When it comes to the question of the ideal time to eat dinner, it all depends on your circadian rhythm and your own personal health-related goals or medical conditions.
Some of the health-related goals may be weight loss, practicing mindfulness with food, and eating more nutritious meals at dinnertime. For the average healthy person, it appears that it’s best not to get in the habit of regularly consuming your largest meal of the day right before you lay down for bed.
Some of the medical conditions that may need consideration for timing dinner is acid reflux. Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a digestive condition in which stomach acid flows backward into the esophagus, causing a burning sensation.
Here are some tips to help you with dinner time:
- Try to finish eating earlier in the evening to give your body time to digest, ideally at least 3 hours before bedtime.
- If you do get hungry between dinner and bedtime, try choosing healthy and nutritious snacks (i.e. fruit, nuts).
- Jot down some notes on what time you ate dinner and how your body responded from eating too late or too early. Keep in mind if you had disrupted sleep or indigestion – take note first thing in the morning to help you remember.
- Practice mindfulness with food like identifying when you’re hungry, eating an appropriate portion, slowing down and savoring each bite, and stop eating when you’re satisfied.
- If you have to eat late, eat a small, nutrient dense meal, low in sugars and refined starches, that fuels your mind and body, instead of skipping a meal entirely.
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