Before you ban the rice, try this

You eat an ordinary meal, see a higher-than-expected blood sugar reading, and immediately blame the bread, rice, potatoes, or fruit. Suddenly, lunch feels less like food and more like a mistake.

It is understandable to think the safest answer is to remove the carbohydrate completely. Carbohydrates have the most direct effect on blood sugar, and many people have been given advice that makes them sound like the enemy. But “never eat that again” is rarely the only option—or the most practical one. This week’s main idea is simple: before removing the carbohydrate, see whether you can change the meal around it.

Carbohydrate is found in foods such as rice, bread, potatoes, oats, noodles, fruit, milk, yoghurt, beans, and lentils. During digestion, much of it becomes glucose, which can raise blood sugar. That does not automatically make these foods bad. It means the amount, type, and what you eat alongside them can influence the size and speed of the rise.

Consider a large bowl of white rice eaten by itself. Removing the rice is one possible response, but it is not the only one. You might use a little less rice and add eggs, beans, chicken, fish, tofu, or plain yoghurt, depending on what is familiar, affordable, and available. Adding vegetables can provide fibre and volume. You still have a recognisable, satisfying meal, but the balance has changed.

The same approach can work with bread or potatoes. Instead of having several slices of bread alone, you might have fewer slices with eggs, beans, fish, cheese, or peanut butter. Rather than making potatoes the largest part of the plate, you could serve a smaller amount with vegetables and an affordable protein. The aim is not to create a perfect “diabetes meal.” It is to make one useful adjustment without turning your routine or budget upside down.

Portion size is often the simplest place to experiment. This does not mean eating a tiny meal and staying hungry. It means shifting some of the space from carbohydrate to foods that may help the meal feel filling and produce a steadier response. Beans and lentils are especially useful because they provide both carbohydrate and protein, while eggs, frozen vegetables, tinned fish, and plain yoghurt can also be practical options.

One high reading does not prove that a food must disappear. Blood sugar can also be affected by timing, sleep, stress, illness, activity, medication, and even differences in how a meal was prepared. A reading is information about that moment, not a judgement on your effort or character.

If possible, try one small meal change and observe what happens when you eat a similar meal again. For example, keep the rice but reduce the amount slightly and add beans or vegetables. Use the testing time recommended by your healthcare team, then compare several similar occasions rather than expecting one reading to provide a final answer.

If the same meal repeatedly takes you above the target range agreed with your healthcare team, it is worth discussing the pattern with them. People who use insulin or medicines that can cause low blood sugar should be especially cautious about suddenly removing large amounts of carbohydrate, because food and medication may need to stay coordinated. Do not change medication doses without appropriate guidance.

You do not always need to choose between eating the carbohydrate and banning it. Often, the more realistic answer is to change its portion or company. This week, choose one familiar meal and make one edit: keep the rice, bread, potatoes, or noodles, but pair a little less with protein, beans, or vegetables. Then observe with curiosity—not judgement.

Until next week,
Michael

PS: We’re building Cocoa, a diabetes food companion designed to help people explore practical meal changes without labelling everyday foods as “good” or “bad.” If you would like to test it and share what would genuinely help at mealtimes, reply to this email. Testing spots are limited while we keep the feedback manageable.