What time should you eat dinner? It depends on who you ask—and probably where you live.
This question occurred to me as I tried to make dinner reservations for my upcoming trip to Barcelona. A travel blog reminded me that in Spain, dinnertime falls between 9 and 11 p.m.; not 5 or 6 p.m. like I’d been trying to book.
While my suppertime preference makes it seem as though I’m visiting from a retirement home in Florida, I’m actually a millennial who’s lived in New York City for 12 years. I’ve since joined the camp of people who believe the best time for dinner falls between 5:00 and 6:30 p.m. I like to be finished eating by 7:15 p.m. at the latest.
Unfortunately, my demographic has yet to adopt the lifestyle, and the only people, besides my husband, who willingly join me for day lit dinnertime include my grandparents and people who just got back from travelling and are suffering from jet lag.
My personal preference aside, it turns out that there are actual health benefits to eating early, too. For one, it allows you to go for a walk after eating, which can help balance blood sugar levels. Dining early also allows plenty of time for you to enjoy a sweet treat well before bed.
Ahead, see everything dieticians suggest for dinner, including when to eat and why, the truth about midnight snacking, and which foods to avoid before bed—as well as some pictures of my own early dinners to inspire you.
What time should you eat dinner?
What’s the verdict? Well, it really depends on your daily routine. “Ideally, dinner should be eaten at least three hours prior to going to sleep,” says Sara Riehm, RD, LD/N, CSOWM, a specialty dietitian at Orlando Health Center for Health Improvement. “This allows for our mealtimes to align with our circadian rhythm cycles and for our food to adequately digest.”
Finding your new normal dinnertime requires a consistent bedtime too. “It’s important to establish a regular sleep schedule that includes adequate time for rest—ideally, at least seven hours of sleep per night,” says Sara. “Then, count backwards from that bedtime by at least three hours. This should be your latest mealtime.”
What are the benefits of eating dinner early?
“Eating dinner at least two to three hours before bed may help with better sleep and digestion,” says Samantha Cochrane, RD, a registered dietitian nutritionist at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. “Digesting may actually keep you awake if you eat too close to when you lay down to sleep, and eating earlier can prevent you from getting acid reflux or indigestion.”
In most cases it’s pretty harmless, but there are a few red flags to keep an eye out for.
There has also been some research that shows there are benefits to letting our bodies “fast” overnight. “This doesn’t mean skipping meals or restricting eating to certain times, but not eating a couple hours before bed and throughout the night can be a good break for our digestive system,” Samantha says. “This break might result in benefits to metabolism, digestion, and sleep.”
Eating dinner too late can also negatively impact blood sugar levels, adds Sara. “As the body prepares to rest, our insulin sensitivity decreases, which means we won’t respond to the insulin our body produces as well, which negatively impacts blood sugars and increases risk for developing diabetes if this happens often enough,” she explains.
From the Ozempic craze to the Glucose Goddess effect, it’s clear that blood sugar — and learning how to manage it — is trending.
"When our eating does not align with our normal circadian rhythm, which is sometimes known as ‘eating jet lag,’ it can increase risk for developing obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases, she adds.
Is eating dinner late bad for you?
Before you freak out about your eating habits, know that eating right before bed every once in a while isn’t going to cause serious harm. “Just like having one ‘ideal’ day isn’t going to change your health forever, having one ‘bad’ day isn’t either,” Sara says.
It also might change how hungry you feel for breakfast in the mornings, she says.
“Breakfast can be important to help with balancing hunger and energy throughout the day. Without a hunger signal to remind you to eat soon after waking, no breakfast could mean more fatigue and bigger portions or more frequent meals and snacks as the day goes on.”
Is it OK to eat a nighttime snack?
While I love an early dinner, I might love my nighttime snack even more. Fortunately, doing so is dietitian-approved.
“I wouldn’t recommend eating a snack before bed if you don’t need to, but if you’re feeling hungry, you can do so without stress,” Sara says. “I always recommend eating when you feel hungry—regardless of what time it is. It’s important not to restrict your intake when you’re feeling hungry. Hunger is our body’s way of telling us we need energy and fuel and we need to honour that sign.”
That said, if it’s late, Sara and Samantha recommend eating snacks that are high in protein and fibre. Some of their suggestions include a granola and nut mix, yogurt, fruit, peanut butter, and carrot sticks with hummus.
What foods should you avoid before bed?
According to Sara, it's best to avoid eating meals that contain large portions of carbohydrates right before bed.
“Because our insulin sensitivity—how well our body responds to the hormone insulin and, therefore, uses the glucose from the carbohydrates we consume—decreases as we prepare for rest, those carbs aren’t going to be well utilised by the body,” she explains. “This can be especially concerning if you’re someone already dealing with insulin resistance, pre-diabetes, or diabetes.”
Samantha advises against any meal that leaves you “feeling overly full” or might trigger acid reflux, like spicy foods, high fat foods, caffeine, and chocolate.
A version of this article originally appeared on Glamour US.
