Should we avoid eating starchy foods in the evening?

If starchy foods satiate and give energy, then they should be prohibited at sunset, when you do not want to gain weight. Only two problems arise. First of all, we have not found anything faster to prepare than pasta after a working day, then, without a piece of bread, the salad is less heavy, but very sad. So much starch or not starchy foods for lunch.

Needed for satiety

Let’s remind that bread, cereals (rice, wheat, barley, oats, rye, etc.) and legumes (lentils, beans, peas, dried beans, etc.) are part of the starch family. These foods provide complex sugars that are slowly absorbed by the body and give it the energy it needs. In the evening, if this energy is not spent, it would turn into fat. “Yes, we’ll keep them if we eat a lot, but eliminating them completely isn’t a good idea either,” comments nutritionist Corin Cicheportic-Ajache. According to the practitioner, the satiety effect provided by starchy foods should be considered, even with a weight loss goal.

“You should have it at every meal. In the evening, if a person is sedentary, I recommend always having two pieces of wholemeal bread so that at the end of the meal you are not hungry and you do not crave cheese or chocolate mousse because you are not full,” emphasizes the doctor. And be careful with rice or pasta dishes, “it’s not so much the pasta that’s the problem, but the amount we eat and what we put in it,” she explains.

Do according to your physical activity

In the absence of physical exertion, according to the nutritionist, it is preferable to eat starchy foods at lunch so that you are not too hungry in the evening. “If we settle for a raw vegetable salad at lunch, we’ll inevitably want a piece of bread or risotto in the evening, rather than broccoli,” he warns.

For those exercising after work, starchy foods are important because they will provide the body with the energy it needs to replenish its stores. “Then they can eat four to five tablespoons of pasta or brown rice,” advises the nutritionist.

Choose whole starchy foods

Athletes or non-athletes, starchy foods should be preferred at all meals because they are low on the glycemic index. The lower the latter, the longer it takes the body to digest it, the slower the blood sugar level rises. We feel full longer and therefore don’t want to snack.

Finally, among the foods to avoid in the evening, Corinne Chicheportiche-Ayache lists potatoes and white rice. “Vinegar rice in sushi, for example, has an extremely high glycemic index,” he emphasizes. Opt for dried vegetables such as beans or lentils if you mix them with vegetables so you don’t use them in large quantities.