To prevent a large waistline, pay attention to these three types of dinner combinations

For many busy office workers, the most relaxing time of the day is after get off work, when they meet up with friends to eat all they can or feast on night market delicacies. However, experts remind that eating patterns that save the most substantial meal for dinner and often eat until after 10 o'clock are important reasons for expanding waist circumference. In particular, we should pay attention to three types of dinner combinations that may seem cost-effective or not large in portion, but in fact may pose a risk of obesity.

The eating pattern of having the most substantial meal at dinner and often eating until after 10 o'clock is an important reason for increasing waist circumference. Experts remind us to pay special attention to three types of dinner combinations, which may pose a risk of obesity.

Liu Zhenfang, chairman of the Obesity Research Society of the Republic of China and professor of the Department of Health and Nutrition at Taipei Medical University, said that fat accumulated in the abdomen is the most active, so obesity or weight gain will start to react from the waist. She pointed out that modern people generally do not exercise enough, and coupled with eating too much or the high glycemic index of food, the insulin in the body will start to activate the function of synthesizing fat, and excessive fat will accumulate, causing many people to have tuna bellies or become potbellied women.

Professor Liu Zhenfang pointed out that a heavy dinner is often the main reason for the accumulation of fat in the human body. This is because the body's metabolic rate slows down at night, and the amount of activity is not as high as during the day, so fat cannot be consumed and is easily accumulated. A healthy diet concept should be to eat a full breakfast and lunch, and not to eat too much or too late for dinner.

The following are three common dinner combinations. Professor Liu Zhenfang reminds us that they are not completely forbidden, but we should be vigilant and control the amount to avoid expanding our waistline:

• All you can eat

"All you can eat" is a specialty of Taiwanese cuisine. Many people think it is a good deal. Barbecue restaurants, hot pot restaurants, and cake shops all have this kind of economical and affordable meal combination. However, it often makes people overeat, and they may consume nearly a thousand calories in one meal.

Recommendation: One all-you-can-eat meal is almost equivalent to the calories of two meals, so if you really want to eat, it is best to eat it at noon instead of dinner.

• Beer with side dishes

Beer has a low alcohol concentration. A 350ml can of beer is easy to open and contains about 90 calories. If we consider the standard of moderate drinking, drinking a single can of beer will not cause obesity. However, most people tend not to drink just one can of beer, and the side dishes are often salty and spicy, so the calorie intake of a meal can reach nearly a thousand calories.

Advice: If you want to enjoy your meals and drinks, limit the frequency of such invitations.

• Night Market Snacks

Many people plan to avoid big meals and go to night markets for snacks to reduce calorie intake. However, snacks are fried and it is difficult to get full with a single snack. If you eat from many stalls, the calorie intake may not be less than that of a buffet lunch box.

Suggestion: Don’t choose too many fried snacks. Try to share with many people. There is no need for everyone to order a full amount.