By now you know that the diet is surrounded by myths. Have you ever heard that the breadcrumb is fatter than the crust? Surely, like that, many other myths have reached your ears by which you will have been influenced. And, in the end, all you do is adapt your diet to them, right?
One of the most widespread myths and at the same time believed by most people is that carbohydrates should not be eaten at night. It is recommended not to eat pasta, rice, cereal or bread because it is much more fattening at night than if we consume it during the day. In this way, we would be gaining weight quickly because we do not burn those calories and go to bed directly.
But is that belief really true? Let us tell you no, and we’ll see why. You should leave out the worries because you can eat carbohydrates perfectly at night without gaining weight. Don’t you believe us? Pay attention!
Are carbohydrates harmful at night?
- While it is true that the strongest meal of the day should be breakfast and the lightest dinner, we must bear in mind that each diet and each person is different. Therefore, certain foods should not be eliminated from dinner if they are not going to do you any harm, that is, you should not believe certain myths without first consulting a specialist in the field.
- All you have to do is focus on how that carbohydrate intake affects your body. All this will be marked by the foods you are taking and how they affect your body. There are some differences that made us think years ago that we responded better to eating these foods during the day than at night, and hence the widespread belief that it is better to eat plates full of carbohydrates at lunch. But that’s not really true.
Carbohydrates and their energy intake
- In recent times there are various studies that have shown that people who eat carbohydrates for dinner, the next day have greater satiety and greater energy reserves. This does not mean that now you can eat this type of food every day to wake up with energy, but that you must follow a balanced diet and be aware of the calories you need. You must organize your diet in a distributed way, and without getting carried away by myths.
- In this sense, the Obesity Society (‘The Obesity Society’) conducted a study in 2011 in which this myth of carbohydrates was completely refuted. It took a sample of groups of men and women who consumed carbohydrates, some during the day and others at night. After 6 months following some guidelines, it was shown that those who consumed carbohydrates at night had lost 2% more weight and fat than the rest.
- It’s not that it’s the best option and that’s why we have to do it every day, but you can see it as such because it’s not the worst. It all depends not on the time you consume the carbohydrates, but on how you combine the components and what you are going to use them for, as athletes do.
The type of carbohydrates, key in your diet
- As a general rule, the belief that carbohydrates are harmful at dinner time comes from the flours, ultra-processed foods and sweets that are on the market. On many occasions, in addition to providing empty calories, they produce heavy nights and poor digestion. Therefore, if you are going to consume carbohydrates at night, you should worry about which ones you should eat.
- If you eliminate a dish of rice with eggs, for example, and instead make a food made from refined flour, you will not be doing better. You must eliminate buns and processed foods and introduce legumes, pasta, vegetables or cereals. In this way, you will achieve a completely balanced and healthy diet.