Post-meal blood sugar (PPBS)
Quick answer: A post-meal blood sugar test measures your blood glucose about 2 hours after you start a meal. It is used to check for diabetes and to see how well blood sugar is controlled after eating.
- SampleBlood (urine may also be tested)
- TakesAbout 5 minutes for the sample, about 2 hours after starting your meal
- Before the testEat your usual meal, note the time you start, and give the sample about 2 hours later; ask your doctor whether to take your diabetes medicines as usual.
- In fertility careHigh blood sugar before and during pregnancy can affect the baby, so glucose is checked before fertility treatment and in pregnancy, although diabetes in pregnancy is screened with a glucose drink test.
How the test is done
- 1You note the time you start your usual meal
- 2You wait about 2 hours without eating more
- 3A sample is drawn from a vein in your arm, or sometimes a finger prick
- 4If urine sugar is included, you also give a urine sample
What your results can mean
Reading your report
Results depend on what and when you ate, so discuss them with your doctor alongside your other sugar tests.
If the result is outside the usual range
A high post-meal sugar can be seen with diabetes or prediabetes, or after a very large or sugary meal. A low reading is less common and can be seen with some diabetes medicines or after a very small meal.
Who usually has this test
People being checked for diabetes, people with diabetes monitoring control, and women before fertility treatment as part of a general check.
Risks and aftercare
There is no special aftercare, and you can eat normally after the sample.
Names and options
Also called: PPBS, PP sugar, post prandial blood glucose, post lunch sugar, post dinner sugar
Options
- After lunch
- After dinner
- Plasma glucose
- With urine sugar
Listed by the hospital as
- BLOOD SUGAR POST DINNER
- BLOOD SUGAR POST LUNCH
- POST PRANDIAL BLOOD GLUCOSE (PP), PLASMA
- POST PRANDIAL BLOOD GLUCOSE WITH URINE
Questions about this test
When should PPBS be taken after a meal?
The sample is usually taken 2 hours after you start eating. Do not eat or drink anything other than water during those 2 hours, and avoid heavy exercise.
Is PPBS the same as the glucose test in pregnancy?
No. In pregnancy, gestational diabetes is usually checked with a test after a measured glucose drink, not after a normal meal. Your doctor will tell you which test you need.
Can I walk around during the 2 hours before PPBS?
Light activity such as sitting or walking slowly is fine, but avoid heavy exercise, as it can lower your sugar and change the result. Do not eat or drink anything other than water.
Related tests
Tamara Hospital & IVF Centre, Rajajinagar
34/3, 10th Cross Road, opp. Vardhaka Sardar Patel School, 1st N Block, 2nd Stage, Rajajinagar, Bengaluru 560010
The hospital is open 24 hours. Call before you come to check the timing for your scan or sample collection.
Get directions ↗IVF Pulse fertility care at Tamara Hospital →
Reception
Waiting area
IVF lab
This page explains each test in general terms so you know what to expect. It is not medical advice: your doctor decides which tests you need and what your results mean. Reference ranges differ between laboratories. Updated 4 November 2026.