Is it a good idea to have breakfast for dinner?

Having breakfast for dinner can be an easy way to ensure nutritious food intake and avoid consuming junk or outside food, even with a busy work schedule. But there are a few things to keep in mind.

In Short

• Breakfast foods like poha, upma, and omelettes can make for a nutritious dinner
• Having breakfast for dinner simplifies meal planning and helps avoid junk or outside food
• It is important to keep portion sizes in check and opt for balanced meals

After a long day at work, do you often find yourself fretting over what to eat for dinner? Zomato and Swiggy can certainly help keep cooking woes at bay, but after a while, even scrolling through such platforms can become endless and mindless. The overwhelming options make it difficult to decide, or sometimes you're simply too exhausted to make yet another decision at that point.

A saviour to help you deal with this dinner dilemma is... your breakfast. Yes, just have breakfast for dinner.

Why breakfast for dinner?

Do you start your day with a bowl of poha loaded with veggies and peanuts? Great! You can end your day with it too. Eating breakfast foods for dinner can be a good idea, say health experts, and it can be beneficial in multiple ways.

However, it all depends on what you choose to eat. Ideally, only a healthy breakfast that is nutritious, protein-packed, and somewhat light should be consumed for dinner. For instance, heavy parathas and puris should be avoided at night. Even for breakfast, oily, fried, and refined carb foods should be reserved for occasional indulgence.

“Eating a light breakfast for dinner instead of a traditional dinner is beneficial for several reasons. The ingredients in breakfast are often less expensive, quicker to prepare, and most importantly, lower in calories,” says dietician Rizwana Sayed, clinical nutritionist and certified diabetes educator at Apollo Clinic, Pune.

“Since morning dishes are frequently lighter and easier on the stomach than heavier dinner options, they make for a more suitable evening meal,” adds Parmeet Kaur, chief nutritionist and dietician at Marengo Asia Hospital, Gurugram.

Think of poha, upma, daliya, omelettes, and paneer-and-dal cheela. “They are highly rich in nutrients such as protein, fibre, vitamins, and minerals, making them a wholesome choice for either breakfast or dinner,” says Rizwana Sayed.

Having ‘brinner’ (breakfast for dinner) can be an excellent lifestyle choice for working professionals who don’t have enough time to spend in the kitchen. It simplifies meal planning and preparation. In the long run, it promotes eating home-cooked meals, which are generally more nutritious and a better option overall.

How to do brinner right

Generally, experts recommend having a light dinner and a heavier breakfast. So, if you're planning to bring your breakfast menu to the dinner table, consider altering the portion size. Additionally, avoid high-carbohydrate breakfast foods or those loaded with sugar.

“Watch out for high-fat or high-sugar morning items, such as sugary cereals or pastries, as they might not be the healthiest choices for supper. The idea is to eat balanced meals spread throughout the day along with a varied diet,” says dietician Parmeet Kaur.

“If your idea of breakfast includes things like pancakes or waffles with syrup, sugary cereals, doughnuts, muffins, processed bacon/sausages, French toast with excessive oil, or high-sugar yoghurts or fruit parfaits, it's better to ditch them for dinner,” says Megha Puri, senior dietician at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi. The same applies to chhole bhature, pakodas, samosas, parathas, and muesli with too much milk.

Both breakfast and dinner should include complex carbs, protein, and healthy fats. “Dinner, in particular, should focus on protein and complex carbs to support muscle repair and metabolism, along with high-fibre foods rich in vitamins and minerals,” says Simrat Kathuria, CEO and head dietician at The Diet Xperts.

Expert-approved brinner options

Dieticians approve daliya khichdi, poha, upma, dosa, whole-grain cereals with milk, yoghurt with fruit and nuts, scrambled eggs (or omelette) with veggies, and cheela with stuffed paneer as good breakfast-for-dinner options.

“Dishes like eggs, whether in an omelette or served with avocado on toast, overnight oats, or breakfast burritos made with eggs, veggies, and whole grain tortillas are all great choices for dinner. Lighter breakfast options like poha, upma, dosa, and idli are also suitable for dinner. These meals provide sustained energy, support digestive health, and are rich in fibre and nutrients,” says Simrat Kathuria.

“Upma and besan chilla are simple yet effective options for dinner due to their low-calorie content, as well as their high protein and fibre levels,” adds Rizwana Sayed.

Remember...

A balanced and varied diet, regardless of meal timing, is key to maintaining overall well-being. Having breakfast for dinner can be an easy way to ensure nutritious food intake and avoid consuming junk or outside food, even with a busy work schedule. Just keep the portion size and food choices in check.