Dinner is one of the most important meals of the day if you want to lose weight. The reason is that at this time our body prepares for night rest and, therefore, filling it with calories or fats is something totally unnecessary because our body will not burn it. It is for this reason that it is always recommended to opt for light dinners that satisfy our appetite, nourish us with vitamins and minerals but help us sleep well and, above all, not gain weight.
In this article we are going to discover the forbidden foods at night if what you want is to lose weight so that, thus, you can design your ideal dinners and take care of yourself at any time of the day.
What you should NOT eat at night so as not to get fat
In order to lead a healthy life, it is important to take good care of what you have for dinner because it is a meal that has to be done with awareness and knowing that, at that time of day, our body hardly needs calories to function because it is ready to sleep.
In this way, there are some forbidden foods at night that we have to take into account, not only if what we want is to lose weight, but also because it can interfere with the quality of our sleep and night rest.
Fried foods, forbidden at night
Heavy or very caloric foods should be avoided late in the day. The reason is that our body does not need that caloric injection at all and, therefore, not being able to burn the calories that we are introducing with food, it will keep them as an energy reserve, that is, as saturated fats making us fat.
Legumes, better to avoid them at night
Another of the forbidden foods at night are legumes because it is a type of food that is 50% protein and 50% carbohydrates and are usually very heavy to digest. For this reason, options such as chickpeas, beans or lentils should be taken at lunchtime and at night avoid them because they will make us fat but, in addition, they can cause gas or stomach bloating that prevents us from sleeping well.
Rice, bread, pasta and carbohydrates in general
Carbohydrates are a very healthy and necessary food group for our body; however, they are not at all recommended at night because it is a very energetic type of food, that is, very caloric that can increase the reserve of saturated fat in our body by not burning that caloric excess.
For this reason, opting for snacks, pizzas or rice at dinner time is a big mistake if you want to keep your line. In this other article we discover what is the best time to eat carbohydrates so that you do not give up these healthy foods.
\Sweets and pastries never at night
In general, if we want to lose weight and take care of our health, we should avoid the consumption of sweets or buns because they are very caloric foods, with a lot of sugar and saturated fats. However, we know that sometimes it feels like it, and a lot! But from we recommend that, those days when you cannot avoid drinking a sweet, try to do it before the night because, thus, you will give your body time to burn it and not go to sleep with those excess sugars in the blood.
In addition to this, it is recommended that dinner time be done at least 3 hours before going to bed to, thus, let your body work easily and can assimilate the nutrients it has ingested with dinner. In this other article we tell you what is the best time for dinner.
Recommended foods for dinner
Now that you know the forbidden foods at night, we will discover those that you can take at this time of day to be able to dine in a light, healthy and perfect way to maintain the line and rest throughout the night.
What we are looking for is to prepare recipes that satisfy our appetite, that are nutritious and that are low in fat and calories to, in this way, prevent excess caloric from accumulating in the body in the form of fat.
Proteins, perfect for dinner
If you want to have a good dinner, stay satisfied and not gain weight, the best thing you can do is choose to include protein in your recipes. Of course: no fried, battered or meats with sauce; what we are looking for is to lose weight and get light and appetizing dishes.
Therefore, the best option is to cook your meats or fish baked, grilled, steamed, etc. and, to give them a tasty touch, you can opt for spices or aromatic herbs.
Among the most suitable proteins for light dining, we highlight the following:
- Lean meats: such as chicken, turkey or rabbit
- White fish: they are more suitable than blue fish at dinner time because they have a lower amount of fat and calories. Here we include options such as monkfish, hake, sole, etc.
- Eggs: Eggs are a perfect choice for dinner time because they provide us with a lot of healthy protein and have very few calories. You can make hard-boiled egg, omelets, scrambled, etc., never a fried egg!
Vegetables, a perfect option for dinner
But not only will we eat protein at dinner time but, also, it is important to fill our plate with vegetables that will provide us with satiety, vitamins, minerals and hardly any calories.
You have to know that within the foods forbidden at night there are people who include options such as lettuce, celery, artichokes, etc.; the reason is that these varieties are usually very rich in fiber and, for some people, it causes gas, bloating and stomach pains. But not all! For this reason, you can do the test and see if these varieties feel good or bad and, then, choose to consume them, or not, at dinner time.
Among the best vegetables for dinner, we highlight the following because they are rich in water, low in fiber and are full of vitamins and minerals healthy for our body:
- Spinach
- Courgette
- Carrots
- Cucumbers
- Peppers
- Artichokes
Cabbages (broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, etc.) they are not recommended late in the day because they are very flatulent and can make you have a bad night.
Dairy, a good option for dinner
Dairy would have to be included within the category of “proteins” because that is what it is; however, we have separated it because we think it is important to note that these products can also be taken at dinner time without any problem. Cheeses, yogurts, etc., are good options for dinner and that, in addition, will increase your feeling of satiety to the maximum.
Of course: if your goal is to lose weight you have to avoid whole dairy and always opt for skimmed options to avoid excess fat. A chicken cheeseburger 0% is a perfect dinner to lose weight, did you know?
In this other article we talk about a controversy about eating fruit.
Example of dinner to avoid getting fat and be healthy
Now that we know what are the forbidden foods at night and the most recommended, then we are going to offer you examples of healthy dinners that will help you take care of your line without having to give up the flavor. Points!
- Dinner example 1: Fresh cheese salad with tomato and oregano + Turkey sausages + 1 yogurt 0%
- Example of dinner 2: Carrot cream + Chicken cheeseburger 0% + 1 glass of milk 0%
- Dinner example 3: Mixed salad with tuna + Baked hake with lemon and artichokes
- Dinner example 4: Chicken soup (noodles) + Beef steak with sautéed pepper
- Dinner example 5: Mashed vegetables + Grilled prawns with garlic and parsley + Yogurt 0%
- Dinner example 6: Gazpacho or Tomato Soup + Grilled Monkfish with tomato and onion
- Dinner example 7: Carrot and asparagus salad + Rolled chicken breast with melted cheese and ham
