Effect of Meal Sequence and Eating Speed on Blood Glucose After Eating Western Breakfast Among Healthy Young Adults

Impact of Meal Sequence and Eating Speed on Postprandial Glycemic Response of an Isocaloric Western Breakfast Among Healthy Young Adults

The goal of this clinical trial is to investigate the effects of meal sequence(the order in which carbohydrates/starches and non-starchy vegetables are consumed) and eating speed(slow or fast) on postprandial blood glucose response in healthy young adults (n=22) aged 20-25 years. The main questions it aims to answer are:

• Does consuming carbohydrate-containing foods before or after non-starchy vegetables influence postprandial blood glucose response?
• Does eating a standardized breakfast slowly (over approximately 20 minutes) or quickly (over approximately 10 minutes) affect postprandial blood glucose response?
• Do meal sequence and eating speed together influence postprandial glycemic response? Researchers will compare four breakfast conditions combining two meal sequences (carbohydrate-first and non-starchy vegetable-first) with two eating speeds (slow and fast) to determine their individual and combined effects on postprandial metabolic responses.

Participants will:

• Consume a standardized, isocaloric Western-style breakfast under four different experimental conditions.
• Consume the breakfast in the assigned food order and within the specified eating duration during each experimental visit.
• Attend four experimental visits in a randomized order, with a washout period between visits.
• Provide blood samples before and at 30, 60, 90, and 120 minutes after breakfast consumption to assess blood glucose levels.
• Undergo assessment of serum insulin and triglyceride responses according to the study protocol.

Study Overview

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Conditions: Healthy Adult Male Participants
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Intervention A: Carbohydrate-First, Slow Eating; Behavioral: Intervention B: Carbohydrate-First, Fast Eating; Behavioral: Intervention C: Vegetable-First, Slow Eating; Behavioral: Intervention D: Vegetable-First, Fast Eating

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 22
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Humaira Ashraf, M.Phil food & nutrition; Phone Number: +92 3356312424; Email: humairaashraf602@gmail.com

Study Locations

• Pakistan
  • Punjab Province
    • Lahore, Punjab Province, Pakistan
      • University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Paksitan
      • Contact: Sanaullah Iqbal Associate Professor, FSHN,UVAS; Phone Number: +923338981489; Email: sanaullah.iqbal@uvas.edu.pk
      • Contact: Humaira Ashraf M.phil Food and Nutrition; Phone Number: +923356312424; Email: humairaashraf602@gmail.com

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 25 years (Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: Male

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

Healthy male adults aged 18-25 years, with a BMI of 18.0-24.9 kg/m², without known diseases, regular medication use, or allergies to study food ingredients.

Exclusion Criteria:

Individuals with diabetes or other diagnosed diseases, those using medications, following specific diets, or having dietary restrictions or allergies to study food ingredients will be excluded.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Basic Science
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

