{"id":882089,"date":"2026-09-03T18:36:10","date_gmt":"2026-09-03T18:36:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/882089\/"},"modified":"2026-09-03T18:36:10","modified_gmt":"2026-09-03T18:36:10","slug":"the-no-1-plant-based-protein-to-balance-blood-sugar-according-to-a-dietitian","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/882089\/","title":{"rendered":"The No. 1 Plant-Based Protein to Balance Blood Sugar, According to a Dietitian"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you find yourself hungry and grumpy just an hour or two after eating, you might be riding a blood sugar rollercoaster. Instead, reach for a more satisfying meal built around plant protein, which can help keep your blood sugar stable<\/a> throughout the day.<\/p>\n

There is a special formula for a filling meal<\/a> that won\u2019t spike your blood sugar, explains Natalie Rizzo, registered dietitian and TODAY nutrition editor.<\/p>\n

\u201cProtein, fiber and healthy fats are the three nutrients that contribute to balanced blood sugar,\u201d she says. \u201cFiber slows digestion and the absorption of carbohydrates, while protein and fat also help make a meal more satisfying and slow the rise in blood sugar.\u201d<\/p>\n

That doesn\u2019t mean you can\u2019t eat carbs, of course. In fact, you can and should eat carbohydrates for many reasons. <\/p>\n

But ideally, \u201crather than eating a carbohydrate on its own, pair it with foods that provide some combination of protein, fiber and healthy fats,\u201d Rizzo says. <\/p>\n

And one of the benefits of choosing plant-based proteins is that \u201cthey do double duty,\u201d Rizzo says. Foods like beans, lentils and chickpeas naturally contain both protein and fiber while nuts and seeds<\/a> provide both protein and healthy fats. <\/p>\n

Here are a few of Rizzo\u2019s favorite plant-based proteins to help keep your blood sugar steady.<\/p>\n

The No. 1 Best Plant-Based Protein to Balance Blood SugarLentils<\/p>\n

Rizzo\u2019s top plant protein pick for balancing blood sugar is lentils.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey have a really impressive combination of protein and fiber,\u201d she says. Just a cup of cooked lentils has about 18 grams of protein and 16 grams of fiber. <\/p>\n

\u201cThat combination makes them filling and helps slow digestion,\u201d Rizzo explains, \u201cwhich is what you need for steadier blood sugar. They\u2019re also incredibly versatile and inexpensive.\u201d<\/p>\n

She loves adding lentils to salads for a protein boost or to pasta sauces for plant-based bolognese<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Other Plant Proteins to Try for Balanced Blood SugarBeans<\/p>\n

Another great, satisfying option for balanced blood sugar is beans, Rizzo says. They are \u201ca very close second (to lentils) because they also provide that protein-fiber combination,\u201d she explains. <\/p>\n

The exact amount of these nutrients you\u2019ll find depends on the variety of beans you\u2019re eating. Black beans and kidney beans are both high-protein, high-fiber and highly versatile.<\/p>\n

Try using them in Rizzo\u2019s colorful sweet potato and black bean quesadilla recipe.<\/a><\/p>\n

Edamame<\/p>\n

Yes, technically, edamame are also beans. They are green, immature soy beans. But Rizzo lists them separately and uses them differently from other types of beans. In fact, she listed them previously as her favorite plant-based protein snack.<\/a><\/p>\n

A half-cup serving of edamame contains a whopping 9 grams of protein along with around 4 grams of fiber. <\/p>\n

Rizzo enjoys adding edamame to whole wheat pasta, veggies and a peanut sauce for a hearty weeknight dinner. And her crispy edamame<\/a> is a simple, high-protein plant snack to take on the go.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"If you find yourself hungry and grumpy just an hour or two after eating, you might be riding…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":882090,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[49,48,84,395],"class_list":["post-882089","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nutrition","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-health","tag-nutrition"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/882089","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=882089"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/882089\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/882090"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=882089"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=882089"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=882089"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}