Scenario: You wake up in the morning and check your blood sugar. You notice that for some reason today, it’s coming back high! Or maybe you timed your snack a little too late, your dinner a little too early, and your medication nowhere near your meal.
Now you’re thinking to yourself “if my blood sugar is high, should I skip a meal?”
Don’t panic! This is a very common question I get, and I am more than happy to set the record straight!
The quick answer is NO. If you have diabetes, even if your blood sugar is high, it is NOT recommended to skip meals.
Read more to find out the scientific reasons why!
Why Skipping A Meal With High Blood Sugar Is Tempting
The thought process of skipping a meal when you have high blood sugar makes a lot of sense. If food raises your blood sugar, and your blood sugar is already high, why not just skip a meal to balance it out?
However, this thought is much better in theory than in reality. In reality, research has shown that when you skip meals, you tend to overcompensate in your subsequent meals.
For people with diabetes, this can be extremely detrimental, especially if you are taking medication to help stabilize your blood sugar. Skipping meals could lead to dangerously low blood sugar. And, if you’re overcompensating in your next meal, you could have too many carbs and go on the complete opposite end with dangerously high blood sugar.
For people with diabetes, it is best to have balanced, regular meals to stabilize blood sugar.
What Would Happen If I Skipped A Meal With Diabetes?
Regardless of whether or not you have diabetes, it is not recommended to skip meals because a whole slew of bad can happen.
In addition to potentially binging on your next meal, you’ll also be more likely to choose calorie-dense options that may not have the most nutritional value. This could lead to weight gain and insulin resistance.
You’ll also be more likely to be tired and groggy, as your brain likes to use glucose as fuel. By skipping a meal, you’ll be starving your brain of what it needs to help you pay attention.
Should I Eat Breakfast If I Have High Blood Sugar?
I wanted to make sure the scenario mentioned at the beginning of the article discussed fasting blood sugar because often times, this is the number that gives diabetics the most trouble. Breakfast is also the meal that people in general (not just diabetics) tend to want to skip the most.
If you remember grade school, everyone repeated to you that breakfast was the most important meal of the day. And while I can’t attest to it being the most important, I can confirm that it is at least equally as important as lunch and dinner.
In a study that followed over 1500 women (linked here), researchers found that participants who had irregular breakfast consumption had a significantly greater risk of developing type II diabetes compared to the women in the study who ate breakfast regularly.
Another study found that breakfast skipping (found here) was associated with higher A1c values and higher BMI.
What Should I Eat For Breakfast If I Have High Fasting Glucose?
If “If my blood sugar is high should I skip a meal” is the most frquently asked question regarding high numbers, the second most frequently asked question is “what should I eat in this scenario?”
Now that we’ve established that you should eat even if you have a high fasting blood sugar, we need to determine exactly WHAT to eat for breakfast.
My recommendation is to have a balanced breakfast with a focus on protein and fiber. Some ideas are an egg omelette with whole wheat toast or oatmeal with peanut butter and berries.
I am Chinese and am always craving Asian breakfasts, so for me this looks like a small bowl of chicken congee with extra chicken and scallions with steamed veggies on the side. Or, steamed dumplings with a side of kimchi!
Should I Eat Less Carbs For Breakfast If I Have High Fasting Blood Sugar?
You do not need to eat less carbs for breakfast if you have a high fasting blood sugar.
But, the amount of carbs you should have at breakfast really depends on your own eating habits, how your body responds to different carbs, and what you are comfortable with.
The general recommendation is to eat a lower carb breakfast because blood sugar is high in the morning and insulin resistance is greater.
Yet, not everyone will feel comfortable eating a lower carb breakfast. As an example, some find that having more carbs in the morning helps stabilize their blood sugars throughout the day. You may be the complete opposite where your body can’t handle any carbs in the morning.
The type of carb you are eating can also play a role in your response. Some people have found that they can have a slice or two of toast, while others have to avoid bread like the plague and opt for carbs in another way like fresh fruit.
Personally, I would just recommend experimenting to find what works best for you.
Do I Wait To Eat Breakfast If I Have High Fasting Blood Sugar?
You do not need to wait to eat breakfast if you have high fasting blood sugar.
If you’ve been testing your fasting blood sugar right after getting up in the morning and you’re used to eating breakfast within the hour, I would encourage you to continue this meal pattern.
Yet, if you’ve been testing your sugar in the morning and are waiting longer to eat because you just don’t find yourself hungry, you can also do that.
Is Having Less Meals Better For People With Diabetes?
In one study conducted in 2018 (linked here), researchers compared the effects on blood sugar for people having six meals versus three meals a day. Researchers found that in addition to subjective hunger being better in the group that had six meals instead of three, they also had better glucose control and A1c levels.
If I Am Not Hungry, Should I Force Myself To Eat With Diabetes?
Sometimes if you are on medication for diabetes, you may experience a loss of appetite. Given that your doctor probably recommended you lose some weight, you may even be tempted to lean into that loss of appetite.
Generally, if you have diabetes and your blood sugar is not dangerously low (less than 70mg/dL), you shouldn’t force yourself to eat.
At the same time, I would encourage you to keep a consistent meal pattern. Even if you don’t feel like having a big meal, you can have a nutrient dense “snack” AKA a small meal. This could look like a yogurt parfait with berries, cold cuts and nuts.
If you test your blood sugar and it comes back in the hypoglycemic range, you will have to eat 15g of fast acting carbs to bring blood sugar back to a normal range.
Conclusion
Skipping meals when you have diabetes can sound very logical. Maybe you’re not hungry, or your blood sugar came back high. Maybe you’re busy and don’t even feel like eating. Or maybe you’re trying to lose weight because your doctor told you that would help improve insulin sensitivity.
But, skipping meals is not a good idea for diabetics. Not only can skipping meals increase your blood sugar to unsafe levels, but it can also lead to weight gain due to overcompensation of calories/carbs in subsequent meals.
I hope my article can help you answer your question on “if my blood sugar if high, should I skip a meal?”.
Further Research
If you’re diabetic and like fun drinks like I do, you’ll want to check out my “nutrition” category which has a ton of articles about sugar free drink options from places like Sonic, Dutch Bros, Dunkin and Starbucks!
