Is fruit in the afternoon bad?

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  • eminater
    eminater Posts: 2,477 Member
    I have heard an old wives tale that certain fruits before bed can cause nightmares. Probably why there is published research on this topic. (Although this paper pertains to food in general, not fruit). I've also been told this same 'advice' by my mother and other women in the older generation. I've never personally noticed any truth to it, but it's put me off eating an apple at bedtime. :grimace:

    I sometimes get that sweet craving after dinner too. Either a nice square of dark chocolate hits the spot, but yum ... cherries and berries every night would be awesome, if I could afford them.
  • Erinloveable
    Erinloveable Posts: 46 Member
    I am a strong believer that your body don't know what time it is. I would think it doesn't matter if it is within your macros and you don't immediately fall asleep, leaving fruit gunk in your teeth. People freak out about "late night snacking" all the time but if you KNOW you will be hungry, why not save a couple hundred calories and do it without stressing yourself out?
  • thanos5
    thanos5 Posts: 513 Member
    tarcotti wrote: »
    All I know is any time I eat fruit instead of something processed, my blood sugar (I'm diabetic) is WONDERFUL afterwards, this is true any time of the day. So that's pretty much the rule I live by.

    hmmm. my sugar goes up after i eat fruit (also a diabetic), especially grapes, but my doc says it's ok because long term it keeps things level. i'm a diabetic newbie so i don't understand, but if it means i can eat delicious delicious fruit i'm not gonna argue. i just stick to the serving sizes, as i do with everything i eat.
  • johnnylakis
    johnnylakis Posts: 812 Member
    I replaced my snacks with fruit and had only positive results.
  • maureenkhilde
    maureenkhilde Posts: 849 Member
    As a Type 2 Diabetic, that is really working on getting off all my diabetes medicine by trying to keep my blood sugars pretty level and not fluctuate very much. It has been suggested to me not to eat fruit after 4PM. And to make protein my last snack of the day. But this is totally based on the fact that I have been able to drop 2 medications totally. And I want off the insulin as well. And to keep the blood sugar in range, eating even fruit with it's natural sugar will spike it overnight. But if I have it early enough in the day, and say take a walk. It has controlled it.

    Chances are most people would not know anything about this slight increase in sugar that impacts diabetics. So I say if you have no health issue just keep eating that fruit.
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,304 Member
    I guess if one is diabetic and has to watch sugar intake (fruit is still ok though, in appropriate amounts) or has heartburn due to acidic fruit or has nightmares due to something - then avoid them

    But for rest of us - no problem with eating fruit at any time - obviously,like everything, within calorie allowance.

    Me personally - I quite often have fruit salad for supper, usually around 9 pm. No issues whatsoever.
  • bpotts44
    bpotts44 Posts: 1,066 Member
    Timing doesn't matter. Just keep yourself in your macro targets for each 24 hour period.
  • TonyB0588
    TonyB0588 Posts: 9,520 Member
    I plan to have a large grapefruit before bed tonight.
  • psychod787
    psychod787 Posts: 4,099 Member
    If it puts you over on cals yes. Other wise eat that fruit!
  • qstneverything
    qstneverything Posts: 125 Member
    I've actually heard tips from dieticians who recommend fruit after dinner to curb sugar cravings. So I think it's a great idea.
  • Mandalay407
    Mandalay407 Posts: 2 Member
    I eat fruit, but tend to stick to ones with lower sugar, such as berries and fresh peaches.
  • Nana_Booboo
    Nana_Booboo Posts: 501 Member
    I can only say, for ME, fruit is never bad because it's 100% better than be choosing cake, cookies, candy. My dietitian says to try to keep it for the morning if I can but sometimes cravings hit. I say, for ME, fruit is a good choice for ME anytime of the day.
  • RonyMack
    RonyMack Posts: 131 Member
    OP, there's some woo out there that says carbs are best eaten early in the day and that the body has a harder time metabolizing sugars in the evening. Of course there is no solid scientific evidence to back that up. Your people were probably referring to that mumbo jumbo, and not to fruit specifically.
  • Evelyn_Gorfram
    Evelyn_Gorfram Posts: 706 Member
    In a word, no.

    Fruit is not bad for you at any particular time of day, nor is any other food. As long as it fits within your calorie goal (and, if you're using macros, your macros), and you aren't allergic to it, you should eat what you like when you like.
  • TonyB0588
    TonyB0588 Posts: 9,520 Member
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    bpotts44 wrote: »
    Timing doesn't matter. Just keep yourself in your macro targets for each 24 hour period.

    Lots of people are successful with managing their weight and eating an overall healthy diet without even paying attention to macros.

    I agree. I still don't understand macros, but would check to see if my fruit fits within my calorie limit for the day.
  • RonyMack
    RonyMack Posts: 131 Member
    vikinglander wrote: »
    Just to address the title question directly:

    "Is fruit in the afternoon bad?"

    It depends on what you do with it.
    You could also say that it depends if you let it lay out in the sun. :#
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