4

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Sequence 1: A-B-D-C; Arm 1 - Sequence 1 (A-B-D-C): A: Carbohydrate-first + slow eating (20 minutes); B: Carbohydrate-first + fast eating (10 minutes) ; C: Vegetable-first + slow eating (20 minutes) ; D: Vegetable-first + fast eating (10 minutes). Participants receive an Isocaloric breakfast containg toasted white bread, scrambled eggs and stir fired non-starchy vegetables, in the sequence as :carbohydrate-first with slow eating, carbohydrate-first with fast eating, vegetable-first with fast eating, and vegetable-first with slow eating, in that order, over four weekly visits.	Behavioral: Intervention A: Carbohydrate-First, Slow Eating; Participants will receive an Isocaloric breakfast containg toasted white bread, scrambled eggs and stir fired non-starchy vegetables. Participants will consume the carbohydrate-containing portion of the standardized, isocaloric Western-style breakfast first, followed by the remaining meal components. The entire breakfast is to be consumed slowly over approximately 20 minutes.; Behavioral: Intervention B: Carbohydrate-First, Fast Eating; Participants will receive an Isocaloric breakfast containg toasted white bread, scrambled eggs and stir fired non-starchy vegetables. Participants will consume the carbohydrate-containing portion of a standardized, isocaloric Western-style breakfast first, followed by the remaining meal components. The entire breakfast is to be consumed quickly over approximately 10 minutes.; Behavioral: Intervention C: Vegetable-First, Slow Eating; Participants will receive an Isocaloric breakfast containg toasted white bread, scrambled eggs and stir fired non-starchy vegetables. Participants will consume the non-starchy vegetable portion of a standardized, isocaloric Western-style breakfast first, followed by the remaining meal components. The entire breakfast is to be consumed slowly over approximately 20 minutes.; Behavioral: Intervention D: Vegetable-First, Fast Eating; Participants will receive an Isocaloric breakfast containg toasted white bread, scrambled eggs and stir fired non-starchy vegetables. Participants will consume the non-starchy vegetable portion of a standardized, isocaloric Western-style breakfast first, followed by the remaining meal components. The entire breakfast is to be consumed quickly over approximately 10 minutes.
Experimental: Sequence 2: B-C-A-D; Arm 2: Sequence 2 (B-C-A-D) A: Carbohydrate-first + slow eating (20 minutes); B: Carbohydrate-first + fast eating (10 minutes) ; C: Vegetable-first + slow eating (20 minutes) ; D: Vegetable-first + fast eating (10 minutes). Experimental arm. Participants receive an Isocaloric breakfast containg toasted white bread, scrambled eggs and stir fired non-starchy vegetables, in the following order: carbohydrate-first with fast eating, vegetable-first with slow eating, carbohydrate-first with slow eating, and vegetable-first with fast eating.	Behavioral: Intervention A: Carbohydrate-First, Slow Eating; Participants will receive an Isocaloric breakfast containg toasted white bread, scrambled eggs and stir fired non-starchy vegetables. Participants will consume the carbohydrate-containing portion of the standardized, isocaloric Western-style breakfast first, followed by the remaining meal components. The entire breakfast is to be consumed slowly over approximately 20 minutes.; Behavioral: Intervention B: Carbohydrate-First, Fast Eating; Participants will receive an Isocaloric breakfast containg toasted white bread, scrambled eggs and stir fired non-starchy vegetables. Participants will consume the carbohydrate-containing portion of a standardized, isocaloric Western-style breakfast first, followed by the remaining meal components. The entire breakfast is to be consumed quickly over approximately 10 minutes.; Behavioral: Intervention C: Vegetable-First, Slow Eating; Participants will receive an Isocaloric breakfast containg toasted white bread, scrambled eggs and stir fired non-starchy vegetables. Participants will consume the non-starchy vegetable portion of a standardized, isocaloric Western-style breakfast first, followed by the remaining meal components. The entire breakfast is to be consumed slowly over approximately 20 minutes.; Behavioral: Intervention D: Vegetable-First, Fast Eating; Participants will receive an Isocaloric breakfast containg toasted white bread, scrambled eggs and stir fired non-starchy vegetables. Participants will consume the non-starchy vegetable portion of a standardized, isocaloric Western-style breakfast first, followed by the remaining meal components. The entire breakfast is to be consumed quickly over approximately 10 minutes.
Experimental: Sequence 3: C-D-B-A; Arm 3 - Sequence 3 (C-D-B-A): A: Carbohydrate-first + slow eating (20 minutes); B: Carbohydrate-first + fast eating (10 minutes) ; C: Vegetable-first + slow eating (20 minutes) ; D: Vegetable-first + fast eating (10 minutes). Participants receive an Isocaloric breakfast containg toasted white bread, scrambled eggs and stir fired non-starchy vegetables, in the sequence as: vegetable-first with slow eating, vegetable-first with fast eating, carbohydrate-first with fast eating, and carbohydrate-first with slow eating, in that order, over four weekly visits.	