One of the worst eating habits you can have is to eat too much at dinner, or to eat foods that are not recommended for that time of day. Numerous studies have established a direct link between insufficient meals and overweight and obesity in many people. The solution is in your hands: you need to eat light lunches.
The disadvantages of inadequate eating
Excessive fat production and overweight are not the only factors detrimental to a good dinner. A dinner consisting of too little and/or too much food can lead to the following problems: heavy digestion, you have trouble falling asleep or you wake up in the middle of the night, feeling very tired the next day. Not feeling hungry at breakfast. This puts you into a negative nutritional cycle, accumulating fat from rapidly absorbed foods such as carbohydrates and sugars.
The keys to a healthy dinner
You shouldn’t make the mistake of going to bed without eating regularly. Contrary to what many people think, this attitude will not help you lose weight. You’ll be very hungry during the day and end up eating more. What’s more, dinner is the key to facing the next day with energy and in the right physical and mental frame of mind.
Another problem with not eating regularly is that you’ll slow down your metabolism, consume fewer calories and, as a result, end up putting on weight. Nutrition experts recommend the following tips for planning your evening meals:
Ideally, your evening meal should provide between 15 and 25% of your total daily calories. You should try to eat dinner a few hours before going to bed. That way, by the time you go to bed, you’ve completely digested your food. You should also avoid fast-absorbing foods such as pasta, rice, pizzas and, of course, sugars and processed pastries. Nor should you eat foods that are difficult to digest, such as garlic, onions or spicy condiments. If you do eat any of these foods, you should do so in very small quantities.
Evening meal ideas
Here are some ideas for light menus and slimming recipes for dinner (one for each day of the week) that will help you eat a balanced diet, maintain your weight and not feel heavy in the evening or tired the next day.
Lettuce, tomato, asparagus, hard-boiled egg and tuna sandwich. An apple.
Grilled aubergine and courgette. Chicken burger. Low-fat yoghurt.
Mixed salad (can include a hard-boiled egg and fromage frais). A bowl of strawberries.
Scrambled eggs with asparagus. Grilled cuttlefish. A bowl of plums.
Chicken breast. A pear.
Green beans. Fresh cheese. One orange.
Sautéed cauliflower. Grilled tuna. Low-fat yoghurt.