As often reminded, skipping dinner is not beneficial for our health or body shape. Therefore, we should not skip dinner at all. However, there are guidelines to follow for a healthy dinner. Today, we will introduce a list of foods that should be avoided at dinner for various reasons. Some of these foods are too high in calories, while others contain caffeine and acids that can disrupt sleep. Let’s take a look at the 10 dinner foods to avoid if you want to lose weight and sleep well.

10. Sweets and High-Sugar Foods Besides ice cream, tea, and coffee, desserts, pastries, or any food that is overly sweet should not be consumed at dinner. Excessive sugar can spike blood sugar levels, disrupting sleep. Additionally, regularly indulging in sweets after dinner can lead to weight gain.

9. Taro, Sweet Potatoes, Cassava These root vegetables are quite high in carbohydrates. If you want to avoid fat accumulation or are on a diet, try to avoid these foods at dinner.

8. Salt While no one eats salt on its own, many meals contain more salt than our bodies can process, especially at dinner. Consuming high-sodium foods like processed meals, snacks, salted eggs, salted fish, and other processed foods can lead to high sodium levels in the body, causing water retention, abnormal blood pressure, and frequent urination at night.

7. Green Vegetables Don’t get me wrong; green vegetables are beneficial. However, some green vegetables, like broccoli, cabbage, and green onions, are high in fiber and can slow down digestion, potentially causing gas that disrupts sleep.

6. Dark Chocolate Chocolate is better enjoyed in the early afternoon than at dinner. Dark chocolate or even high-cocoa products contain a fair amount of caffeine. For example, a 1.55-ounce bar of dark chocolate contains about 12 milligrams of caffeine, equivalent to the caffeine in three cups of coffee! It’s easy to see how consuming dark chocolate at dinner can keep you wide awake.

5. Spicy Foods For those who enjoy spicy foods at dinner, be aware that the heat from spices can stimulate the digestive, excretory, and respiratory systems, making it difficult to sleep peacefully. If you pair spicy foods with high-fat dishes, you might wake up feeling like a panda!

4. Tea, Coffee, and Soft Drinks Dr. Timothy Rohrer, a senior scientist at the Henry Ford Research Institute in Detroit, warns that the effects of caffeine in tea, coffee, and soft drinks are quite significant. Therefore, if you consume these beverages at dinner, be prepared to stay awake most of the night. Also, be cautious with energy drinks that stimulate the body.

3. Ice Cream and Potato Chips Ice cream or snacks after dinner are a delight for many. However, consuming foods high in cholesterol can cause your digestive system to work overtime, leading to discomfort while you sleep, resulting in waking up frequently during the night.

2. All Types of Alcohol Whether it’s beer, liquor, or any type of wine, all have the effect of speeding up metabolism, which can cause your heart to race and lead to waking up intermittently. Worse yet, alcohol can also contribute to snoring, so it’s best to avoid these drinks at dinner.

1. Hard-to-Digest Foods Foods that are greasy, fried, or fatty meats not only have high cholesterol, which can lead to fat accumulation and weight gain, but they also take a long time to digest. Therefore, consuming these types of foods at dinner can extend the digestion process into your rest period, keeping your body alert and preventing sleep.

Source: www.toptenthailand.com : 10 Dinner Foods to Avoid If You Want to Lose Weight and Sleep Well