Weight loss: Should you eat dal at night? A nutritionist and an Ayurvedic practitioner share the best dal to eat | The Times of India (2024)

Do you remember your childhood when you made all the excuses not to have your food with your mom requesting you to at least finish your bowl of dal? This has happened with most of us.

Dal, full of nutrition and a favourite of many is the staple food for most Indians. In most Indian households, not a day passes by when dal is not cooked at least for one meal. But there have been several theories claiming that the humble dal is not the ideal choice for dinner. To clear the confusion, we talked to a nutritionist and an Ayurvedic practitioner and here is what they both have to say:

According to Nutritionist Kavita Devgan, it is alright to have dal at night provided you choose the easily digestible ones like moong. She further adds, "You can eat anything for dinner as long as you follow these two rules:

- Eat two-three hours before your bedtime, which gives your system enough time to digest the food.

- Keep your dinner light, do not combine dals with heavy or fried stuff for dinner."

In fact, khichdi or dal chawal makes for the perfect dinner as it provides you with protein and helps you sleep better.

Dr Vishakha Mahindroo who is an Ayurvedic practitioner clarifies, "Ayurveda depends upon three pillars - vatta, pitta and kapha. Some dals are very heavy, some moderate and others light. Consuming dal at night disturbs the bodily systems. But it basically depends on what dosha is prominent in one person and accordingly we decide what is safe for them to eat, at what time."

"In general, it is best to consume dal during daytime as whatever we eat at night should be light and easily digestible. For example, moong dal is light and easily digestible, thus, it is completely okay to have it at night. In fact moong dal helps balance the digestion process. If you are having dal at night, make sure to have it at least two-three hours before you sleep. Though yes, dal is a good source of protein, but it takes some time to digest."

You can surely enjoy your bowl of warm dal at night - just make sure you keep a gap of two-three hours between your dinner and sleeping time. Moong dal is certainly the best option if you want to have dal at night.