Over the years, there has been a myth that eating too late will make you gain weight. Many people believe most of their weight is gained from late night snacks. Here are a few facts that will help you determine the time you eat.

There are many people eat at late hours due to their work schedule. It can be time consuming to cook a full healthy meal, which effects employees who either work far or get off of work too late.

Others eat when they are in a sad mood, spending late night study session or they just have a major sweet tooth. It is common for people to eat late night snacks when they are watching movies or hanging out with friends. The most common snacks are popcorn, cake, or ice cream. For example, people often have a bowl of popcorn when they are watching a late night movie.

A person’s body is not able to tell the time that you are eating. Your weight is determined by the amount of calories you intake daily and your daily workouts. It is important to exercise frequently to prevent diseases (BIDMC).

Many people eat snacks that contain a great amount of calories, which causes weight gain. Therefore, whether you are eating dinner at 5 p.m. or 9p.m. it is best to focus on the amount of calories each food item has.

It is best to find healthy alternatives, if you constantly find yourself eating cookies, cake, ice cream, or other desserts. Health Media Ventures says the key to eating a healthy snack is choosing food with essential protein and calories that will give your body the appropriate energy.

What is the right amount of calories that a person should take in? Well, that varies for each person. The amount of calories is determined by one’s age, gender, and weight. WebMD is a helpful site that gives a chart that easy to understand the appropriate amount of calories.

There are many late night snacks that a person can eat to sustain a healthy diet. A few recommendations are fruit salads, fruit or vegetable smoothies, or Yoplait light yogurt. Sandwiches are also nice snacks. Replacing white bread with wheat bread can help a person lower the amount of calories that they eat. According to Live Strong, wheat bread contains more necessary nutrients than white bread.

So remember, it is not the time that you eat your food, but the amount of calories that you eat and how often you exercise. There are many meal and snack options available for those who eat late at night often.