Living with diabetes doesn’t mean you have to say goodbye to bread, pasta, or potatoes. But if you’ve ever felt frustrated watching your blood sugars spike after eating your favorite carbs, you’re not alone.
The good news? With the right strategies, it’s absolutely possible to enjoy carbs without sending your blood sugar soaring.
In this article and video, I’ll share 8 tried-and-true methods (plus 2 lesser-known strategies) you can use to keep post-meal blood sugar spikes in check.
These tips are based on decades of personal experience living with type 1 diabetes, backed by research, and designed to be practical for real life.
Watch the video here and read the article below:
Why Minimize Blood Sugar Spikes?
Keeping post-meal blood sugars more stable can improve your time-in-range and help you feel less fatigued.
For many, a spike means blood sugar rising above 180 mg/dL (10 mmol/L), but your personal definition might vary — and that’s perfectly fine. What matters is finding what works for you.
1. Be Smart About Portion Size (Focus on Glycemic Load)
It’s not always about what you eat, but how much. You might be able to enjoy rice, pasta, or bread without a major blood sugar spike if you stick to a portion that works for your body.
Two ways to find your sweet spot:
- Trial and error: Track your blood sugar response to different amounts of your favorite carbohydrates and dial in a serving size that works for you and your blood sugars.
- Glycemic Load (GL): This is a more nuanced measure that can help us put a bit of hard facts behind our choices. The Glycemic load is a measure of how quickly and how much a food raises blood sugar levels.
The Glycemic Load is fairly straightforward:
- Low GL: under 10
- Moderate GL: 11–19
- High GL: 20+
Example: A standard slice of white bread has a high GL (~20), while sprouted grain breads like Ezekiel have a much lower GL (~6).
You don’t need to memorize numbers. Just aim for lower GL foods and adjust portions based on your blood sugar response.
2. Choose the Right Types of Carbs
Different carbs impact blood sugar differently — even within the same food category.
The Glycemic Index, GI, is a measure of how quickly a food raises blood sugar levels, so it can be a great way to assess a carb’s potential blood sugar impact. For example, potatoes vary widely in their glycemic index:
- Russet: GI 95
- Yukon Gold: GI 58
- Sweet Potatoes: GI 94
Choosing lower-GI options can help reduce how much your blood sugar rises after meals. GI tells you how quickly a food raises blood sugar, which can be helpful when planning meals.
3. Add More Fiber
Fiber slows digestion, which can help blunt blood sugar spikes.
So, a great way to enjoy your carbs without that blood sugar spike can be to reach for high fiber foods.
High-Fiber, Low-GI Carb Examples:
- Lentils
- Chickpeas
- Steel-cut oats
- Quinoa
- Leafy greens and non-starchy veggies
Curious about fiber supplements like psyllium husk? Some research (especially in people with type 2 diabetes) shows it can help lower post-meal blood sugar when taken before eating — though effects can vary based on dose, timing, and individual response.
4. Avoid “Naked Carbs” (Add Protein or Fat)
“Naked carbs” are carbohydrates eaten on their own, without protein or fat. They tend to digest quickly, leading to faster blood sugar spikes.
How I build balanced meals:
- Breakfast: Eggs + Ezekiel bread (low GI)
- Lunch/Dinner: Lean protein (chicken, turkey, fish) + non-starchy veggies + some healthy fat (like avocado or olive oil)
Pairing carbs with protein or fat helps slow digestion and gives your insulin more time to work, reducing the intensity of the spike.
5. Time Your Insulin (for Insulin Users)
If you take rapid-acting insulin for meals, timing your dose can significantly affect post-meal blood sugar.
Why timing matters:
Most rapid-acting insulins (like Humalog or Novolog) don’t start working immediately and tend to peak 60–90 minutes after injection.
By pre-bolusing 10-15 minutes before a meal, you can better align the insulin’s peak with the time your food hits your bloodstream.
Note: If you use a pump, closed-loop system, or ultra-rapid insulin like Fiasp, your timing needs may be different. Always work with your care team to find what’s right for you.
6. Move Your Body After Eating
Light physical activity after meals can help bring down blood sugar by encouraging your muscles to pull glucose from the bloodstream.
Easy ways to get moving:
- Go for a 10–20 minute walk
- Tidy up the house
- Dance in your kitchen
Even 5–10 minutes can make a difference. Just be cautious if you’ve taken insulin recently, as the combination of insulin and activity may increase the risk of going low.
7. Chew Your Carbs, Don’t Drink Them
Liquid carbs (like juice or smoothies) tend to spike blood sugar faster than solid foods.
If you do enjoy smoothies:
- Blend whole fruits with the peel for extra fiber
- Add fat (peanut butter, avocado) or protein (Greek yogurt, protein powder)
- Keep portions modest
I personally avoid drinking my carbs because it’s harder to dose insulin for them, and they tend to hit my system too fast.
Here is a list of low-carb smoothies that have a minimal impact on your blood sugar.
8. Try Eating Carbs in the Afternoon
Many people are more insulin resistant in the morning and more insulin sensitive in the afternoon.
Personally, I find my body handles carbs best between lunchtime and early dinner (around 6 p.m.).
My approach:
- Morning: Low to moderate carb
- Afternoon: Higher carb options
- Evening: Light meals to avoid overnight highs
You may need to experiment to find your own pattern — just track your results and adjust.
Bonus Strategy 1: Eat Your Carbs Cold
It may sound strange, but cooling cooked carbs like rice or potatoes can increase their resistant starch content — a form of carbohydrate that isn’t digested as easily, potentially reducing their glycemic impact.
Example: A cold potato salad might spike your blood sugar less than a hot baked potato.
One study showed that cooling cooked potatoes could reduce their glycemic index by about 25–28%, but effects vary depending on food type, how it’s stored, and your individual response.
Bonus Strategy 2: Choose Underripe or Less Cooked Foods
Ripe fruit and long-cooked carbs break down more quickly in the digestive system, which can lead to faster blood sugar spikes.
Ideas to try:
- Eat a firmer banana instead of an overripe one
- Cook pasta or rice al dente (not mushy)
- Avoid overcooking starchy vegetables
Avoid undercooking foods that require proper preparation (like potatoes or rice), as that could cause digestive or food safety issues. This tip works best for things like fruit.
