One of them can help you lose weight and keep it off.
For most people living in the U.S and Canada, the biggest meal comes at the end of the day. There’s nothing like sitting down after hours and hours of work to your favorite meal. With many people commuting long distances to work, and not being within arms reach of a kitchen come lunch, most of us end up saving the bulk of our hunger for the end of the day.
But is eating your biggest meal as the sun sets really the best way to go?
Lunch used to be prime time. Farm life in the past (and perhaps present) meant that people were working long hours that began at sunrise and the midday meal was the largest.
In some places, like Colombia, it still is. And some experts say this is easier on the body.
Related: 5 Reasons to Drink a Glass of Wine With Dinner
A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that eating a big lunch and a small dinner can help you maintain a healthy weight.
Participants were asked to follow a 1,500 calorie diet. One group was asked to eat their largest meal at lunchtime and the other in the evening. The study lasted 12 weeks and at the end, those who ate their largest meal at noon had lost 3 pounds, on average.
The results don’t show staggering weight loss, but researchers said that consuming more calories at lunchtime could help to limit afternoon snacking. With a stomach full of healthy food, you’re less likely to grab a candy bar or some chips to satiate your hunger.
It’s costly to eat a full meal out each day for lunch. And packing large amounts of food for the road can be time consuming. But maybe an extra sandwich or a larger salad will do some good.
