Are Evening Carbs Good or Bad for Your Waistline?

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Summary: When is the best time to eat carbs for your body? Find out in this article.

Along with a general fear of carbs, many people believe that carbs after a certain time of day are particularly bad for your waistline – but is this really true?

Despite these myths about carbohydrates being proven untrue time and time again, this idea still seems to perpetuate amongst our society. It’s time to end this myth once and for all and embrace carbs as a healthy part of our diet, no matter what time of day!

  

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There are three different kinds of carbohydrates: fiber, starches, and sugar. The best sources of carbohydrates are from whole foods such as vegetables, fruits, beans and whole grains. The kind of carb to avoid generally is sugary carbs, which have little fiber and therefore digest quickly, causing a spike in blood sugar. They also aren’t able to keep you full for very long, leading you to eat more calories in general.

Now that we know what types of carbs are best for us, here are three reasons why carbohydrates in the evening are good for you:

1. Works with our will power. When you force yourself to avoid a whole food group for the second half the day, you’re really pushing your willpower, because you’re going to start craving carbs. By including carbs in your evening meal, you’re avoiding these cravings and thus avoiding potential binge eating or overeating of other foods.
2. Promotes better sleep. Eating carbs will help produce the hormone serotonin, which relaxes you and calms your mood, which is exactly what you want to help you get a peaceful night’s sleep.
3. Increases glucose stores for morning workouts. If you’re a morning exerciser, having a storage of glucose is key to giving you the energy you need to perform during your workout.
4. Increases satiety. Protein, and then fat, is the most satiating of the three macronutrients. By eating more protein and fat during the day, and saving your carbohydrates for later, you’re allowing yourself to eat less overall because you’ll be full during the day from proteins and fats, and then getting in your much needed carbs in the evening.