For many individuals that regularly exercise, focus on consuming healthy and nutritious whole foods and continually strive to lead an overall healthy lifestyle, the latest and most recent health and fitness news can be quite confusing.

More specifically, like most things in life, there are multiple studies that contradict one another and differing perspectives and opinions on virtually every topic imaginable. One such question, related to nutrition and dietary intake, is “should you consume foods later in the evening when it is close to bedtime?”

Generic dietary advice usually indicates that weight-conscious individuals should stop eating at night, or approximately around 6:00 PM to slightly later if your schedule forces a dinner in the later hours of the evening.

However, a large number of health and fitness seekers find themselves regularly feeling hungry and starved by the time they are ready to go to bed when following this advice, especially if they routinely stay up until 10:30pm, 11:00pm or even later.

Should You Avoid After-dinner Snacks – Or are They O.K.?

So when is the best time to cut off your caloric intake consumption for the day? Is it really a dieting no-no to eat after 6:00 PM? And if you decide to eat later at night, how far are you setting back your weight loss goals? Below we have a few tips and advise for you to consider:

Night Owls can Eat Later

Deborah Enos, a certified nutritionist and weight loss expert, says that the 6:00 PM cutoff time is a good rule of thumb for those who hit the sack by 9:00 or 9:30 each night. However, for night owls who typically don’t settle down for the night until 11:00, midnight or even later, it can be extremely difficult to consume no calories for 5, 6 or more waking hours.

600 Calories = 3 Hours of Digestion

A typical meal that consists of 600 calories worth of carbohydrates, proteins and veggies will take approximately three hours to fully digest. This means that finishing a meal at 6:00 and staying up until even 9:30 will have you feeling hungry before going to bed, which could potentially prevent you from going to sleep on time and put you at risk for other health issues aside from weight gain.

It’s also a battle that you’ll rarely win, according to Enos. In most cases, you’ll succumb to your hunger pains and end up with an unhealthy bag of chips, a bowl of ice cream, or some other snack that takes little to no effort to prepare. Enos says that developing this sort of habit could negate many of your other weight loss efforts.

Eat Later, but Not Too Late

A better approach, says Enos, is to eat a little later in the evening but not too late. This will give your body more time to process the calories you’ve just consumed while you’re still awake. Snacking and then immediately dozing shuts down many of the digestive functions that would process the food properly had you been awake.

Tips for Eating at Night With Late Night Snacking

One of the best ways to curb your late night food cravings is to to eat a large snack in the mid-afternoon, especially when you know you’ll be having a late dinner. Be sure that the snack is nutritionally balanced, including veggies and/or fruit, carbohydrates, proteins and some healthy fats. You’ll be less likely to overeat at dinner, and your blood sugar levels will remain better balanced throughout the day.

Another good tip is to give yourself a break before taking on your post-dinner cleanup. Since it takes your body approximately 20 minutes to feel full after eating, getting away from the dining room and kitchen immediately after a meal will lower your chances of having an unnecessary second helping when you do decide to pack up the leftovers and wash the dishes.

Finally, there are multiple reasons to brush your teeth after dinner. You’ll prevent food particles and bacteria from developing along your gums and on your teeth, ensuring better marks the next time you go to the dentist. The minty flavor of toothpaste will also help to suppress your appetite, even if just for the fact that the toothpaste flavor won’t mix well with food. Use mouthwash to enhance all of the above effects.