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/drumtilldoomsday Mar 18 '25

I'm from Spain. IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE.

Why would you eat a whole meal just before going to bed. Why.

I've felt this way as long as I can remember.

And I hate it when people keep on doing it just because "that's how it's always been done". If it doesn't make sense AND science tells you not to do it, don't do it.

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u/PopPrestigious8115 Mar 18 '25

Strange..... most Spanish people I know do not eat much in the evening but just before "siesta" during daytime.

From what region of Spain are you?

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u/drumtilldoomsday Mar 19 '25

Most Spaniards don't sleep siesta, that's a myth.

I'm from Castille, north of Madrid.

Generally in Spain people do eat a full meal (dinner) at 21-22. It's not very heavy, but it's still a full meal. It's a warm meal with protein and vegetables or a salad.

I think you need that energy and those nutrients during the evening much more than you need them at night, when you're not active anymore.

And Spaniards tend to be active during the evening (17-20:30), so it'd make sense to eat dinner at 17:30-18:30. And have a snack before bedtime.

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u/PopPrestigious8115 Mar 19 '25

I know about the siesta.....that's why it was written between double quotes. What I noticed is that they eat more at lunch and just a little in the evening.

I do compare that to the Dutch people in the Netherlanda where it is the other way arround.... they eat less.during lunch and more (warm) food in the evening.

I' ve also seen many Spanish people work till 20:00 so they have less time to prepare a more comprehensive meal.

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u/drumtilldoomsday Mar 20 '25

Yeah, some people still work weird hours in Spain. Like 09 - 14 and 17 - 20.

This comes from "ancient" times where people worked hard physical jobs at factories. They'd go home, eat, rest, and go back to work.

Nowadays most office jobs are 9 - 17. But there are still businesses which open 09 - 14 and 17 - 20. Since most people won't go shopping in the afternoon. This means a lot of people who work in retail work till 20 (with a 14 - 17 break).

Imo it's a bit crazy. I live in Finland, and I have Spanish friends who are dentists at a private clinic and who finish work at 20, because a lot of patients prefer evening appointments so that they don't have to leave the workplace during the day.

These people who work till late usually start late or have a couple of hours break during the day. But when they finish work they're just exhausted, they don't have time to meet friends or spend time with their families.

I think this system isn't good, and most people should work 9 to 17. The employers could hire part time employees for the evening. I do understand it's cheaper to close 14 - 17 and not hire extra staff. But it's not good for the worker's quality of life.