Behavioral: Intervention A: Carbohydrate-First, Slow Eating; Participants will receive an Isocaloric breakfast containg toasted white bread, scrambled eggs and stir fired non-starchy vegetables. Participants will consume the carbohydrate-containing portion of the standardized, isocaloric Western-style breakfast first, followed by the remaining meal components. The entire breakfast is to be consumed slowly over approximately 20 minutes.; Behavioral: Intervention B: Carbohydrate-First, Fast Eating; Participants will receive an Isocaloric breakfast containg toasted white bread, scrambled eggs and stir fired non-starchy vegetables. Participants will consume the carbohydrate-containing portion of a standardized, isocaloric Western-style breakfast first, followed by the remaining meal components. The entire breakfast is to be consumed quickly over approximately 10 minutes.; Behavioral: Intervention C: Vegetable-First, Slow Eating; Participants will receive an Isocaloric breakfast containg toasted white bread, scrambled eggs and stir fired non-starchy vegetables. Participants will consume the non-starchy vegetable portion of a standardized, isocaloric Western-style breakfast first, followed by the remaining meal components. The entire breakfast is to be consumed slowly over approximately 20 minutes.; Behavioral: Intervention D: Vegetable-First, Fast Eating; Participants will receive an Isocaloric breakfast containg toasted white bread, scrambled eggs and stir fired non-starchy vegetables. Participants will consume the non-starchy vegetable portion of a standardized, isocaloric Western-style breakfast first, followed by the remaining meal components. The entire breakfast is to be consumed quickly over approximately 10 minutes.
Experimental: Sequence 4: D-A-C-B A: Arm 4: Sequence 4 (D-A-C-B) Experimental arm: A: Carbohydrate-first + slow eating (20 minutes); B: Carbohydrate-first + fast eating (10 minutes) ; C: Vegetable-first + slow eating (20 minutes) ; D: Vegetable-first + fast eating (10 minutes). Participants receive an Isocaloric breakfast containg toasted white bread, scrambled eggs and stir fired non-starchy vegetables in the following order: vegetable-first with fast eating, carbohydrate-first with slow eating, vegetable-first with slow eating, and carbohydrate-first with fast eating.	Behavioral: Intervention A: Carbohydrate-First, Slow Eating; Participants will receive an Isocaloric breakfast containg toasted white bread, scrambled eggs and stir fired non-starchy vegetables. Participants will consume the carbohydrate-containing portion of the standardized, isocaloric Western-style breakfast first, followed by the remaining meal components. The entire breakfast is to be consumed slowly over approximately 20 minutes.; Behavioral: Intervention B: Carbohydrate-First, Fast Eating; Participants will receive an Isocaloric breakfast containg toasted white bread, scrambled eggs and stir fired non-starchy vegetables. Participants will consume the carbohydrate-containing portion of a standardized, isocaloric Western-style breakfast first, followed by the remaining meal components. The entire breakfast is to be consumed quickly over approximately 10 minutes.; Behavioral: Intervention C: Vegetable-First, Slow Eating; Participants will receive an Isocaloric breakfast containg toasted white bread, scrambled eggs and stir fired non-starchy vegetables. Participants will consume the non-starchy vegetable portion of a standardized, isocaloric Western-style breakfast first, followed by the remaining meal components. The entire breakfast is to be consumed slowly over approximately 20 minutes.; Behavioral: Intervention D: Vegetable-First, Fast Eating; Participants will receive an Isocaloric breakfast containg toasted white bread, scrambled eggs and stir fired non-starchy vegetables. Participants will consume the non-starchy vegetable portion of a standardized, isocaloric Western-style breakfast first, followed by the remaining meal components. The entire breakfast is to be consumed quickly over approximately 10 minutes.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in Postprandial Blood Glucose Incremental Area Under the Curve (iAUC) from 0 to 120 Minutes Across Four Breakfast Conditions	Measurement details: Blood glucose concentrations measured at baseline (0 minutes) and 30, 60, 90, and 120 minutes after breakfast consumption. The incremental area under the curve (iAUC) will be calculated to compare postprandial glycemic responses across the four conditions.	At baseline and 30, 60, 90, and 120 minutes after breakfast consumption during each of the four intervention visits (approximately 4 weeks).

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Postprandial Serum Insulin Response Across Four Breakfast Conditions.	Serum insulin concentrations will be assessed following consumption of each breakfast condition to evaluate differences in postprandial insulin responses associated with meal sequence and eating speed.	At baseline and 30, 60, 90, and 120 minutes after breakfast consumption during each intervention visit.
Postprandial Serum Triglyceride Response Across Four Breakfast Conditions	Serum triglyceride concentrations will be assessed following consumption of each breakfast condition to compare postprandial lipid responses associated with meal sequence and eating speed.	At baseline and 30, 60, 90, and 120 minutes after breakfast consumption during each intervention visit.

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore - Pakistan

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Estimated): December 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): March 1, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): March 1, 2027

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: November 5, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 5, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): November 12, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): November 12, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 5, 2026
• Last Verified: October 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Meal sequence Eating speed Postprandial glycemic response Glycemic control Healthy young adults
• Other Study ID Numbers: MealSequence-GlycemicResponse

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No