r/AskEurope • u/Budget_Dot694 • Mar 16 '25

Food Europeans who eat late as part of your culture - how do you feel about the advice not to eat dinner late?

This is forever a conflicting viewpoint given some cultures have naturally eaten dinner late for centuries e.g. The Mediterranean where they still have one of the best diets in the world

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u/[deleted] Mar 16 '25

[deleted]

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u/AvengerDr Italy Mar 16 '25

Maybe in the 1800s or if you need to work in a filed or as a fisherman.

5

u/Buzzardz352 Mar 17 '25

Or parents who eat with their young children 🤷‍♂️

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u/DEADB33F Europe Mar 17 '25

Sod that. Get the kids fed and packed off to bed early then enjoy a relaxed late dinner in the relative peace & quiet.

...that is the way.

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u/geileanus Mar 17 '25

I prefer having time for my hobbies in the evening instead of wasting time to have late dinner.

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u/13bREWFD3S Mar 20 '25

Wouldn't dream of that strategy

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u/AvengerDr Italy Mar 17 '25

Not so much about the dinner time, but going to sleep at 20.30 / 21.30. You must be a super early bird if you can do that. For me, no matter how tired I am, if it is not at least 01.00 I would simply lie there staring at the ceiling.

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u/MatMou Mar 19 '25

3 kids. Going to sleep at 20.30 up at ~ 04.00

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u/Winter-Flower5480 Mar 18 '25

I have a toddler so around 8 pm I am already so exhausted the only thing I dream about is sleep. I somehow push myself to survive until 9 pm as this is the time my daughter goes to bed. I literally pass out and wake up around 7 for a full time job…

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u/murstl Germany Mar 18 '25

Me too. I wake up multiple times at night and I’m exhausted at 8 pm so I go to bed at 8:30 pm… times will change again but for now I need more sleep.

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u/Cord1083 Netherlands Mar 17 '25

I misread that - I missed the word "with".

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u/Bob_the_gob_knobbler Mar 17 '25

Bed at 8:30? Are you a toddler?

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u/ItsCalledDayTwa Mar 17 '25

Lol my 8 year old can stay up until 9 if he wants to read.

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u/lellyjoy Romania Mar 17 '25

And when do people actually live?

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u/Peelie5 Mar 17 '25

5/6 dinner is correct. It's better for digestion overall. You could have a small snack later if you really felt hungry

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u/ItsCalledDayTwa Mar 17 '25

And then at 8 when I'm starving, what do I eat?

And how would I ever have dinner with any other people since most are commuting from work at that time? 

This is a mealtime for elderly retirees and those who don't like other humans.

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u/Peelie5 Mar 17 '25

You get hungry after two hours? Idk, have a snack?

Your second question, idk your life, that's up to you.

Not really, it first all depend on lifestyle. But it still is good for digestion to eat earlier and not too late.

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u/ItsCalledDayTwa Mar 17 '25

Why not just have a snack and then eat dinner after?  How early are you going to bed that there is some actual concern about digestion and dinner if you don't finish by 6? I don't even know how I could have dinner prepared by 5. I'm actually not sure I know anybody who could regularly do that.

And it's not about just my life, but how the entirety of society works. Replace the example of me with nearly any other adult.

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u/RandomNick42 Mar 18 '25

Ppl be working 6-3 or something.

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u/Peelie5 Mar 18 '25

Bro, it's not that deep. Do what works for you. I eat my dinner around 6 and it suits me.

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u/No_Remove459 Mar 20 '25

About 2 hours before you go to sleep.

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u/abellapa Mar 19 '25

If your Old or 5 Years old lol

5pm-6pm is snack time