“The first thing I often recommend to keep evening cravings at bay is to remain consistent with other meals throughout the day,” says Maeson Temple, RDN, L.D., CNSC. “Making sure to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner (or even an afternoon snack) will prevent an increased appetite later in the evening.”
Days fill up quickly, and making time to eat a meal (let alone a balanced meal) can be challenging. Add on stressful situations, and those hormones may be enough to squash the desire for food1. Your appetite may tick up again once you’ve had a moment to breathe in the evening, which could have you reaching for convenient, but high-calorie foods.
“When meals are skipped early in the day, some people feel an instinctual need to ‘make up for’ nutrients or calories missed earlier in the day, creating more cravings at night that seem out of balance,” notes Temple.
Hubert even warns, “Don’t try to eat as little as possible… it usually will lead to sabotaging you!”
