Does Eating Dinner Make You Fat?

Dinner is a key moment that determines your diet and in consequence, your weight. Eating a lot or eating poorly at night is directly related to fat production. It’s that time of day that you won’t be using energy and are barely burning calories. So, it’s clear that the majority of your calories should be consumed in the first half of the day.

You should know what food to include and what to take out of your dinner in order to have a balanced diet that will allow you to maintain your weight or in the second case, lose weight. Just like the saying goes: “eat breakfast like a king, eat lunch like a prince, and eat dinner like a peasant.” Controlling your caloric intake is the secret to losing weight naturally, improving your quality of life, and even your sleep. So, let’s keep this in mind:

Is it True that Dinner Makes You Fat?

Absolutely not. What makes you fat is eating poorly at night. Unfortunately, it is something that we do wrong almost every day because of the following reasons:

• – In the morning, you may have a balanced diet and even “eat light”, but when you get home, sometimes full of anxiety, you relax by snacking on whatever you have in the refrigerator. And snacking or eating whatever you find first makes you sometimes revert to high calorie foods that are rich in fat.
• – Sometimes, due to your job or your responsibilities, you eat a quick breakfast or none at all, you eat something quick for lunch, and finally, you get home so hungry and want to “attack the fridge”. This is another bad habit that catches up with you.
• – Eating very late. Sometime you get home late, start doing other things, and you end up eating dinner at almost the same time as you go to sleep. This is obviously what you shouldn’t do. The best option is to eat dinner two hours before going to sleep so that your body has completely finished digesting.

Food that You Shouldn’t Eat at Night

There are certain foods that you should avoid eating at this time because it has too many calories and is indigestible. These foods not only cause you to gain weight but also make you sleep poorly. You will also have to avoid heavy, fried, and fatty food, carbonated or caffeinated beverages, as well as the ones in the following list:

Sandwiches

You have surely done this more than once. It is an easy resource because you think it is something
“light”, and although it all depends on what you put in it, you should keep in mind that eating a lot of bread for dinner is not recommended, especially if you are sensitive to carbohydrates, since they don’t correctly assimilate and end up accumulating in adipose tissue in the form of cholesterol.

Salads with Lettuce

It may be surprising, but lettuce is a very indigestible food due to its high content of insoluble fiber, causing us to have gas and abdominal bloating at night. It is very common to rely on salads at night, but it’s almost better to make tomato salads with some type of protein, which will satisfy you.

Garlic and Onion

Never eat them raw at night. They are indigestible at this time and your stomach will feel it at night.

Pasta, Rice, and Pizza

Don’t go overboard with them and always eat them in small quantities.Carbohydrates from vegetables will always be better than those from pasta and rice, but if you eat them in small quantities it may be okay.

What Foods Should I Eat for Dinner?

Dinner is the last meal of the day and thus it can help you balance your daily nutritional requirements. Therefore, it is always good to include a good serving of vegetables:

– Grilled or sautéed vegetables, soup, gazpacho accompanied with a serving of salmon or turkey, for example, low fat yogurt, substitute bread with toast…

Examples of Light Dinners

-Sautéed mushrooms with a low-fat cheese omelet. A slice of melon or watermelon.

-Tomato salad with mozzarella cheese and shrimp, a little bit of salmon, and toast.

– Zucchini soup with hake, an apple, and a yogurt with honey.

What Will Happen If I Remove Dinner From My Diet?

Skipping meals is not effective. Sometimes it causes more anxiety and makes you eat bigger amounts at the next meal. Getting rid of dinner means lowering your blood sugar level, suffering from hypoglycemia, and reducing your calorie consumption. As a result, your health ends up losing. It is not recommended at all.

What Is the Best Dessert to Have After Dinner?

Fresh or preserved fruit (the latter being more digestible) and low fat yogurt.

What Time Should I Eat Dinner?

Two hours before going to bed.