Want To Have Light Dinners But Not Feel Starved? Rujuta Diwekar Has The Perfect Solution For You!

Light dinner ideas: Having a wholesome, nutritious meal in evening can help you have light dinners

Eating light dinners is surely a healthy practice and can aid weight loss, provided you eat something between 4 pm to 6 pm, suggests celebrity nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar. In one of her recent posts on Instagram, she talks about the importance of eating something (preferably healthy and nutritious). She mentions that you can surely have light dinners, but not at the cost unsatisfied hunger and even starvation. Eating light dinners is possible by eating something wholesome in the evening. Practicing this can make easy dinners a fairly easy task.

Early dinners: Why is it important to have a wholesome evening snack?

The meal that you have around 4 to 6 pm is "make or break meal" according to Rujuta. This meal, decides if you can have long lasting fitness or the one which is going to fade away within a few weeks. This is because cortisol, or the stress hormone, follows a natural cycle - it rises in the morning and drops in evening to help you have a good night's sleep.

Also read: Want To Lose Weight And Thinking What To Eat In Dinner? These High Protein Options Is What You Need

The kind of sleep you get is a determinant of your metabolic health, hormonal balance, immune response and stress, writes Rujuta in her post.

Not eating anything in evening and trying to kill appetite by a cup of tea or coffee can result in higher production of cortisol. This can lead to overeating dinner, poor quality of sleep, slower digestion, thyroid issues, polycystic ovary syndrome and even insulin sensitivity.

Thus, it is important to have a plan for a meal that you can have between 4 to 6 pm, irrespective of where you are and how busy you are.

Also read: Add These Protein-Packed Foods In Your Dinner For Quick Weight Loss

How to plan an evening meal?

An effective way to have a plan for this time is to have 3-meal plan before you leave the house. It definitely requires you to spend more time in the kitchen, and is most likely to work to your benefit.

Some options for a wholesome evening meal are:

1. Handful of groundnuts or black chana: Both of these are delicious and a rich source of protein. Eating them in evening can regulate appetite, prevent bloating and overeating during dime. The two make for an amazing meal for those who have early dinners, before 8 pm. Rujuta says that it can work wonders for those with diabetes, PCOD and those who feel low on energy throughout the day. It can also help you have light dinners.

Handful of ground nuts can make for a wholesome evening snack
Photo Credit: iStock

2. Chapati with ghee and jaggery/sugar: This might not seem very weight loss friendly, but it surely is wholesome and nutritive. What's more is that chapati with ghee and jaggery or sugar can help you stay active and work productively, even when you're away from home. It makes for a good evening snack for those who have dinner after 9 pm and struggle to sleep well, have constipation and low haemoglobin levels.

Also read: Besides Weight Gain, Here's How Eating Dinner Late Can Harm You

3. Poha/ Upma/ Dosa/ Egg toast/ homemade khakra or mathri/ homemade Goond or Besan laddoo: These are great options for those who have higher workload during evening. In case you experience leg cramps and headaches, and have low immunity, having these during evening can help. A homemade vegetarian grilled sandwich also makes for a good evening snack option, recommends Rujuta. These options can also be helpful for having light dinners.

Having eggs for an evening snack can help you have light dinners
Photo Credit: iStock

4. Chaat / Samosa/ Street food: Surprised? Well we aren't! You can have your favourite junk food once a week during evening, recommends Rujuta. She however reinstates that the worst time to have junk or street food is during dinner.

In case you have any one of these options as your evening snack or meal, in the right quantity, it can help you naturally to have light dinners. Results may begin to show in 4-5 days. Try it and let us know if it works for you!

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.