NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
It’s not just dessert that’s driving up your blood sugar.
Some everyday foods such as oat milk, fruit juice and a bowl of brown rice that seem healthy could also be raising your risk for disease and contributing to stubborn belly fat, leaving you feeling tired, hungry and craving sugar.
“Oat milk, ‘naked carbs’ and fresh fruit juice often carry a health halo, yet they can cause glucose spikes higher than what’s considered optimal,” Sarah Steele, a registered dietitian and metabolic success manager in California with the health platform Signos, told Fox News Digital.
“Similarly, many packaged foods marketed as plant-based, vegan or gluten-free are highly refined versions of what were once whole foods, which makes them much more likely to elevate glucose levels,” she said.
Frequent blood sugar spikes force your body to release more insulin, and over time your cells stop responding to it — a process called insulin resistance, which can lead to Type 2 diabetes.
Nearly half of Americans have insulin resistance and about 13% are diabetic, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Even for those without diabetes, blood sugar swings can lead to fatigue, hunger, irritability and cravings, experts say, but a few smart swaps plus timing your meals strategically can help keep blood sugar steady.
1. Oat milk
Experts recommend choosing unsweetened versions and pairing them with protein, fiber or healthy fats to help slow how quickly sugar enters the bloodstream.
Unsweetened almond milk, coconut milk and full-fat dairy can help steady blood sugar.
2. Dried fruit
Dried fruit packs nutrients and fiber, but without the water found in fresh fruit, its natural sugars are more concentrated, so your blood sugar can rise faster if you eat too much.
A quarter cup of raisins, for example, contains the same total carbohydrates as about one full cup of grapes, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
One of the simplest ways to keep blood sugar steady while eating dried fruit is to pair it with protein or healthy fats like nuts, seeds or yogurt, according to Verywell Health.
3. ‘Naked carbs’
Jessie Inchauspé, author of the book “Glucose Revolution,” said one of the biggest mistakes people make is eating “naked carbs” — carbohydrates without protein, fat or fiber.
“A bowl of pasta is naked carbs,” she told The Guardian. “But if you add spinach, chicken and olive oil, you’re adding protein, fiber and fat, which slow down the speed at which the carbs are digested, and the glucose arrives in the bloodstream.”
Studies have also found that eating carbohydrates last — after protein and vegetables — can significantly reduce post-meal glucose spikes.
“Food order and portion control are your best allies when it comes to keeping simple carbs in your diet without large glucose spikes,” Steele said.
She also recommended drinking water with carbs and avoiding foods that cause spikes after 3 p.m. when the body is more likely to store excess glucose as fat.
4. Fruit juice
Juice may seem like a vitamin-packed choice, but removing fiber from fruit delivers a rapid sugar hit that can overwhelm the liver and raise diabetes risk over time. Even 100% fruit juice can cause glucose spikes, research has found.
“Better options are often the simplest ones,” Steele said. “Choose a whole piece of fruit instead of juice.”
Experts also recommend blending whole fruit into smoothies, choosing blends with lots of vegetables and diluting juice with water instead.
5. Brown rice
Brown rice is often considered healthier than white rice, but it can still cause noticeable blood sugar spikes because it’s mostly starch.
Research has found that whole grains like barley, quinoa, bulgar and farro can provide a steadier energy release and better insulin response than rice-based meals.
Steele recommends building meals around vegetables, quality proteins like fish and chicken, and “slow carbs” like half a sweet potato and quinoa.
6. Granola bars
Many granola bars are loaded with syrup, honey or sugar as primary sweeteners and often don’t include enough fiber, protein or healthy fat to slow digestion, so the sugars hit the bloodstream fast.
Dietitians advise choosing bars with less than about 6 grams of added sugar and at least 5 grams of fiber.
Nutrition experts also recommend looking for bars made with nuts, seeds and whole grains, and checking that protein is included to help blunt spikes.
“After your meal, make time for a walk or any gentle movement to help your body process glucose more efficiently,” Steele said.
The post 6 healthy foods that could secretly spike your blood sugar, and what to eat instead appeared first on Fox News.
