An insulin resistance meal plan builds each meal around protein and vegetables, adds a modest serve of high-fibre, lower GI carbohydrate, and spreads food over three regular meals. Our 3-day sample uses Australian supermarket foods: about 6,500 to 6,700 kJ (1,550 to 1,600 Cal), 84 to 107 g protein and 31 to 41 g fibre a day.
Energy needs vary a lot with your size, age and activity, so treat the amounts as a starting point. If you take medicines for diabetes, especially insulin or a sulfonylurea, check with your GP or an Accredited Practising Dietitian before you change your meals.
Fridge: Natural yoghurt (1 kg), Eggs (half dozen), Reduced fat milk, Feta, Reduced fat cheddar, Firm tofu, Atlantic salmon fillet (150 g), Chicken breast (150 g), Lean beef mince (100 g)
Fruit and vegetables: Strawberries, Blueberries (fresh or frozen), Apple, Orange, Kiwifruit, Avocado, Tomatoes, Baby spinach, Cos lettuce, Lebanese cucumber, Red capsicum, Carrots, Zucchini, Onion, Broccoli, Green beans, Snow peas, Sweet potato
Pantry: Rolled oats, Mixed grain bread, Canned chickpeas, Tuna in springwater, Canned or dried lentils, Canned tomatoes (no added salt), Wholemeal pasta, Quinoa, Low GI rice, Walnuts, Almonds, Chia seeds, Olive oil
Eat mostly vegetables, legumes, fruit, wholegrains, nuts, fish, eggs, yoghurt and lean meat, and keep refined carbohydrate and sugary drinks for now and then. The NDSS plate is a simple guide: fill half your plate with non-starchy vegetables or salad, a quarter with a high-fibre, lower GI carbohydrate, and a quarter (about a palm-sized serve) with lean protein.
Insulin resistance means your cells respond less to insulin, so your pancreas makes more of it to keep glucose in range. For years your glucose can look normal while insulin works overtime. Meals that release glucose slowly, with protein and fibre to blunt the rise, ask less of that system.
“Insulin resistance tends to precede glucose impairment by about 10-15 years, but it is not routinely looked for in modern general practice and is rarely highlighted by doctors. Addressing hyper-insulinemia, before glucose becomes impaired, is ideal and optimal when it comes to prevention.”
Dr Michelle Woolhouse, Vively Medical Director
That is why we look at fasting insulin as well as glucose. If you've had a blood test, see where your fasting insulin sits against Vively members your age.
Compare your result with Vively members of your age and sex. Based on 5,405 members’ first blood test.
| Group (mIU/L) | Members | 5th | 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | 95th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Women 18 to 29 | 234 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 7.0 | 10.0 | 14.0 | 17.2 |
| Women 30 to 39 | 880 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 6.0 | 9.0 | 13.0 | 16.6 |
| Women 40 to 49 | 1,028 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 6.0 | 9.0 | 13.0 | 17.0 |
| Women 50 to 59 | 790 | 2.9 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 6.0 | 10.0 | 15.0 | 19.0 |
| Women 60+ | 444 | 3.0 | 3.9 | 5.0 | 7.0 | 11.0 | 18.0 | 22.0 |
| Men 18 to 29 | 218 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 6.0 | 8.6 | 13.0 | 15.0 |
| Men 30 to 39 | 574 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 6.0 | 8.0 | 13.0 | 17.0 |
| Men 40 to 49 | 625 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 6.0 | 10.0 | 15.0 | 19.0 |
| Men 50 to 59 | 372 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 7.0 | 11.0 | 17.0 | 24.0 |
| Men 60+ | 240 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 5.0 | 7.0 | 10.0 | 16.0 | 20.2 |
Our optimal range for fasting insulin is 3 to 5 mIU/L, while most labs only flag results above about 10. You can also turn your fasting glucose and insulin into a HOMA-IR score with our HOMA-IR calculator, or read more on the fasting insulin test.
Start with protein, add plenty of vegetables, then choose a carbohydrate that brings fibre with it. Every meal in the sample plan follows that order.
Eggs, yoghurt, fish, chicken, lean red meat, tofu, legumes and cheese all count. Protein can slow how fast a meal leaves the stomach, and it keeps you fuller. The plan gets 84 to 107 g a day from these foods.
