Who Can Benefit
- Broad group: Busy adults and health-minded readers seeking steadier energy after meals and improved blood sugar control.
- Medium group: People dealing with mild inflammation, stress, or metabolic discomfort who are looking for practical dietary tweaks.
- Narrow group: Individuals who experience brain fog, fatigue, or sluggishness after eating and want meals that feel more balanced.
2. What Research Shows
This study suggests that swapping part of a meal’s carbohydrate with lentil-based foods can blunt post-meal blood sugar spikes. Healthy adults ate muffins, chili, and soup where 25 g of available carbs came from green lentils, red lentils, or a conventional control. Green lentil versions lowered glucose iAUC versus chili and soup (p<0.0001) and lowered insulin iAUC across all foods (muffin p=0.03; chili p=0.0002; soup p<0.0001). Red lentil versions lowered glucose iAUC for muffins, chili, and soup (muffin p=0.02; chili p<0.0001; soup p<0.0001) and reduced insulin iAUC for chili and soup (p<0.0001) but not muffins (p=0.09). Relative glycemic response was lower with lentils across foods: muffins 88% (green) and 84% (red); chili 58% (green) and 48% (red); soup 61% (green) and 49% (red). In short, adding lentil-based ingredients can lessen post-meal glucose and insulin responses and generally reduce post-meal spikes.
3. How to Eat It
- Recommended Serving
- Aim to replace about 25 g of available carbohydrate per meal with lentil-based foods, a few times per week, when practical.
- Easy Ways to Eat It
- Use lentil-enriched muffins by adding cooked lentils or lentil flour to batter.
- Make chili or soup with a substantial lentil component instead of all meat or starchy ingredients.
- Add cooked lentils to salads, stews, or casseroles as a protein and carb mix.
- Flavor Pairings
- Green lentils have a milder taste and pair well with lemon, garlic, cumin, and olive oil.
- Red lentils cook quickly and add color; they work nicely in tomato-based dishes, chili, and creamy soups.
- Brighten lentil dishes with fresh herbs (parsley, cilantro), and balance with citrus, chili, cumin, or paprika.
4. Takeaway
Small swaps—replacing part of your meal’s carbohydrates with lentil-based ingredients—can lower post-meal blood sugar and insulin responses. Try incorporating a lentil-enriched muffin, chili, or soup once or twice this week to start supporting steadier energy after meals.