Most Americans will have done it at some point in their childhood – saving the veggies on their plates for last.

Now scientists say there is a medical benefit to eating your vegetables ahead of the meat, rice, or pasta on your plate.

Evidence shows that ‘meal sequencing’ can improve Blood Sugar, keep you feeling full longer, and boost weight loss. 

Veggies like broccoli, kale, Brussels sprouts, and artichokes are packed with fiber, which regulates the body’s sugars and slows Gastric Emptying, the process in which food moves from the stomach through the digestive tract. 

Opting for these first could lead to increased satiety, leaving people too full for dessert. 

‘We can’t discount that starting with veggies and getting that fiber in may cause you to eat overall less carbohydrates at the meal,’ Carolyn Williams, a registered dietitian in Alabama, told DailyMail.com.

‘It’s not necessarily the veggies themselves, but I think it’s the fiber in them that is probably making a difference.’ 

But it’s not just keeping you full, with a growing body of research showing eating vegetables first also has direct physical benefits.

In a study published in March in the journal Nutrients, researchers evaluated 18 young, healthy women in Japan who consumed either vegetables first or carbohydrates first. 

The study authors found that even when participants ate their food faster, those who started with vegetables had lower postprandial blood sugar- blood sugar after a meal- and insulin than those who started with carbs. 

‘It is important to “eat vegetables first and carbohydrate last” to ameliorate postprandial blood glucose and insulin even in fast eating,’ the researchers wrote.

It’s thought that fiber in fruit offsets any spike in blood sugar from foods like white rice and pasta in the meal.  

Additionally, a 2011 study out of Japan found that people with type 2 diabetes who ate vegetables before carbs at every meal for two years had greater long-term blood sugar control than those who did the opposite.  

A 2016 study published in the journal Diabetologia found that those who did this meal sequencing had delayed gastric emptying and greater secretion of incretin, a hormone that tells the body it’s full. 

What’s more, some research suggests veggies before carbs could stimulate production of GLP-1, the hormone that blockbuster weight loss drugs Ozempic and Wegovy mimic to signal that the body is full. 

‘You could almost say your vegetables are like your own small form of Ozempic,’ Ms Williams, who was not involved in the study, said. 

‘They increased that GLP-1, and that’s part of what slows digestion and slows gastric emptying. When you slow gastric emptying, your carbohydrates aren’t going to be digested quite as quickly and aren’t going to rush into the bloodstream as quickly.’

According to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), women under age 50 should get about 25 to 28 grams of fiber per day, while men under 50 should get 31 to 34 grams. Women over age 51 should get about 22 grams per day, and men over age 51 should consume 28 grams daily. 

However, experts estimate that as many as 95 percent of Americans don’t meet those thresholds.  

‘Most people do not get that,’ Ms Williams said. ‘You really have to be eating your vegetables to get that.’

When it comes to picking specific fiber-rich foods, ‘it’s really hard to go wrong with any of your vegetables,’ she said. 

Ms Williams named broccoli, green beans, squash, onions, and bell peppers as a few standout picks. Additionally, whole grain pasta, nuts like almonds, beans, and legumes can also contain up to seven grams of fiber. 

She also suggested starting meals with a salad, dressing it with olive oil, nuts, other veggies, and a small amount of cheese.

‘You want a little fat, you want fiber, you want protein, those are the key. They’re going to help keep you satisfied in between meals,’ Ms Williams said.