Dinner is one of the main meals of the day, so it’s not ideal to eliminate it or replace it with unhealthy diets. Moreover, if you don’t want to feel heavier and it affects your healthThere are some foods you shouldn’t eat at night.
Although it is true that this meal should be lighter than other dishes, its consumption affects many processes that the body performs during the rest period. Next, we tell you which foods you should avoid before bed. Take note!
9 foods you shouldn’t eat at night
The nutrients obtained at night influence the quality of sleep, digestion and physical and mental energy for the next day.
However, it is sometimes difficult and confusing to choose the right foods to avoid overloading the body, causing some discomfort or even sleep problems.
Dinner can be one of the most worrying meals of the day. Perhaps due to the accumulated tiredness, the lack of ideas or the lack of desire and time to start cooking. But also due to the number of myths that exist about what can and cannot be eaten at night.
As is often the case with issues related to nutrition, it is difficult to give advice that fits everyone. The most suitable foods for the night and those to avoid depend a lot on each person.
How to avoid this situation and possible confusion? Next we will know more about those foods that are not recommended for the night diet. Discover them!
1. Paste
Pasta is one of the most cited foods among those not to be eaten at night. This comes from the idea that going to sleep after eating carbs, without exercising, will turn them into fat.
But this idea is actually one of the most widespread myths about nutrition and being overweight. As we have already mentioned, this can vary depending on each person’s metabolism and situation. And depending on the type of carbohydrates that are ingested. Also there are some studies which disprove this belief.
What can be said is that eating a large bowl of pasta at night can cause slower digestion and result in a worse quality of sleep. Especially if accompanied by sauces and other very fatty ingredients.
2. Ice cream
Eating ice cream as a dessert with dinner or to calm nighttime cravings is not a good option. Nor those dairy products like custard, mousse or chocolate sweets.
While they are filling and delicious, they can contain large amounts of saturated fats, sugars and added substances which, in excess, are harmful in general.
3. Cheeses – a group of foods that you shouldn’t eat at night
Cheese, and obviously the dishes that contain it among its ingredients, should be avoided both at dinner and before going to bed.
While not entirely harmful, they can cause heaviness in the stomach and sleep problems. This it can happen more easily if you choose aged cheeses or if the portions are very generous.
If you want to incorporate cheeses into your dinner, it’s best to choose fresco, cottage cheese, feta, or ricotta.
4. Spicy seasonings
Spices and hot sauces have a flavor that gives a special touch to dishes. While it’s not bad to eat them regularly, it is better to choose to include them in other meals than dinner.
According to a review posted in Current medicinal chemistrySpicy foods irritate the stomach lining and increase the tendency to suffer from heartburn and heavy digestion. For this reason, its intake, before going to bed, could cause acid reflux, abdominal burning and stomach pain.
5. Cauliflower
This cruciferous vegetable has been highlighted as a healthy, low-calorie food. However, despite these qualities, its nocturnal consumption is not recommended, since some of its properties increase gas production.
Eating it during dinner, even several hours before bedtime, can hinder the digestive process and increase the feeling of heaviness, which interferes with rest.
People who are more gas-sensitive should avoid other more gas-prone foods such as legumes, broccoli, cabbage, or some mushrooms.
6. Dark chocolate
The nutritional properties of dark chocolate have allowed it to position itself as a health food. However, consuming it before bedtime, even if the portions are moderate, can negatively affect the quality of sleep.
In relation to that, a study published in cureus suggests that this food contains caffeine and theobromine, substances that they stimulate the nervous system and keep the brain active longer.
7. Red meats and sausages
Both types of food should be included in the diet in a timely manner. Therefore, resorting to sausages for dinner is not recommended, even though it may seem like a light and healthy option.
Red meat should also be moderate and a preferable option during the day. This can be harder to digest than white meat, fish, eggs or tofu. And therefore it could cause problems falling asleep and sleeping well.
According to a study published in Aging and disease, a high consumption of red meat is associated with a negative effect on sleep quality and durationin the elderly, although it is difficult to establish the reasons.
8. Fast food
Very large dinners that contain a high percentage of fat take longer to digest.
Both pizzas and hamburgers and other types of ready meals are a type of food that should not be eaten at night. But they’re also not recommended in general due to the type of fats, refined flours, and excess sodium used in their preparation.
9. Soft drinks and drinks containing caffeine
Water is the best drink for hydration and priority at dinner and throughout the day. Soft drinks contain a large amount of added sugars and some of them caffeine and other stimulants that could affect sleep quality.
refers to coffee, It is one of the drinks with the highest caffeine content. This compound can interfere with the regulation of circadian rhythms and affect the ability to sleep and rest well at night.
Individual tolerance may vary with age and habit. However, as a general recommendation, it would be best to avoid coffee in the evening.
What foods are recommended before going to bed?
A healthy dinner with nutritious food that does not affect digestion and sleep is possible. To do this, you can consider some of these tips:
- As a general rule It is not advisable to skip any meals as the minimum recommended nutrients may be lacking at the end of the day.
- However, it is possible to change the times. In fact, at dinner time it is better not to do it too late and to leave at least two hours before going to bed.
- At night, meals may have a similar composition to lunch, although they should be lighter.
- Some of the foods that can be introduced are vegetables, fruit, fish, eggs, tofu, whole grains, legumes or yogurt. Portions and presentation may vary according to each person’s tolerance.
- Gentle cooking (steam, iron, roast, boiled) is preferable for good digestion. Also it is recommended to accompany it with olive oil and aromatic herbs, avoiding strong sauces and condiments.
Watch your tolerance for foods you shouldn’t eat at night
There are many claims about dinner, what is convenient and what is not. And while it’s difficult to make general recommendations, there are more appropriate dietary guidelines for the last meal of the night.
It is important to remember this some foods are not suitable at any time of day and that we should limit their intake as much as possible.
On the other hand there are others whose portions should be moderated to ensure good digestion and night rest. Likewise, we must observe our reactions and avoid anything that makes us feel bad.
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