The breakfast and the dinner are two of the most important meals of the day. Because most of us tend to overeat or skip these meals. The balance is the key when comes to the first meal of the day and the last one. You probably know by now that a breakfast should be a little heavy, consisting of foods rich in fiber and carbs. Because you’ve heard or read it from somewhere or the other. But, many of us are still unaware about what to eat for dinner and how much to eat!
Try out some simple tactics mentioned in this article to eat a healthy low calorie dinner, which will aid weight loss.
1. Eat protein rich foods
Your dinner should consist of foods rich in protein and nutrients. You will not require much carbohydrate before bedtime, so it is recommended that you eat less carb rich foods like pasta, noodles, rice, bread, etc. Protein also takes a longer time to digest and since you’re going to be fasting as you take a long nap, it’s good to feel full. Protein makes you feel full for longer, so you don’t feel hungry.
2. Avoid unhealthy fats from dinner
Unhealthy fats like butter should always be avoided, especially during dinner time. Because, you will not use much energy in sleep and all that fat will just become storage on your waist, chest and tummy. Even foods like salmon, tuna, seafood, nuts that contain healthy fats should be avoided from dinner. Eat them at any other time during the day.
3. Cook light
It’s not just the quantity that makes the difference, it’s also the quality. Eat a light dinner, devoid of oil and spices. Spicy and oily foods are hard to digest. They’re bound to give you gas and indigestion. So, cook light and be comfortable from the inside out.
4. Avoid red meat
Avoid foods like red meat, egg yolks or whole eggs from dinner. These foods are mostly high in LDL cholesterol, which are bad for your heart. They also cause the blood pressure to rise, making it harder for you to sleep.
5. Don’t starve
If you’re staying up late, don’t starve yourself. Say you’re having your dinner at 10 pm, while you’re gonna stay up working all night and then go to bed at 4 am. Don’t starve yourself for 6 hours prior to sleep. That’ll add up to about 12-14 hours of fasting. Which is similar to skipping two meals. So, in case you’re staying up late, don’t insist on keeping dinner as your last meal. At least have some snacks like biscuits, salad, yogurt, etc.
6. Incorporate some fruits
Avoid complex carbohydrate foods like pasta, rice, etc., and go for simple carbs like fruits and fruit juices. Fruits also provide you with a lot of daily required nutrients which are very necessary for the body to heal. Most of the healing procedure is done during your sleep. So, provide your body with the necessary oil for maintenance.
7. Supplementation
You can also accompany a light dinner with some dietary and/or nutritional supplements. Many people take vitamins and mineral capsules, protein shakes, etc., to make up for a good dinner. If you’re going to have protein shakes, find one with less sugar and fat.
