You might have heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day [1], and while it does provide you with the fuel you need to tackle your list of daily to-dos, what you eat at night [2] is also worth paying attention to. Dinner and late-night food and drinks can have an effect on everything from your weight-loss goals [3] to getting a beneficial full night's sleep [4]. If any of the following foods are making it onto your meal planning for this week, be sure to consume them before evening hits.
Sweets
A wide range of foods fall under the sweets spectrum, but yes, we're sorry to say everything from chocolate to candy to baked goods should be avoided at night [5]. Sweets can cause a huge surge in your blood-sugar levels [6], making it hard for you to get a restful sleep that's free of the ups and downs in energy levels you might feel after a sugary treat.
High-Carb Foods
We love high-carb foods like pizza as much as you do, but they're not always the best choice for dinner. That's not to say you can't have a slice or two of pizza now and then, but if you notice that after eating carb-heavy foods [7] you have trouble sleeping or wake up feeling more tired than usual, then it's time to replace that slice with a healthier option.
Not all carbs are created equal, though. Foods like pizza and other white-flour products, like bread, rice, and pasta (especially when eaten in larger portions), can hinder your weight-loss goals. You can consume their healthier, whole-food, and whole-grain substitutes [8], which will be easier on your body.
Soda
We hate to break it to you, but if you haven't cut soda out of your diet yet, it's time to consider it. There are plenty of reasons to stop drinking soda [9], but even more so to stop doing so at night. Soda has stimulant ingredients that can cause restlessness, making it hard to fall asleep. And before you ask, no, diet soda [10] isn't any better.
Coffee
Black coffee without dairy or sweeteners has several health benefits [11], but drinking it at night could have consequences. Because it contains a large dose of caffeine, coffee can get in the way of obtaining a good night's sleep. A study on caffeine's effect on sleep [12] proves that drinks like coffee consumed at night can cause sleep disturbances. The study also recommended that caffeinated beverages should be consumed more than six hours before attempting to fall asleep. Try swapping your coffee for an herbal tea for bedtime [13].
Alcohol
Show of hands for those of us who think that drinking wine before bed helps us sleep. We can't be the only ones who realise that drinking alcoholic beverages often makes us feel sleepy [14] pretty quickly, but it's the quality of your sleep that's affected by drinking at night [15]. A recent study proved that, depending on how much you consume, alcohol disturbs cardiovascular relaxation during sleep [16].
Acidic Foods
Foods that contain high acidity, like dairy products, meat, burgers, spicy food, fried foods, and yeast, should not be eaten before bed. These types of food can cause acid reflux [17] and make your kidneys and liver work overtime since nighttime is when they function at their peak.