Don't skip dinner to shed kilos!

Should you have a glass of milk or just fruits for dinner?No, say experts. That may be too little. Eat breakfast like a king (or queen),but don’t starve for dinner either. Keep the meal light, but make sure you get your nightly fix of carbohydrates, vitamins and fibre. This will aid digestion and keep your weight down. Recent research, too, shows that carbs at bedtime may just help in losing and maintaining weight. The American Dietetic Association recommends eating both carbs and protein as a snack, giving examples such as crackers and low-fat cheese, yoghurt and fruit or cereal and milk. Carbohydrates are necessary to process and break down fat in the body. Fitness expert and nutritionist Namita Jain says it’s a myth that one must avoid carbs for dinner. She explains, “Carbs should make up 55-60 per cent of your diet, as they are the body’s main source of energy. Fruits and vegetables are examples of carbohydrate-rich foods that have great nutritional value, as they are loaded with fibre, plus essential vitamins.” She adds, “Incorporate healthy or good carbsby including whole grains, beans, fruits and vegetables. These carbs aredigested slowly, helping you feel full longer and keeping blood sugar andinsulin levels stable.”Explains Ritika Samaddar, MaxHealthcare, “A healthy diet consists of the right carbs and proteins. Justa soup or salad may not be enough for a meal as it may not give you the mineralsand fibre you require. Start with a soup, which fills you up, and then go on toyour regular meal.” Eliminate processed foods and anything made with whiteflour and white sugar. These cause your blood sugar to go up and down, leavingyou tired and sapped of energy. And don’t skip meals. A study,published a couple of years ago in the American medical journal Metabolism, andconducted by the National Institute on Aging, found that skipping meals duringthe day and eating one large meal in the evening resulted in a delayed insulinresponse, which could lead to diabetes.As the day progresses, ourmetabolic rate goes down. It’s advisable to have a light and early dinner.Give your body time to digest the food before you go to bed. Rahul Rana,executive chef from Galaxy Hotel, Gurgaon, recommends dining between 7.30 pm and8 pm, as it takes three hours for the food to be digested. “Sleeping afterdinner can store all your energy, which then turns into fat,” he adds. Anideal dinner, he says, is one of soups, salads and fruits, which is high inproteins, minerals, vitamins, fibre and has less fat.NishantChaubey, executive chef of Cibo, believes that most Indians still opt for atraditional meal of roti/chawal-sabzi-dal. He states, “We need 0.8 gramsof protein for every kilogram that we weigh.”Two rotis, sabzi,dal and salad is a good meal to end the day with, to get your fix of importantnutrients. The trick is to keep the meal light and non-greasy, but make sureit’s nutritive. Says Mahima Trivedi, spa manager, Renaissance Hotel,Mumbai, “Fruits are not a substitute for dinner. Have a soup and salad,with a slice of multigrain bread. Avoid clear soups as they are low innutrients. In salads, avoid heavy dressings.” She adds,“The right carbs, along with fibre, make digestion faster. Avoid potatoesand rice, and go for pulses, green vegetables and fruits. In meats, go for leanmeats and opt for grilled over fried. Avoid red meats as they can make you feelheavy. A grilled chicken or chicken breast is a good dinner option.” Sheadds, “One can even have a pizza for dinner if it has veggies but nocheese.”Remember not to skip meals, especiallydinner!- Chapatti, veggies and dal are an ideal meal. - Soup,salad, wholegrain bread and tofu are a good option.- You can have ahealthy helping of beans such as lentils, black beans, chickpeas, black-eyedpeas, kidney beans, fava beans, and lima beans. - Frozen corn, peas, andother vegetables can be added to arecipe.- Avoid sugary drinks. One 12-oz soda has about 10teaspoons of sugar in it! Try water with lemon or a splash of fruitjuice.- Trans fats are found in vegetable shortenings, some margarines,fried foods. Also avoid processed foods made with partially hydrogenatedvegetable oils. - Say a big no to desserts!