Breaking Down Blood Sugar

And, yes, you can still eat carbs.

Blood sugar is creeping its way back into the health and wellness conversation, right alongside protein-everything and fiber-maxing. We see the CGM patches on influencer arms and questionable “blood sugar support” supplements clogging our feeds.

But we’re a savvy bunch here at Clean Life Collective, and many of us know what it feels like to have our blood sugar be out of whack – brain fog, all-consuming cravings, snack attacks. What we may not always connect, though, is that the most effective, clinically validated way back to balance is essentially the same tool that threw us off in the first place: food. But, this time, actual food and in balance.

The best way to eat for your blood sugar is the heart of how we create menus at CLC Meals, meal plans, and recommendations across the board. We keep our meals centered around the basics: protein, good fats, and lots of fiber. But, there are some tried and true favorites and some might surprise you (hello, carbs). So, let’s dig into it…

1. Legumes

If there was ever a cheap and cheerful food, it would be legumes. Dried, jarred, or canned, lentils, chickpeas, black beans and white beans have been found to improve glucose homeostasis in people with pre-diabetes (2025 RCT published in *Nature Communications*). They work through the gut microbiome to retrain your body’s blood sugar response from the inside – and that, combined with a low glycemic index, soluble fiber, and a boost of plant protein, makes them unique effective at flattening the spikes that happen after you eat.

Try It: Roast a can of chickpeas and toss with your favorite olive oil and seasonings – toss a half of a cup onto a salad or have on hand for a quick snack. CLC Meals also makes an incredible lentil vegetable soup – keep an eye on our menus so you can snag one. I always have one in the freezer for a meal in a pinch! Coming up next week is one of my personal favorites: a flavorful, hearty Tuscan Chicken Stew complete with white beans –hitting the protein, fiber, blood-sugar balance trifecta all at once.

CLC Brands We Love: We love Jovial Chickpeas and Eden Foods. Both use kombu, a seaweed, (which makes them easier to digest, reduces bloating and gas).

2. Whole Grains

A 2024 meta-analysis from a Nutrition Journal analyzed 37 randomized controlled trials (Fudan University Published in 2024) and found that consistent whole grain intake significantly lowered fasting blood glucose and insulin levels. The mechanism is beta-glucan – the soluble fiber found in oats and in barley, which forms a gel in your small intestine and physically slows glucose absorption. Less spikey, more steady.

Try It: If you follow me on Instagram, you’ve seen one of my favorite breakfasts: a protein pancake made oats, topped with a big spoonful of nut butter for healthy fat and a handful of berries for fiber. Simple, quick, and so delicious. If gluten doesn’t bother you, try farro or barley at lunch or dinner – great in salads or as a starchy side. And that fab Tuscan Chicken Stew mentioned above is meant to be served over quinoa.

CLC Brands We Love: For whole grains, organic is key – you’re avoiding pesticides while retaining the natural fiber, vitamins and minerals that make these foods work. One Degree Organic Oats are terrific (Costco sells them in bulk – bonus). For Quinoa, we like Simpli, Ancient Harvest, and TruRoots are faves.

3. Leafy Greens and Non-Starchy Vegetables

Spinach, kale, broccoli, zucchini, Brussels sprouts – make these the foundation of your meals, and you’ve done so much of the work for your blood sugar already. These vegetables are high in fiber and rich in magnesium, a mineral that plays a direct role in insulin signaling and sensitivity. The fiber slows digestion and glucose absorption; the magnesium helps your cells actually respond to insulin the way they should. Together, they are a quiet but powerful combination.

Try It: Salads are the most obvious move, but there are so many other ways to work greens in. CLC Meals’ Arugula and Shaved Fennel salad in next week’s delivery is a light but perfect lunch or dinner accompaniment. At breakfast, I love a Bonberi Green Smoothie – packing a serious punch of greens. And sheet pan batching is one of our favorite low-effort strategies: roast a bunch of veggies on the weekend, and use them as sides or tossed onto salads all week for contrast and flavor.

CLC Tip: Eat these fibrous foods *first* at your meals – before protein and carbs. Controlled studies have shown that this simple change in the order you eat can meaningfully reduce the glucose spike from that meal.

This is really the simplest way to keep your blood sugar in check. Add in these three categories of foods and feel the difference - less mood swings, better brain function, less energy crashes and cravings.

And a note on carbs (especially the legumes, the grains): some carbs are simple carbs and some are complex, some carbs break down into glucose quickly and some take longer. The complex carbs are friendlier for your blood sugar, the simples ones less so. Do you want to learn more about that? We can write it in our next post if you do. And we can also dive into resistant starch - that really fabulous trait of carbs that increases when you cook then cool your starchy carbs. And the more resistant starch, the less of a blood sugar spike. That’s why I called it fabulous. So tell me below if you want to learn more and what you thought about when you read this. I love to read (and respond to) all of your comments.