Should I Eat Carbs After 6pm?

“I've been told I shouldn't eat carbs after 6pm. Is this true?”

“I've been told I shouldn't eat carbs after 7pm. Is this true?”

“I've been told I shouldn't eat carbs after 8pm. Is this true?”

This is one of those eating myths that is thankfully starting to die out now.

However, I still see this being asked a lot or comments where people are giving this advice as some gospel truth.

And there is still a lot of unnecessary fear around carbs.

The honest answer is

No.

It's not true.

The fact different people will give you different time cut offs should tell you it’s likely going to be nonsense anyway.

If you eat carby food at 5:30pm, let's say it is 300 calories worth. When that clock strikes 6:01pm, it doesn't suddenly double to 600 calories for the same thing.

It is still 300 calories, all day long.

11am - still 300 calories
2pm - still 300 calories
7pm - still 300 calories
8pm - still 300 calories
9pm - 742 calories....just kidding, it's still 300 calories
Just before bed – it’s still 300 calories

What matters is how much you're eating overall on a daily basis. That matters far more than when you're eating.

One of the few instances where something like a 6pm / 7pm / 8pm guideline can come in handy is if you're prone to over snacking in the evening.  You eat a few snacks which acts as a trigger to eat some more.

That sort of guideline can help with portion control if it is an issue for you.
If it's not an issue for you, then you don't need to worry about it.

So to sum up, it doesn't matter what time of day you eat. You can eat carbs when you it suits you.