The NHMRC sets the adequate intake for fibre at 25 g a day for women and 30 g for men. Each day in the plan reaches it with legumes, oats, wholegrains, fruit, nuts, seeds and vegetables. If you're well short now, build up over a few weeks and drink more water to avoid bloating. Our fibre hacks show easy ways to get there.
You don't need to cut carbs out. The NDSS suggests a small amount of carbohydrate food at each meal, spread across the day. Lower GI choices such as legumes, oats, quinoa, dense grainy breads and most fruit break down into glucose more slowly. Portion size matters as much as the type.
“Eat your vegetables or salad first, followed by protein/fat and then carbohydrates.”
Dr Michelle Woolhouse, Vively Medical Director
Our members' glucose sensors show how much a single food choice moves the typical rise. The differences between similar foods are often smaller than people expect, which is a reason to focus on portion and what goes with the carbohydrate.
| Instead of | Typical rise | Try | Typical rise |
|---|---|---|---|
| White rice | 1.8 mmol/L (572 members) | Basmati rice | 1.5 mmol/L (75 members) |
| White bread | 1.8 mmol/L (151 members) | Sourdough | 1.7 mmol/L (522 members) |
| Weet-Bix | 2.5 mmol/L (138 members) | Muesli | 1.6 mmol/L (237 members) |
| Fried rice | 2.0 mmol/L (263 members) | Pasta | 1.3 mmol/L (1,058 members) |
The University of Sydney's GI data points the same way for rice: jasmine rice has a GI of 79 to 109, while SunRice Low GI White Rice tests at 53 to 54. Pairing helps a little too. When 389 members ate a banana with only protein or fat alongside, 56% had a smaller rise than when they ate it on its own.
Lunch is where many people fall back on a white bread sandwich or sushi on the run. These options travel well and hold you to dinner:
For a longer plan, our 7-day meal plan for prediabetes follows the same principles across a full week.
Food is one lever. Muscles are the biggest users of glucose, so movement does a lot of the work too.
If weight loss is part of your plan, our guide to losing weight with insulin resistance covers it in more depth.
A meal plan works best when you can see it working. The Baseline Health Check measures fasting insulin, HOMA-IR, fasting glucose and HbA1c among 70+ markers, read against optimal ranges, and a practitioner explains what they mean for you. Your membership includes a targeted re-test after 3 months. With Vively's CGM program you can test meals like these against your own glucose, and dietitian coaching through the $99 a month membership helps you adapt the plan to your tastes, budget and week. Learn how a continuous glucose monitor fits in.
The Baseline Health Check covers 70+ markers, including fasting insulin, HOMA-IR and HbA1c, from one blood draw at one of 3,700+ partner collection centres.
The best plan is one you can keep up: three regular meals built around protein and vegetables, with a modest serve of high-fibre, lower GI carbohydrate. There is no single best diet. Mediterranean-style, lower carbohydrate and higher fibre patterns can each work for different people. A dietitian can tailor one to you.
There is no set number for everyone. Our sample plan has about 110 to 150 g of carbohydrate a day, spread across meals, which suits many adults. Your needs depend on size, activity and medicines. A dietitian, or a CGM, can help you find the amount and spread that works for you.
Often, yes. Eating more fibre and protein, cutting back on refined carbohydrate, losing weight if you carry extra, and moving more can all improve insulin sensitivity. Fasting insulin and HOMA-IR are useful markers to re-test after about three months to see whether your changes are working.
Only if you're hungry. Three balanced meals suit most people. If there's a long gap between lunch and dinner, a snack with protein, such as yoghurt, cheese and fruit, or a small handful of nuts, can stop you arriving at dinner starving. Skip snacks that are mostly refined carbohydrate.
Choose protein plus fibre: eggs on grainy toast, natural yoghurt with berries, nuts and seeds, or porridge made with milk and topped with nuts. In our members' data, Weet-Bix eaten alone gave a bigger typical rise (2.5 mmol/L) than muesli (1.6 mmol/L), so what's in the bowl matters.
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Vively is a general wellness platform and does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Any information, insights or guidance offered through our app, website, programs, or coaches is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical advice or care. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before making any health-related decisions.
We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live and work, the Gadigal of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present.
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