How to eat dinner: Expert advice on timing, nutrition, and health

Dinner is a key component of the daily diet that can affect not only our health but also the quality of our sleep. Many people wonder whether skipping dinner or choosing the right products and enjoying a restful sleep is better. In this article, we will discuss what to eat for dinner to avoid overloading the stomach and to facilitate falling asleep. Doctor Marek Skoczylas clears up doubts regarding the optimal composition and timing of dinner.

For some, dinner is an important meal that ends the day and provides energy for the evening. Others prefer to avoid eating before bed, following trendy diets such as intermittent fasting. Doctor Marek Skoczylas notes that whether we should eat dinner depends on the individual needs of the body. For those practising intermittent fasting, the last meal may be eaten in the early afternoon, making a traditional dinner unnecessary.

However, for most people, dinner remains an important meal that should be properly balanced. Its caloric content must be adapted to the daily energy requirement. According to general recommendations, dinner should provide 20 to 25% of the total daily calories, making it the lightest of the three main meals of the day. A too-heavy dinner can lead to digestive problems and metabolic disorders such as insulin resistance.

Doctor Marek Skoczylas recommends eating dinner at least 2 to 3 hours before bedtime to allow the body time to digest. When we eat too late, the digestive processes may not finish before falling asleep, leading to stomach issues and improper insulin function.

When deciding to eat dinner, it is worth paying attention to the choice of products. Doctor Marek Skoczylas emphasizes that dinner should be nutritious and easy to digest. It is best to avoid heavy-to-digest dishes, such as deep-fried foods, spicy spices, or large amounts of fruits, which can burden the digestive system and make it difficult to fall asleep.

The best dinner choices are dishes containing protein, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats. Products such as lean meat, fish, whole-grain bread, or vegetables are excellent options for an evening meal. Dinner must provide essential nutrients while being light and not causing a feeling of heaviness in the stomach.

Products to avoid for dinner:

        
• Fried dishes,
• Sweets,
• Mushrooms,
• Spicy spices,
• Large amounts of fruits, especially citrus.

Ideal ingredients for dinner:

1. Lean protein – Choose poultry, fish, tofu, or low-fat dairy products. Protein supports the body's regeneration during sleep.
2. Vegetables – Dinner is the perfect time to eat vegetables, which are a source of fibre and vitamins. Easy-to-digest vegetables, such as broccoli, courgette, or lettuce, are good choices.
3. Complex carbohydrates – Whole grain products, such as brown bread, groats, or brown rice, are fibre-rich and help maintain stable blood glucose levels.
4. Healthy fats – Avocado, olive oil, or nuts are excellent sources of healthy fats that support brain and nervous system function.
5. Products rich in tryptophan—Tryptophan is an amino acid that supports the production of melatonin and serotonin, the hormones responsible for sleep. Choosing products such as bananas, almonds, pumpkin seeds, or turkey is worth it.

Ingredients:

        
• 5 eggs,
• 1 avocado,
• 1 fresh cucumber,
• A few drops of lemon juice,
• Sauce: Greek yoghurt, mayonnaise, garlic, salt, pepper.

Preparation:

1. Hard-boil the eggs and cut them into cubes.
2. Peel the avocado, cut it into cubes, and drizzle with lemon juice.
3. Cut the cucumber into cubes.
4. Prepare the sauce by mixing all the ingredients.
5. Combine and mix all ingredients.

Remember to adjust dinner to your lifestyle and individual caloric needs. This will allow you to enjoy better well-being and restful sleep.