A long day lies behind you. Your head is full, your body is exhausted - perhaps the day was demanding, mentally, emotionally or practically. Now it's evening. And with it comes the chance to consciously calm down - supported by a healthy dinner.
Dinner is more than just a last source of energy: it is a transition. From functioning to regenerating. From the outside to the inside.
It gives you what you need and leaves out what weighs you down. It nourishes you without being heavy. And it gives you the good feeling of rounding off the day mindfully.
🌙 Why a healthy dinner is particularly important
Even though many people traditionally attach the greatest importance to breakfast, dinner deserves at least as much attention - especially when it comes to restful sleep, healthy digestion and inner balance.
Because what you eat in the evening - and how you eat - has a significant influence on how your body and mind can rest overnight.
A very late, heavy or particularly high-fat dinner can disrupt the natural recovery phase. The body is then busy digesting instead of focussing on regeneration and sleep. This can lead to restless nights, digestive problems or an overall less restful sleep.
Typical consequences of an unfavourable dinner:
- Restless sleep or problems falling asleep,
- Bloating, flatulence or heartburn,
- hormonal disturbances in the nocturnal rhythm,
- Tiredness and sluggishness the next morning.
A light, balanced dinner that favours natural, nutrient-rich ingredients, on the other hand, can have exactly the opposite effect:
It relaxes the body and mind, signals to the metabolism that the day is coming to an end and creates the basis for a peaceful night and a good gut feeling.
Benefits of a conscious dinner:
- It prevents cravings or late-night snacking,
- promotes nocturnal cell regeneration,
- supports the hormone balance - e.g. melatonin production,
- provides a pleasant, full but light feeling in the body.
Those who eat gently in the evening often sleep better - and wake up with more energy.
🧘♀️ What makes a healthy dinner
A healthy dinner should fill you up - without tiring you out. It can be hot or cold, savoury or mild, but above all: easily digestible, nutritious and in manageable quantities.
The ideal components:
1. Easily digestible carbohydrates
They help you to calm down - especially in the form of:
- cooked vegetables
- Millet, quinoa or sweet potato
- Sprouted wholemeal rice in small quantities
Avoid large portions of bread, pasta or sugar in the evening - they can disturb your sleep.
2. High-quality vegetable protein
Proteins support cell regeneration overnight, promote muscle building and have a satiating effect.
Suitable sources:
- Tofu, tempeh
- Sprouted lentils, Sprouted chickpeasbeans (well seasoned & cooked)
- Lupins or plant-based yoghurt
3. Healthy fats - but in moderation
Use sparingly in the evening, e.g:
- one teaspoon Olive oil in oven vegetables
- a few walnuts or linseed in the salad
4. Lots of vegetables
Steamed, baked or marinated lukewarm - vegetables should be the main protagonists. Particularly suitable:
- Courgette, pumpkin, broccoli, fennel
- Spinach, chard or carrots
- Salad of beetroot, cucumber, lamb's lettuce (especially in summer)
Healthy dinner: Ideas
Here are some recipe ideas for a healthy dinner - no additives, no frills. Simply good foodthat does you good and is quick.
1. Steamed vegetables with millet and parsley oil
- Boil millet until soft
- Steam vegetables such as broccoli, carrots and fennel
- Refine with a little lemon juice and a spoonful of parsley oil (mix parsley + olive oil)
2. Pumpkin soup with coconut and ginger
- Cook the hokkaido, sweet potato and ginger in coconut milk until soft
- Season with curry, cinnamon and turmeric
- Optional: top with seeds and fresh herbs
3. Lentil salad with oven vegetables
- Combine beluga or mountain lentils with beetroot, parsnip and courgette
- Dressing made from mustard, linseed oil, apple cider vinegar
- Enjoy warm or lukewarm
4. Warm salad with fried tofu
- Leaf salad with warm courgette vegetables and fried tofu
- Toasted sunflower seeds as a topping
- Dressing made from tahini, lemon, water
5. Oven vegetables with dip
- Roast the pumpkin, carrot, pepper and onion on the baking tray
- Serve with: hummus, cashew cream or our bleibwacker spread
- Ideal as light soul food at the end of the day
When is the best time for a healthy dinner?
There is no fixed rule for the "right" time for dinner - our daily rhythms, lifestyles and needs are too individual for that. Nevertheless, there are some tried-and-tested recommendations that can help you organise your evening meal in such a way that it supports you and does not burden you.
For orientation:
- Eat about 2 to 3 hours before going to bed. This gives your body enough time to digest the meal in peace before it starts to regenerate at night.
- If possible, maintain a consistent rhythm. This strengthens your internal clock and supports important bodily processes such as hormone regulation, the sleep-wake rhythm and metabolism.
- Avoid eating immediately after intense exercise or acute stress. At these moments, your nervous system is in activity mode ("fight or flight") - not digestion mode. A brief moment of relaxation before eating can already make a big difference.
The more regularly, mindfully and calmly you organise your evening meal, the better your body can process, absorb and integrate it. And the easier the transition from day to evening will be for you - both physically and mentally.
Because not only that Whatbut also the When and How What we eat determines how we feel - in the evening and the next morning.
🍵 Evening rituals around food
A healthy dinner is not just a meal - it can also be a little ritual. Here are a few ideas to round off your evening:
- Prepare the food in peace - if possible without scrolling on the side
- Set the table consciously, even if you are eating alone
- Then drink a cup of herbal tea - e.g. with fennel, lemon balm or camomile
- Avoid late-night snacking when you are already full
Your dinner is the last conscious act of self-care on this day. Take it seriously - but not hard.
Conclusion: Eating healthily means finishing well
A healthy dinner gives you lightness instead of a feeling of fullness, calm instead of restlessness - and a good gut feeling until the morning.
It can be simple. It can be warm. And above all, it can suit you. Because eating in the evening is not a sacrifice, but an invitation:
End your day consciously - with real flavour and honest ingredients. Would you like to end your evenings in a conscious and healthy way, but don't have the time to spend ages in the kitchen? Then take another look at our delicious soups on. Nutritious, healthy and at the same time not weighing you down.
Sources:
Institute of Health (2025): Early dinner: The key to better sleep and health. Available online at: https://institut-der-gesundheit.com/gesundheit/fruehes-abendessen-der-schluessel-zu-besserem-schlaf-und-gesundheit [Accessed on 02/06/2025].
Pharmacies review (2021): Eat differently, sleep better. Available online at: https://www.apotheken-umschau.de/gesund-bleiben/schlaf/anders-essen-besser-schlafen-779583.html [Accessed on 02/06/2025].
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