We scoured the internet for you to learn when is the best time to eat sweet treats. We wanted to make sure to get rid of that guilty feeling you have when indulging in something delicious. From vegans to non-vegans, everyone loves a good dessert but there’s all kinds of advice that says when is the best time to eat sweets. Here’s what we found.
With your Dinner or a Few Hours After a Meal?
You know when you go to a restaurant and right after you finish your meal, the waiter hands you the dessert menu? The waiter is actually doing you a favor. Nutrition expert Monica Reinagel, MS, LD/N, CNS said in an article that you might eat less of a dessert if you enjoy it right after a meal since your stomach is mostly full. She said it’s better to reduce your dinner’s portion size if you know ahead of time you will be eating dessert.
When you eat dessert several hours after a meal, Reinagel said in the article, you may no longer be full and could fall into mindless snacking.
“When sweets and snacks sound good but vegetables or another healthy choice doesn't, that's usually a sign that we're not actually hungry. We're responding to other triggers, such as boredom, habit, or simply the presence of tempting food.”
A Shape magazine article also explored this topic and expert Dawn Jackson Blatner, R.D.N., also agreed that treats right after dinner is best. "When dessert is 'attached' to a meal, it signals doneness, so it's less likely to trigger a bunch of mindless snacking."
Before or After Working Out?
For those of you who are fitness warriors doing high intensity workouts or heavy resistance training then you will love this section. An article in Livestrong magazine says the best time to consume sweets is right after a vigorous workout. It says “carbs are imperative to muscle gain. If your goal in working out is to gain muscle mass, you'll need to pack in the carbs. And even if your intention is losing weight, don't forget that carbs give you the power to exercise.”
In the study from the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, they looked into the diets of bodybuilders. The research showed that successful bodybuilders had diets that consisted of 40 to 60 percent carbohydrates.
If you are not a bodybuilder, another article from Well + Good recommends that indulging in something sweet right before an intense workout will help give you energy. It suggested if you haven’t had adequate meals or snacks throughout the day then it’s okay to indulge. However the key is pairing your indulgence with your workout “intensity” - so a chocolate chip cookie may go well with a 5-mile run instead of yoga.
Earlier in the Day?
Who wants to wait until after dinner to indulge? That’s way too long when you could just get it out the way in the morning and use the rest of the day to burn calories. That seems logical and was the advice from a Self magazine article.
The article said the best time is “10 a.m because fat acts as a source of energy, so have your fats in the morning so you can burn them off all day. For carbs, 1 p.m is the best time to indulge since they increase your level of serotonin and will prevent snacking throughout the rest of the day -- yay for pizza for lunch. Sugar intake is 2 p.m since this will give you instant energy during your midafternoon slump.”
While we couldn’t find a definite answer for the best time to eat sweet treats, the bottom line is you know your body the best and when to indulge. Portion control is key and maintaining an active lifestyle will help burn off any unwanted calories.
Make sure to try Southern Roots Vegan Bakery’s Lemon Blueberry Donuts. It’s packed with fresh wild blueberries and has a bright, lemony flavor. It’s also the most requested “comeback” flavor on our menu. These plant-based donuts are the perfect blend of tangy and sweet. We just love them for breakfast, snack time or even dessert.
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