• May affect gastrointestinal symptoms like bloating and gas
• Affects mood, stress levels, and ability to think clearly
• Impacts sleepiness and wakefulness

Balanced meals with nutritious components have the most benefits, but even small changes can make a difference.

Research Says…Adding Lettuce Lowers Blood Sugar

In one study, researchers looked at the effects of adding romaine lettuce to a meal in 16 healthy men. The study design was a randomized crossover, which means the men visited the laboratory three times. Each time, they ate a high-fat meal, which was a cheeseburger.

• One time, they ate the burger with a fiber supplement
• Another time, they had the burger with 100 grams of romaine lettuce (about 2 cups)
• Another time, they ate the burger with watercress

Researchers took measurements for the six hours after eating. They found that eating the meal with romaine lettuce led to lower blood glucose and less of an insulin response than eating the other meals. The study article is in Lipids in Health and Disease.

Research Says…Adding Protein to Carbohydrates Lowers Blood Sugar

In a different study, researchers looked at what happened when participants ate a

high-carbohydrate snack versus a snack with carbohydrates and protein. This study also had a randomized crossover design. Each participant visited the lab twice.

• One time, they had 40 grams of jam
• The other time, they had 40 grams of jam and an egg

A 40-gram portion of jam is 2 tablespoons and has 90 calories, 16 grams of added sugars, and no fat or protein. An egg adds 80 calories, 0 grams of carbohydrates or sugar, 6 grams of fat, and 7 grams of protein.

Researchers took measurements for two hours after participants ate the meal. They found that eating the snack with an egg led to less of a blood sugar spike at 30 minutes. It also led to less of a blood sugar dip 2 hours after eating. This means that adding protein and fat to a high-carb, high-sugar snack improved the blood sugar response.

The research is published in Iranian Journal of Public Health.

Research Says…Healthy Swaps Can Improve Hormones

In another study, 50 people with diabetes participated in a crossover randomized trial. They visited the lab twice. Each time, they ate a burger with a sesame seed bun.

• In one meal, the burger patty was pork, and the burger included cheese, lettuce, tomato, and a creamy sauce.
• In the other meal, the burger patty was a vegan couscous-based burger with oat flakes and spices.

Compared to the vegan meal, the pork meal was higher in fat and protein and lower in carbohydrates. The meals had identical calorie counts.

Researchers took measurements for three hours after participants ate the meal. They found that the vegan meal had positive effects.

• Levels of GIP (a satiety hormone) were higher
• Levels of PYY (a satiety hormone) were higher
• Lipids were lower
• Oxidation (linked to chronic diseases) was lower
• Blood sugar was lower

The research article is in PLOS One.

Simple Changes Make a Difference

The results of these and other research studies suggest that what’s in a meal matters. In addition, small changes - like adding lettuce, adding an egg, or swapping a plant-based patty for processed pork - can make an immediate impact on your health. You can use this information for motivation and inspiration when choosing what to eat.

How Lark Can Help

Small changes can help you improve heart health, lose weight, and manage or prevent chronic conditions. Lark can help you make positive choices on a daily basis. Your Lark coach is available 24/7 for encouragement, nutrition and physical activity coaching, and habit tracking. Lark can help you make healthy choices and establish habits that fit into your lifestyle so you can lose weight and keep it off with or without GLP-1 medications.

Click here to see if you may be eligible to join Lark today!

‍