The dinner is the subject of many received ideas. Fat or not fat? Fatter than at lunch? Can these recurring questions be resolved? Answers with Laurent Chevallier, nutritionist.
The famous adage “You snooze, you lose” still has its followers, because removing this meal would lose weight. Its composition is also the subject of many debates within the community of dieticians and nutritionists.
The question remains hard to believe from the variety of answers found in scientific studies. Before answering it, we must first define the concept of fat. “There is good fat and bad fat. It is essential not to mix everything together. They do not produce the same effects on the body”, distinguishes Laurent Chevallier nutritionist in Montpellier.
Good fats: stay in reasonable proportions
Fats remain essential because they provide energy, participate in the regulation of body temperature as well as the synthesis of hormones and fertility. The essential fatty acids with which they are provided allow the absorption of vitamins. “In beneficial fats, we find omega 3, (vegetable oils, fatty fish, nuts for example) and omega 6 (grape seed oils, etc.) called polyunsaturated fatty acids and on the other hand the so-called monounsaturated fatty acids (lawyer, olive oil, etc.) “, continues Doctor Chevallier.
Omega 3s protect the heart, regulate blood pressure, lower the level of triglycerides (bad cholesterol). Omega 6 also have anti cholesterol effects. As for Omega 9, they have a particular interest in blood sugar control. Faced with the interest of these nutrients, it is necessary to include them in your daily diet.
But figuring out when is the right time doesn’t make much sense. “Everything is a matter of quantity. If we consume a spoon of oil or 150 g of fatty fish with a meal, it does not matter if it is at noon or in the evening. You just have to stay within reasonable proportions “, tempers the specialist.
Bad fats: avoid at night
On the other hand, bad fat must be hunted down at all costs, whatever the time of day. Here too there are distinctions. Saturated fats come from butter, cheese, sour cream, coconut or palm oil, among others. The say fat trans are those found in industrial products. This category of fat consumed too frequently and in large quantities increases the risk of bad cholesterol, and therefore cardiovascular problems (stroke, heart attack, hypertension …).
“Fried foods, too rich dishes, crisps, are to be avoided in the evening. Indeed they disrupt digestion and therefore sleep. Difficult to sleep well when you have a weight on your stomach “, warns Laurent Chevallier.
In any case, to take no risk for your health, we limit the amount of bad fat and we eat them instead at noon, and occasionally. At dinner, it is quite possible to include a food that is part of the so-called good fats category. Without exaggerating the quantities and including it with the components of a classic meal. Half an avocado, or a portion of oily fish or a salad seasoned with a spoon of olive oil in the vinaigrette and you will not take any risks, neither for your health, nor for your figure.
Thanks to Laurent Chevallier, nutritionist doctor in Montpellier.
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