List of starchy foods to avoid in the evening: what to eat at dinner?
It is often considered that dinner should be a light meal, otherwise it will lead to digestive disorders, poor sleep and weight gain. Carbohydrates are particularly singled out: not spent at night, they would make you fat. But is this statement real? Is there a list of starchy foods to avoid in the evening?
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ToggleShould we have a light dinner?
Conventional wisdom dictates that one should eat like a king in the morning, like a prince at noon, and like a beggar in the evening. This health claim therefore recommends that dinner should be a light meal and that therefore,starchy foodsshould be avoided or limited. But what is the validity of this claim?
It is fundamentally questionable. Indeed:
- It is better to eat according to your appetite, rather than relying on arbitrary rules. If you feelhungryat dinner, it is better to eat, avoiding of course eating more than reason;
- Even at rest, the body continues to burncalories (about 350 kcal for a 7-hour night), because many metabolic processes essential to health take place at night (including the regulation of hunger andsatiety hormones):
- Skipping a meal, even if it’sdinner, is never good, because the body stores more at the next meal – enough to disrupt its basal metabolism, in the long run;
- If you eat too little in the evening, hunger may disrupt your sleepand wake you up in the middle of the night;
- It is stronglydiscouraged to eat at night, food intake being directly stored and not burned.
Should we eat starchy foods in the evening?
Starchy foods suffer from a bad reputation: they would cause blood sugar to soar, encourage fat storage and ultimately, make you fat. The allegations about them go even further: they should be avoided in the evening, because they would not fulfill their function as a provider of energy, but would be directly stored in the form ofStarchy foods suffer from a bad reputation: they cause blood sugar levels to soar, encourage fat storage and ultimately make you fat. .
It is necessary to re-establish some truths about this:
- the evening meal is used to fill the energy expenditure of the afternoon and to feed that of the night, but carbohydrates are an undeniable source of energy for the body;
- carbohydratesare complex , are very satiating and prevent nocturnal awakenings ;
- in addition, integral pasta, brown rice or lentils contain tryptophan , an amino acid that is a precursor of mood (serotonin) and sleep (melatonin) hormones;
- finally the brain is glucodependentand, at night, it needs “food” to do its work of cerebral maturation (memory, vigilance, concentration).
It would therefore be wise to save a portion of starchy foods in the evening, provided you choose complex carbohydrates that are low GI and rich in tryptophan:
- legumes such as split peas or chickpeas ;
- Complete Rice;
- pasta or semolina made from wholemeal flour;
- wholemeal bread ;
- soy preparations;
- pseudo-cereals (quinoa, buckwheat, amaranth);
- tubers ( Jacket Potatoes , sweet potatoes, parsnips, etc.).
Finally, starchy foods should be consumed in reasonable proportionstag. In particular, you can refer to thePortionsrecommended by the PNS. The latter recommends one portion of carbohydrates per meal, i.e. half a plate.
What other foods to eat for dinner?
- Somelean proteinsare rich in tryptophan, including white fish, eggs, and poultry. It is better to cook them according to a healthy and low-fat cooking method, so as not to burden digestion;
- vegetables , , particularly green ones, are also to be acclaimed. Rich in folic acid (vitamin B9), theypromote sleep , while being satiating thanks to their fibers;
- vegetable soup must for dinner, as it is nutritious and accelerates the feeling of satiety;
- Lean Dairy Products (yogurt, cottage , cheese, , hot milk) are also to be invited to the table, because they promote sleep;
- is preferred is , as it is also very rich in tryptophan.
Finally, last recommendation: to sleep well and avoid storage, it is better to Dine Earlyand away from bedtime.
Stephen Paul is the lead author and founder of My Health Sponsor. Holder of a diploma in health and well-being coaching with more than 200 articles in the field of health, he makes it a point of honor to offer advice based on reliable information, based on scientific research, and verified by health professionals.
- Stephen Paulhttps://calculateyoursbmi.com/author/stephen-paul/
- Stephen Paulhttps://calculateyoursbmi.com/author/stephen-paul/
- Stephen Paulhttps://calculateyoursbmi.com/author/stephen-paul/
- Stephen Paulhttps://calculateyoursbmi.com/author/stephen-paul/