A study shows that eating a late dinner can increase your chance of having obesity
You’ve heard the saying: “You are what you eat.” But what about when you eat?
Your schedule is jam-packed with school drop-off, work meetings, after-school activities, and everything in between, making it hard to sit down to a meal consistently day after day.
Does the time of day that you eat meals factor into your overall health and wellness? And if so, what’s the best time to eat dinner? What about breakfast and lunch?
“Our schedules make it challenging to eat dinner at a reasonable time,” recognizes registered dietitian Julia Zumpano, RD, LD. “And it’s leaving us scrambling for what to eat and what we can grab on the go. In some cases, it can lead to disordered eating patterns.”
What’s the best time to eat meals?
Zumpano says it’s a personal decision that depends on any medical conditions you might have, as well as your health and wellness goals.
Even if you have a habit of eating three square meals a day, a change can be enough to throw off your eating habits. For example, your kids could have a choir performance smack dab in the middle of dinner time or you’re behind at work and skip lunch, which may lead to you making unhealthy food choices later in the day.
In fact, a 2022 study shows eating later in the day increases your risk for having obesity.
“The later we eat, the hungrier we get, which can often lead to quick and unhealthy meal options,” notes Zumpano. “If we plan ahead, we can have a healthy dinner ready or at least thought through an on-the-go meal, meaning that you made time to stop at the salad bar instead of the drive-thru.”
If you’re looking for further guidance here are some recommendations:
Breakfast
Not everyone is a breakfast person—and that’s OK. But if you do eat a morning meal, eat breakfast within the first hour to hour-and-a-half after you wake up.
And what type of breakfast should you eat? We think you know the answer (sorry, chocolate croissant). But it bears repeating.
A protein-based breakfast is recommended. Egg whites with a turkey sausage or chicken sausage is a healthy start. Cottage cheese or Greek yogurt with berries or nuts for breakfast are also good options. Scrambled tofu is a great plant-based breakfast plate.
Include fiber rich foods to your meal. If you’re going to have eggs, throw in some greens, sauteed veggies, black beans, or salsa.
Limit or avoid added sugars because they can lead to a spike in your blood sugar, then a drop, which causes you to search for more sugar for energy. Sugar is addictive for most people—if you start your day off with something sweet, you’ll fight that sugar craving all day long.
Lunch
A good rule of thumb that Zumpano likes to follow is to space your meals four to six hours apart.
Like breakfast, you want to focus on having a lunch meal that mainly consists of fiber and protein. Think about a salad with grilled chicken and chickpeas or a hearty bowl of bean and vegetable soup with turkey meatballs. A whole-grain wrap, filled with cabbage slaw, avocado, edamame beans and tuna, is also a great option.
“A lunch filled with protein and fiber can help you over the 2 or 3 o’clock hump where energy levels tend to plummet,” says Zumpano. “If your meal is too high in carbohydrates, fat or sugar, that can leave you feeling sluggish.”
Snacks in between
To snack or not to snack? You’re feeling hungry and all you want to eat are some potato chips or a candy bar to tide you over until your next meal. So, what do you do?
“Snacking is often unnecessary if you are eating enough at mealtimes,” says Zumpano. “But if you had a lighter meal, skipped a meal, or didn’t have time to finish your meal, healthy snacks can help prevent overeating at the next meal for some people. Mindless snacking lead by cravings of salty or sweet often results in high amounts extra calories in the form of processed food.”
So, if you’re going to snack, snack smartly. Opt for a piece of fruit with a handful of nuts.
Before you eat that snack, pay attention to your hunger cues. Are you snacking out of boredom? Or because you want a distraction from work? If you determine you’re truly hungry, then have a healthy snack.
Dinner
While it can be hard to fit into your schedule, there’s something to be said about eating dinner earlier in the evening—at least three hours before your bedtime.
An earlier dinner gives you a good amount of time to digest your food and allows your blood sugar to properly rise and fall after dinner. This ensures you’re not going to bed with a full belly or skyrocketing blood sugar. In fact, people who eat an earlier dinner often report better sleep.
If you must have a late dinner, there’s no need to stress. Don’t be overly concerned with the timing. Just try to make better choices on what you eat. Keep it light in starch and fat, especially when it’s getting close to bedtime. If you’re consistently going to eat late dinners, consider making your lunch your largest meal that can carry you through to dinner. Then, choose a lighter dinner so you’re not overconsuming calories.
Another tip if you’re eating dinner later—get moving to help speed up digestion.
“If you’re eating dinner and going straight to bed, that’s going to slow down the digestion process,” states Zumpano. “Any moderate amount of movement is going to help with digestion.”
Bottom line?
When it comes to when and how you eat your meals throughout the day, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach.
“It really should be tailored and personalized to you,” Zumpano emphasizes. “The number onething you want to keep in mind is what you’re eating: Are you consuming enough protein and fiber at your meals? Are you snacking on whole foods? But the timing of those meals can vary based on you and your schedule.”
