"Carbs at night make you gain weight": busting the myth

There is no solid scientific evidence that carbohydrates eaten in the evening, at equal total daily calories, promote weight gain more than those eaten at other times of day.

What determines energy balance is the total number of calories and the overall quality of the diet across 24 hours, not the timing of a single meal. Some studies even suggest that some carbohydrates in the evening may support sleep quality in certain people.

The real issue with dinner is often something else: what and how much was eaten earlier in the day. A large dinner is often a symptom of insufficient meals earlier on, not the cause of the problem.