What Is The Best Time To Eat Dinner To Avoid Weight Gain? Here's The Answer Revealed

Just like breakfast lunch and dinner are equally important. Timings of the meal play an important role. Most people are confused about the best time to eat dinner. It is always advised to eat dinner a few hours before you sleep. When you sleep you require less energy therefore you need less calories. Eating late-night dinner is associated with many issues like weight gain, digestive issues, discomfort in sleeping and many more. One should also choose fewer calories for dinner. Light dinners are the healthiest choice which can help in weight management. If you want to maintain a healthy weight you must pay attention towards the timings of your meal, especially for dinner. Here's the answer to all your questions; know expert advice about the best time to eat dinner.

Weight management: What is the best time to eat dinner for a healthy weight?

Senior Dietitian, Neha Pathania explains, "Ideally, dinner should be eaten at least three hours before going to sleep. Unlike breakfast and lunch, it should be the lightest meal of the day as one doesn't need too much energy at night. It's important to give oneself time to digest before going to bed. Regular dinner times contribute to healthy digestion and elimination. People, who suffer from gastroesophageal reflux disease, should not eat for at least three hours before going to bed. Late dinners can adversely affect health. Also, eating dinner earlier reduces your family's risk for Type 2 diabetes by eliminating the imbalance between blood sugar levels and insulin."

Also read: Weight Loss: Try These High Protein Breakfast Options Which Can Help You Lose Weight

You must choose a healthy and light dinner
Photo Credit: iStock

It is also necessary to eat dinner at the same time each day as it ensures better sleeping pattern. Shalini Bliss Garwin who is a senior dietitian also explains, "In every household, dinner schedule is dependent on family members' work, after-school activities and individual ages. Sometimes, dinner time gets delayed as we grab some fast food. But there are many reasons one should dine every day at the same time because your dinner makes an impact on bedtimes and health needs. If each night we have dinner at the same time we will sleep much better as regular timetables create stability and mental order.

Your dinner time can affect your weight, sleeping pattern and much more
Photo Credit: iStock

The best time to eat dinner is at least three hours prior to bedtime so that so your digestive system isn't busy working on dinner when it is time to relax and fall asleep. Avoid carbohydrates and heavy food in general for dinner."

Also read: Weight Loss: Breakfast Options That Can Keep You Full For Longer And Help You Lose Weight

(Neha Pathania, Senior Dietitian, Paras Hospital, Gurugram)

(Shalini Bliss Garwin, Senior Dietitian, Columbia Asia Hospital, Gurugram)

Also read: Cooking Oil: Which Is The Best Cooking Oil? Here Is The Answer Straight From Experts
 

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.