At the crossroads between “healthy” strategy and express diet, eating only fruit in the evening is often adopted in search of lightness, especially after a generous lunch or excess food. If the idea seduces by its simplicity, specialists alert on its metabolic consequences. Lack of protein, insulin peak, morning cravings … This food choice is far from trivial.
What fruit alone at dinner cause in the body
Sandra Lordén Álvarez, expert in sports nutrition, is categorical: “Eating only fruits at dinner can cause an insufficient intake of other essential nutrients, such as healthy proteins and fats, which are important for satiety and proper functioning of the body“. This imbalance can create early hunger the next morning and disorganize the global food cycle.
Another effect often ignored: glycemic response. “”The fruits are rich in vitamins, minerals and fibers, but they also contain natural sugars“, She explains. Consumed alone and in large quantities in the evening, especially if they are with high glycemic index, they cause a rapid increase in blood glucose. Result: an insulin secretion which can, in the long term, promote resistance to insulin.
The Nutritionist Charles Orrico completes this warning: “Eating only dinner fruit will cause an insulin peak and, if this energy is not used, it will turn into fat“.
Associate fruit with other foods for a more balanced dinner
Faced with this observation, experts do not recommend fruit in the evening, but insist on a more balanced approach. It is a question of combining them intelligently with other macronutrients.
Here is what they recommend to integrate them into dinner:
- Add a source of protein: plain yogurt, hard egg, fresh cheese;
- Incorporate good fats: almonds, nuts, lawyer;
- Favor fruit with low glycemic index: apples, pears, berries, blueberries;
- Prepare a fruit salad enriched with seeds or skyr.
This strategy not only limits the peaks of blood sugar, but also to reach a feeling of lasting satiety. Sandra Lordén Álvarez also advises not to multiply these 100 % fruit dinners during the week, at the risk of creating a nutritional imbalance over time.
Why the moment of dinner is crucial for metabolism
If the composition of the meal counts, the dinner schedule also plays a key role in weight management. The nutritionist Boticaria García recalls that “The data available to date suggest that it is advisable to concentrate the majority of the contributions during the day and to avoid significant contributions late at night“.
This principle, resulting from chrononutrition, is based on the hormonal functioning of the human body. In the evening, as sleep approaches, the secretion of melatonin changes digestion capacities. Eat it too late, especially fast sugar foods, can then lead to a drop in energy expenditure and less good glucose tolerance.
Dr Leo Cerrud also nuances the role of fruits as part of a diet. According to him, “As the fruits contain a lot of sugar, they can be incorporated into our diet but it is best to consume them at the end of a meal. So that they do not get fat, they must contain a lot of water, tons of fibers and as little sugar as possible“.