Chances are, you’ve heard people debate eating earlier or later in the day. Sometimes, eating dinner is based more on when we finish cooking or when a restaurant can seat you. But, when we eat our meals does affect our overall health.
“The time of day we eat our meals is determined by a myriad of factors, like our work, schedules, our hunger levels, the medications we take, and even the times our friends, family, and coworkers are free to share a meal,” says Catherine Canadeo, board-certified holistic health practitioner, integrative nutritionist, and the president and CEO of Catherine Canadeo Health & Wellness.
While your busy schedule or social life might have the most influence on meal timing, it never hurts to consider tweaking your schedule when you can. Ahead, experts explain the best time to eat dinner and how to make it work for you.
When is the best time to eat dinner?
Focusing on eating vegetables, carbs, protein, and all the good-for-you nutrients is crucial for overall health, but you could be optimizing your dinners by eating at a better time. “What you eat is important, but when you eat matters too,” Canadeo says.
So, when is the best time to eat dinner? While even doctors and dietitians admit schedules and things outside of our control all have influences on when the best time to eat dinner is, they seem to agree around one time frame. “Eating between 5 to 7 p.m. would be ideal,” says Dana Cohen, M.D., integrative medical doctor and co-author of Quench. “However, the later it gets the less food you should consume.”
One study published in Cell Metabolism found that people who ate meals at 5 p.m. burned 60 more calories than those who ate dinner later. The research participants who ate dinner later also stored fat differently and had higher levels of hunger. This means, according to the study, that eating around 5 p.m. is the best time for dinner if you are trying to lose weight, but there are other benefits to eating at this time.
Canadeo, who says the best time to eat dinner according to several studies is between 5:30 and 7:30 p.m., agrees that leaning on the earlier side is better. “Researchers found that when eating earlier, they had better blood sugar regulation and improved fat metabolism, which is a factor in fat storage,” Canadeo says. “Eating an early and light dinner helps to improve sleep, improves digestion, boosts metabolism, and reduces blood pressure.”
Benefits of eating an earlier dinner
Experts explain reasons why you should be having your last meal earlier in the afternoon.
Aids in weight loss for those trying to lose weight
One study found that eating earlier improves your metabolic health, which can help you lose weight. “A growing body of research seems to suggest that an early dinner may be healthier than eating later in the evening, pointing to the fact that when sleep overlaps digestion, the body tends to have more difficulty processing sugars and fats,” Canadeo says. Research also shows that eating later can prevent successful weight loss and lead to weight gain.
Facilitates better sleep
Not only does eating right before bedtime have negative effects on the quality of your sleep, but eating earlier can actually improve sleep. “Having an early dinner is ideal as it helps the body stay in sync with the circadian rhythm clock or our body clock,” Canadeo says. “Synchronizing your sleep-wake cycles and meal schedules helps your body rest, recover, and burn calories effectively.”
Prevents heartburn
Heartburn is worse after eating and in the evening, so eating late at night can be a recipe for disaster. “Health conditions such as Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) require people to wait at least three hours after eating before lying down or going to sleep to prevent the contents of the stomach from going back up into the esophagus that may cause heartburn,” Dr. Cohen says
May make mornings easier
Do you ever wonder how some people seem to just jump out of bed in the morning? Eating dinner earlier is one trick to help you transition from a night owl to an early bird. “You feel lighter and more energetic in the morning,” Canadeo says. “There is less trouble waking up. You wake up early and utilize the most productive time of day.”
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