An old adage says have ‘breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper’. And now even science backs it up. Many recent studies show that eating a good heavy breakfast and a light dinner is the key to a healthy lifestyle. Unfortunately, for most of us, dinner is the one meal, we look forward to all day. We rush out early morning, often skipping breakfast. Lunch is a quick affair due to time constraints. Only eating at night can we really eat a hearty meal.
We can surely understand that eating like a ‘pauper’ is out of the question. But there are certain foods we can avoid eating at night that might help. This list will help you plan your dinner meals accordingly.
Chillies
We Pakistanis love our spices. The spicier the food the better. But eating a spicy meal for dinner is not really a good idea. It can irritate your stomach also resulting in heartburn. For your body to fall asleep peacefully, your body temperature needs to be lower. Spicy food does the opposite due to its high heat content. You will have trouble falling asleep.
Onions
There are so many benefits of onions that we stopped counting. Unfortunately for dinner, eating onions especially raw will do more harm than good. Yes, raw onion salad is a must have for our dinner tables. But unless you’re ok being gassy all night long, we suggest you skip it. The gases can also cause acid reflux and heartburn in some.
Pasta
Pasta is a quick and easy fix for those tiring days when you have no strength to cook. But consuming pasta at night is a big no no. Very high in carbohydrates, pasta will spike your insulin levels. Plus you can easily consume more calories eating pasta than anything else. All these calories will not do you a favor, settling instead to make your waist rounder.
Chocolate
Our meal time isn’t complete without a little something sweet. But think again before reaching out for that piece of chocolate. The sweet treat has a high caffeine intake which robs you of your sleep. Plus the high sugar and fat content won’t help either.
Dry fruits and Nuts
While dry fruits contain the good kind of fat, at night their cons outweigh the pros. The high fibre content will make you gassy and can also result in cramps.
Cheese
Say goodbye to the pizzas and cheeseburgers. Cheese has been added to the list of things to avoid eating at night. If you absolutely must have some, do so before 9pm.
Red Meat
While it may seem that a high protein meal, especially at night will be a smart choice, it is very far from the truth. Consuming large quantities of red meat at night will not only keep you up all night, it will also make the time unbearable. You are more likely to experience heartburn and acid reflux.
Coffee
This is a no brainer really. We have coffee to get rid of the sleepiness. Drinking it at night will do that same. So unless you’re pulling an all-nighter, skip it.
Citrus fruits
Fruits like oranges are acidic in nature. Eating them at night will add to stomach issues. They disturb digestion, irritate the stomach lining and can also cause ulcers.
Green Tea
We were just as surprised. Our night time ritual starts with a cup of green tea. But many studies now suggest you avoid it at night. Green tea also has caffeine in it so it interferes with your sleep. Futhermore many stimulants present in it increase heart rate and make you more anxious.
