Early or Late: Science Has the Answer On When You Should Have Thanksgiving Dinner
The appropriate Thanksgiving dinner start time is easily the most controversial conversation during the holidays. It is different for every family, but there is a real division between two camps: afternoon or evening. For years, people have debated on social media about when is the best time to sit down and eat. Remember that Thanksgiving isn’t just a dinner. It is the dinner of the year. People spend weeks planning menus and days cooking and preparing. So, when is the best time? Let’s discuss.
Thanksgiving dinner can happen whenever, but should it?
Now, Thanksgiving is already giving extra with all of the food required to make the feast. If you know anything about food and Latinos, you know that it gets even more extra. It is the time of year to bring out all of the favorites. After all, it only happens once a year. It takes a team to make it happen, and our moms and tías know how to make a feast to remember.
Expecting a full, extra Thanksgiving feast to hit the table before the usual dinner time seems wild, but some people prefer it.
According to a poll by Martha Stewart, a majority of people prefer to have their Thanksgiving dinner earlier in the day. Out of 34,828 people who answered the poll, 39 percent prefer to have Thanksgiving dinner between 2:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. Meanwhile, 37.4 percent of respondents think that Thanksgiving dinner should be between 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. Only 9 percent think that Thanksgiving dinner should be after 6:00 p.m.
Obviously, this is all about what works best for your family. However, there is a little bit of science that might change when you decide to serve Thanksgiving dinner.
Scientifically, there is a better time to eat
According to The Independent, there is a better time to eat in relation to your overall health. Considering just how many different foods there are on a Thanksgiving plate, it might be better to eat on the earlier side. Don’t tell mom, because the last thing you want to do is get her stressed.
A study published by Cell Metabolism, eating later in the day is bad for your health in general. According to the study, eating later in the day negatively affects your waketime hunger, waketime energy expenditure, and leads to obesity.
This is especially worrisome when eating a Thanksgiving meal filled with heavy foods like meats, bread, and desserts. Your body needs time to digest and metabolize, so eating earlier is beneficial.
The time is also different depending on the crowd. If you have a lot of children, California-based chef Brendan Collins tells The Independent that Thanksgiving dinner should be closer to 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. However, if the crowd is mostly adults, between 4:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. is good. Any later and you run the risk of overeating at a bad time of day.
So, whenever you decide to eat Thanksgiving dinner, know that it is always what is best for your family. If you can make it earlier, there’s no harm. If it’s a little late, just live a little. Who are we to tell you when to sit down with your family and enjoy a food-based holiday?
