6 Common Foods and the Right Time to Eat Them

Sure, we can grab whatever we like to eat and have it anytime we please. But when it comes to healthy living, most foods have the best and worst time that you can have them. Listed below are 6 common foods and the best and worst time to have them logically supported by science.

1. Milk

This white liquid famous for its calcium content to make your bones grow stronger is usually consumed at breakfast and before bed. But owing to its rich nutrition namely, carbohydrates, proteins, fats, calcium, magnesium and various vitamins, milk is heavy on the stomach. Therefore, it is recommended to drink it before bed, where it acts as a slow release source of energy, neutralize the acidity and helps soothe the body for a good night’s sleep.

The worst time to have milk would be in the morning, where it will make you feel bloated and not provide with instant energy which a good breakfast should.

2. Rice

Rice is a very common food in our society. From biryani to khichri, it makes a good lunch or dinner. However, as rice is almost completely made up of carbohydrates, it provides with bulk of energy. Hence the best time to have rice is at lunch. This gives our gastrointestinal tract enough time to digest it and provides us with ample energy to utilize throughout the day.

The worst time to eat rice would be at night. As, presumably you will be going to bed after your dinner, the time to digest carbohydrates is not sufficient. Added to this, the energy from the carbohydrates will not be utilized, which will just be converted and stored as fats in your body, increasing the overall body fat percentage.

3. Apple

One of the most grown foods worldwide, this fleshy sweet fruit makes a good healthy snack. It is full of carbohydrates, vitamins such as vitamin A, C, K, folate, minerals such as calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, fluoride and almost no fats. It is also full of dietary fibers namely pectin, which provides bulk of indigestible material for good functioning of the intestines. It is due to this reason it is ideal to eat an apple in the morning. It gives you energy from carbohydrates to get you going and “cleans” your bowel before you start your day. Having it at night will burden the digestive system. Moreover, its acidic nature, due to the presence of organic acids, may increase the acidity at night.

4. Sugar

Table sugar should be minimal in one’s diet. But since it has become kind of a necessity in almost every sweet dish, you should know the ideal time for having a sugary meal. As sugar is a carbohydrate, your chances of burning it away when consumed in the morning or evening is much higher than if you consume it at night, unless you want to increase your body fat percentage. Apart from this, sugar triggers release of insulin, the hormone that transports sugar from blood to cells for energy. This ‘sensitivity’ to sugar for the release of insulin is much higher in the morning, decreasing the chances of type II diabetes (in which insulin release is affected).

5. Banana

Banana is known to be used by athletes before physical exertion due to its high and fast digesting carbohydrates and high phosphorus.

But eating banana on an empty stomach can cause discomfort due to its high magnesium content. And may result in increased bowel movement owing to its high fiber content. Eating banana at night may lead to mucus formation and cold.

Best time to have banana is at noon. It gives you the energy you need to complete your tasks, keeps GIT clean and it also acts as a natural antacid to decrease acidity.

6. Meat

Meat is mostly eaten at dinner. But as we know meat is very high in protein. Proteins are harder to digest and take a long time to digest completely. They also require an acidic medium in the stomach to digest faster. So eating meat at night would put stress on your GIT, may cause acidity and result in an uncomfortable sleep.

Eating meat in the evening is better, as your body has enough time to digest it and give you ample time to utilize the amino acid for growth, repair, strength and better immunity.