Experts Reveal The Best Time To Eat Dinner

For Resy enthusiasts, or anyone burning the midnight oil, the “best” time to eat dinner is whenever you can snag that dream reservation, or work a meal into your busy schedule. But is that the healthiest approach? When should you actually be eating your last meal of the day? The answer, it turns out, is not as straightforward as you might think....CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE

Below, see what the experts have to say on the topic.

When is the best time to eat dinner?

The short answer is… it depends. Between 5pm and 7pm is a good time frame to keep in mind, according to nutritionist and founder of Artah, Rhian Stephenson. “Our body has distinct functions throughout the day and night,” she says. “In the day, we’re geared up for action; whether it be digestion, problem solving, physical activity or an ability to respond to stress, our body is primed to go. When we sleep, changes in heart rate, blood pressure, cortisol and various other hormones allow time for extensive physical and emotional recovery; our muscles, organs and cells repair, our immune system is strengthened, and our cognitive function is restored. Our gastrointestinal tract is also no exception to this pattern.”

Vanessa Rissetto, a dietician and the CEO of Culina Health, points out that factors such as age and lifestyle also play into figuring out when to eat your last meal of the day. “If you’re a shift worker, for example, and work while everyone is asleep, then your timing is different,” she notes. “As a general rule, I recommend eating within two hours of waking up and [then] eating something every three to four hours,” says Rissetto. While studies suggest that eating between 5pm and 7pm is beneficial for overall health, if that doesn’t work with your schedule, she recommends stopping eating at least three hours before going to bed, to avoid issues like acid reflux.

“What’s more important is [eating] consistently at regular times throughout the day,” Perri Halperin, clinical nutrition coordinator at the Mount Sinai Health System, adds. “You should be gradually hungry and gradually full in a repeating pattern every three to four hours or so.”

Halperin says that your work, daily activities, hunger level and any medication should all be taken into account when figuring out when to eat any meal – but timing isn’t everything, she notes. “It’s ideal to eat every three to four hours, with a two to three hour window before bedtime,” she says. “But more important than timing is making healthy choices – having a healthy dinner is linked to [many] benefits, including stable blood sugar, weight maintenance and improved sleep.”

According to McKenzie Caldwell, a registered dietician and PCOS nutrition expert, eating dinner earlier may benefit those struggling with certain digestive and health concerns, such as acid reflux or chronic heartburn. Those with diabetes may notice better blood glucose outcomes if they eat three to four hours before bedtime. But Caldwell stresses that this is still all dependent on the individual.

Most important of all, listen to your body – it will let you know when it needs food. “If you are eating well-rounded meals and snacks earlier in the day, your body is usually pretty efficient at telling you when it’s time to dine,” adds Caldwell.

Foods to avoid before bed

No matter what time you eat dinner, there are certain foods that are best avoided if you want to sleep well and take care of your overall health. Halperin notes that fatty foods take longer to digest, and may sit heavily in your stomach if eaten too late. This could cause indigestion and impact your sleep. Caldwell adds that foods containing high levels of caffeine can also disrupt your sleep (for obvious reasons).

Alcohol, in particular, can disrupt your sleep cycle. Nutritional therapist Farzanah Nasser suggests “kombucha or a tart cherry juice with some sparkling water”, in place of a glass of wine. Kombucha has probiotics, and cherries are a good source of melatonin. “If you get acid reflux it can be helpful to also avoid spicy foods, citrus [and] tomatoes,” she adds.

Late dinners aren’t necessarily a bad thing

If you’re worried about the social whirl impacting your health, Stephenson points out that a late dinner “every now and then isn’t going to cause an issue. Realistically, most social meals are going to be happening later in the evening, so it’s important not to get too caught up with it and feel isolated from others,” she says. Still, she points out: “Consistent late-night eating can impact sleep, gut health, recovery, immunity, energy, and body composition, so it can be an easy lever to pull if you want to make a change to your health. Bringing dinner forward can be especially helpful for those who suffer with IBS, gut discomfort or bloating.”

Snacking at night – on healthy food – is also okay. “If you’re hungry, then you should honour that hunger and definitely eat,” says Rissetto. “But we want to think about the kinds of things we are eating. If we are eating sugary foods close to bedtime, our body will do the work of digesting while we are asleep, and this might wake us up and disrupt our sleep cycle.”

In the end, you shouldn’t worry if sticking to a strict meal schedule feels unrealistic. There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to the best time to eat dinner – what matters is that you get the nutrients you need for your health everyday. “If you missed the ‘ideal time’ to eat, it’s better to eat late than not at all,” says Halperin…CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ARTICLES>>>