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Aims This randomized, multi-centre, double-blind, stratified, two period, cross-over trial was undertaken to assess the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of insulin aspart injected immediately before compared with regular human insulin injected 30 min before a Mediterranean-style meal in 37 (23 M, 14 F) patients with Type 2 diabetes. Methods Insulin aspart or regular human insulin was given subcutaneously (0.15 U/kg) in random sequence, using a double-dummy technique (at one visit: human regular insulin at t = −30 min and placebo at t = 0; at the other visit: placebo at t = −30 min and aspart insulin at t = 0). Serum glucose and insulin concentrations (15 points) were measured after each meal for 240 min. Results Post-prandial glycaemic excursions were 20% lower with insulin aspart (IAsp) compared with regular human insulin (HI) treatment [ratio (Iasp/HI) = 0.80, CI = (0.66–0.98), P = 0.034]. The maximum serum glucose (SG) concentration was similar for the two treatments (P = NS). The (median) time to maximum SG was 25 min shorter for IAsp compared with HI (P = 0.048). Maximum serum insulin concentration was higher after IAsp compared with HI (P = 0.023) as well as the area under the 4-h serum insulin curve (P = 0.006). Furthermore, the time to maximum serum insulin concentration was 27 min shorter after IAsp (P = 0.039), even though IAsp was injected 30 min after HI. No adverse events occurred during the trial. Conclusions In patients with Type 2 diabetes a more favourable insulin profile and a better glycaemic control were found with IAsp injected immediately before compared with HI injected 30 min before a Mediterranean-style meal.