Why Salads Are Eaten Before Meals

If you're following traditional dining etiquette in the U.S., you place the salad bowl on top of the dinner plate when setting the table. This allows diners to have a salad before the main meal. Even though these rules may seem arbitrary today, many of these traditions have practical reasoning behind them, including the habit of eating salad before a meal. In fact, there's even science supporting this one.

In France, salad is often eaten after a meal, but science might not be in their corner. Experts say that eating a salad before you get to the entree could help better manage your blood sugar. We already know a vegan diet may aid in this as well. Eating a high-fiber salad before your main course and any starchy sides like rice or pasta slows how quickly your stomach empties. That can reduce how quickly glucose enters your bloodstream.

People with diabetes tend to be more aware of blood sugar spikes than others, but it's beneficial for everyone to understand how they work and affect the body. When the absorption of glucose is consistent, your energy levels are more stable. People used to call them sugar highs, and if you have ever experienced a spike with a crash afterward, you understand how this works. Instead of having that crash, eating a meal with the salad first and the starches at the end makes for more balanced glucose absorption. The benefits of this include reduced cravings later, better metabolic health, and even weight loss.

In addition to stabilizing your glucose levels, eating a salad course ahead of your meal has some other potential benefits. Salad causes you to digest the food in your stomach more slowly. That can lead to consuming fewer calories overall by reducing the cravings you may feel. If you are interested in weight management, eating salad is not just about choosing a lower calorie food instead of something higher calorie. Eating it before the rest of the meal may help you feel full sooner, giving that sense of satiety so you consume fewer calories overall.

Leafy greens promote good gut health, in addition to the fiber you may get from the other vegetables in a salad. Certain greens like arugula may also support digestion if consumed before your meal. This is because bitter foods, like arugula and similar greens, interact with your stomach in a unique way. There is evidence that they help stimulate the production of digestive enzymes. The benefits of that also include a feeling of fullness earlier on, plus a stabilizing effect on your metabolism.

A 2012 study in the journal Appetite showed that eating a salad before a meal increased vegetable consumption by 23%. According to the USDA, 90% of Americans don't eat enough vegetables, so having a salad before the meal to get that 23% boost could be invaluable for a more balanced diet and the associated benefits. With that in mind, why not try some of these salad recipes before your next meal?