Many people think that there has to be a warm meal a day. But what time of day is it best to eat them – lunch or dinner? And is it bad if there is only cold food?
Monika Bischoff is a nutritionist at the Barmfühle Brüder Hospital in Munich. She explains why neither the temperature of the dish nor the time of eating matters.
Reading tip
Does hot food have an impact on health?
Monika Bischoff: Certain types of cooking require a lot of fat to prepare a warm meal. This is noticeable in the calories. That’s why we recommend only one warm meal a day.
In addition, the body no longer has to heat up the warm meals to process them. It can be assumed that the digestion so less energy has to be used to prepare the food.
If you come up with the idea of drinking ice-cold water to burn more calories, the energy expenditure isn’t so high that you could eat more.
Of course, it is also possible to absorb a lot of energy with cold meals – for example when you spread thick butter on your bread. That’s why you can’t say what is generally healthier or unhealthier.
It always depends on the composition of the dishes – regardless of whether they are cold or warm.
Reading tip
When is a meal healthy?
Bischoff: When it comes to composing healthy meals, you can follow the plate rule: there should be salad or vegetables on half of the plate. A quarter should be a protein side dish, for example legumes or fish, and a quarter should be a carbohydrate side dish, for example potatoes or whole grain pasta.
High-quality fat should only be used sparingly. Healthy methods of preparation that require little to no fat are braising and steaming. Nutrients and vitamins are still retained.
It is important that the meals are varied and as colorful as possible – preferably regional and seasonal. And always tailored to your own needs. Basically: everything in moderation.
At what point is a warm meal digestible?
Bischoff: The digestibility is different for each person. That’s why there is no one right time of day for a warm meal.
Reading tips
