Spain dines late and, usually, badly. The first, contrary to what we might believe, is not a modern thing. Already in the 19th century ordinary Spaniards ate late (shortly before 4:00 p.m.) and dined just before going to bed (around 10:00 p.m.).
That was a nightmare for european tourists, but also for anyone who wants to maintain a healthy and balanced diet. Just because. Food disruptions at dinner time have a lot to do with our particular hours and some other issues.
Luckily, science has something to say.
“The graves are full of great dinners.” That’s what the popular proverb says and, although it is a universally applicable maxim, Spanish timetables make it extremely accurate in our country. It is not the same to have dinner at 6:00 p.m. than at 9:00 p.m. And those three hours have a significant impact not only on quantity, but also on composition.
As for the quantity, because digestion is a complex and expensive process at the metabolic level. It is not that binge eating is something recommended at other times; but eating a lot at dinner (even if it’s a balanced and nutritious meal) makes sleep more digestive work and will make you sleepy. sleep is less restful.
Also, since sleeping consumes little energy: excess calories will not be burned. In fact, they will tend to be stored in the body. In this sense, it is recommended that dinner does not contribute more than 20% of the calories of the day.
What do we eat for dinner to be healthy? This is the other big issue. Above all, because as with any meal, it is recommended that dinner have carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Of course, it is always better to increase the amount of protein and reduce the amount of carbohydrates and fats.
But the thing does not stop there. It is recommended, for example, that proteins be of quality, yes; but lean. That is, things like skinless chicken breast, fish, fresh cheese or other types of dairy products and, of course, egg whites.
While with fats the advice is simple (few and of good quality: olive oil, nuts, seeds, olives or avocado), with carbohydrates things are somewhat more difficult. It is recommended that they be hydrates with low glycemic index (mainly fruits and vegetables, but also brown rice or legumes).
Adapt to reality. The rule of “low glycemic index carbohydrates, lean proteins and good fats in moderate amounts” is a general criterion. And, in this sense, “eating well” has to do with adapting it to each moment.
It is not the same to eat dinner after an intense workout (after which we will be hungry and we can add more satiating things such as legumes, potatoes, corn or brown rice) than just before going to dance (where the amount of carbohydrates can go up without much problem).
In Magnet | Breakfast is NOT the most important meal of the day: it is the most discussed
Imagen | Stefan Vladimirov
