Is it better to skip dinner or eat smart before you go to bed?
You are going to your bed, it's kinda late but you are kinda hungry. At this point which is the healthier option – eating before bed or skipping dinner altogether?
We all know that our metabolism goes on strike overnight, so we shouldn't eat too close to bedtime. Otherwise, that food sits in our stomach like a rock. So how bad is it to eat right before bed? Or is it smarter to skip a meal altogether?
Choose your late night meal carefully. Do not ignore your hunger. It can lead to worse habits and possibly a disordered relationship with food as a tendency to overeat at other times of the day or negative emotions relating to food.
So honour your hunger which will not lead to overeating at bedtime and you will eat judiciously throughout the day. Late night is not the time to tuck into a burger or fries or any other junk food.
- Large portions of high fat or a super spicy meal right before bed could aggravate acid reflux or indigestion. Choose a lighter meal such as lentil soup, a veg sandwich or even a smoothie to give you what you need and stay away from all the foods that are high in carbs and sugar which might slow down your body's ability to burn fat and build muscle.
- So opt for something small and protein-rich if you plan on eating dinner before bed rather than punishing yourself by skipping dinner.
- Some bedtime snacks can be cherries, protein snacks, cheese, banana shake, milk, kefir, almonds.
- A good before bed snacks should have 200 calories or less and contain a mix of fibre and protein which works to control hunger.
- Some bedtime snacks that should be avoided are raw onions, hot and spicy foods, pizza, rice and coffee.