There are night owls who refuse to turn on the stove until 8:30 p.m. and only eat out when the late-night atmosphere draws a crowd. Then there are the hungry people who hate late dinner reservations and swear by eating early, long before the sun sets. As my mother used to say, who wants to sit hungry for hours just to eat what the cool kids are eating?
Earlier dinner times are becoming a trend. RecipeAccording to the online reservation platform, more people are making reservations at 5:30 p.m. in New York City, while fewer are making reservations at 8 p.m. compared to a few years ago. Last year, the number of dinner reservations made before 5 p.m. doubled compared to 2019. yelp. Needless to say, an unintended benefit of having a 5:30 dinner is that you get to choose from the junk at more restaurants, which tend to book out weeks in advance for the 7:00 hour slot.
Wherever you sit in the debate over the best time to eat dinner, there’s a growing body of evidence that waking up early and eating early can help improve your overall health and well-being.
Health Benefits of Eating Early in the Night
It may help prevent heartburn
Tara Schmidt, a registered dietitian with the Mayo Clinic Diet, says eating dinner earlier can help people who often experience heartburn and acid reflux after meals.
Eating three to four hours before bed can help prevent stomach upsets that can keep you up at night and slow digestion. Eating an early dinner also gives you time to go for a walk or something else afterward, which helps digestion, Schmidt adds, rather than sitting down or going straight to bed. Schmidt says digestion is best when there’s light and you’re active. “Your blood sugar levels will go down because you had a spike during the meal. But now that you’re exercising, your blood sugar levels will go down again.”
“Finishing your meal by 6:30 a.m. and going to bed around 9:30 or 10 a.m. will give your body enough time to digest, which can limit reflux, indigestion and heartburn,” says Ilana Muhlstein, a registered dietitian, nutritionist and author of “The Ilana Muhlstein Diet.” Love the food that loves you.
You can make better food choices
Muhlstein says eating dinner earlier gives us time to make healthier decisions about what we eat. Instead of reaching for the highly processed options that are readily available in the pantry or freezer right before bedtime, you can eat a nutritious meal made up of whole grains. “If you come home hungry, it’s the perfect opportunity to fill up on nutritious, satisfying foods like protein and vegetables,” she says.
Have you ever been that annoying, hungry friend who starts to get irritated when you wait for dinner at 8 p.m.? You feel guilty. If you’re hungry right after a long day at work but usually don’t eat until late, you might find yourself mindlessly snacking while you wait, out of hunger and boredom.
“If you think 5:30 p.m. is ‘too early’ for dinner, you may end up snacking on processed carbs like chips and crackers, which can lead to overeating,” says Muhlstein.
If you’re still hungry after an early dinner, don’t worry. You can consider adjusting your meal times. If you need a snack, Schmidt recommends eating something high in water, like easy-to-digest fruit, or something high in fiber and protein, like whole grains, which will keep you full.
You can lower your risk of disease
Eating late at night is associated with higher overall calorie intake. Increased risk of obesity. One study found that leptin A, a hormone responsible for feelings of fullness, decreases later in the day, which may lead to overeating when eating late. Eating early may also help with insulin sensitivity, especially for people with diabetes or obesity.
“When insulin levels are high, it blocks your body’s ability to burn fat,” says Muhlstein. “Lowering insulin levels is essential for people who want to lose weight and convert existing fat stores into energy. Eating dinner early and adopting a ‘dinner-and-done’ approach will help your body stay in the fat-burning state longer.”
Research suggests that a form of intermittent fasting called early time-restricted feeding, in which you eat for a short period of time, 6 to 8 hours earlier in the day, may stabilize blood sugar levels. However, this method is not best for everyone, and it is important to consult a licensed professional before embarking on a strict fasting regimen.
Another benefit of eating an early dinner is that just as regular bedtimes are important for your health, eating meals at similar times helps regulate your body’s natural sleep clock, or circadian rhythm. “Irregular eating patterns can increase your risk of disease,” Schmidt says.
You are enjoying the benefits of quality time
Eating dinner with early risers can optimize not only your physical health but also your social health. Planning to eat dinner early allows you to gather with others and enjoy a meal together while being intentional about your time. A 2021 Study An analysis of data from the American Time Use Survey found that families who eat dinner before 6:15 p.m. spend more time with their children.
Numerous studies have highlighted that: Have dinner with other people It promotes mental health and well-being, and gives meaning to experiences that can be rushed and boring.
How to transition to a 5:30pm dinner
- Find a dinner time that works for you, even if it’s not an early bird special. If you’re hungry after eating dinner at 5:30 p.m. before you go to bed, it’s probably too early for you. Try eating at 6:30 p.m. or 7 p.m.
- Avoid late-night snacking. Schmidt warns that eating an early dinner and then snacking late at night can counteract the effects. “We know that people are at higher risk for obesity when they eat late at night,” she says.
- Plan your busy day ahead. “I know my kid plays sports every Wednesday, so every Wednesday is going to be Crockpot Wednesday. I have to go in, change clothes, get him dinner, and then go out again. I don’t have to wait until after practice,” Schmidt said.
Experts say: what What’s on your plate is more important than when you eat it. Half of your plate should be non-starchy vegetables, one-quarter should be lean protein, and the other quarter should be whole grains or starchy vegetables.
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