End your day with these nutritious, sleep-promoting options.
Certain foods and nutrients can even influence thequality of your slumber, plus how your body repairs itself overnight.
But what are the healthiest foods to eat for dinner, exactly?
Photo:Claudia Totir/Getty Images
Ahead, dietitians share their top picks, along with what makes each one so good for dinnertime.
Healthiest Foods for Dinner
Ready for a healthy dinner?
This can help reduce the risk ofiron deficiency, a condition that can cause restlessness at night.
Ilia Nesolenyi/Getty Images
For a hands-off meal, try ourSlow-Cooker Black Bean and Zucchini Chiliwith lean ground beef.
Alternatively, if you need something to eat ASAP, throw together thisSimple Shepherds Pie.
Enjoy the creamy green fruit inGrilled Chicken and Corn Salad With AvocadoorChicken and Avocado Rice Bowl.
istetiana / Getty Images
This is particularly beneficial for repairing your muscles overnight, Goodson notes.
Additionally, quinoa has magnesium, a mineral known to support relaxation and improve sleep quality, adds Goodson.
Salmon
Mizina/Getty Images
When it comes to the healthiest dinner foods, you cant go wrong withsalmon.
Marie Kazalia / EyeEm / Getty Images
The protein in salmon also aids in satiety, preventing late-night snacking.
For aneasy salmon recipe, whip upSpeedy Salmon Burgersor vibrantSalmon Tacos With Grapefruit Salsa.
They also support heart health, your microbiome, and healthy digestion, she adds.
Westend61 / Getty Images
These fruits also packed with hunger-busting fiber, making it easier to slip into a peaceful slumber.
Furthermore, most nuts contain sleep-promoting melatonin, withpistachiosandalmondsoffering the highest amount, notes Burdeos.
They also offer magnesium, which helps relax the body and mind, making it an ideal nighttime nutrient.
Veni vidi…shoot/Getty Images
These foods also containcalcium, notes Burdeos.
Tart cherries are a natural source of melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep, explains Goodson.
They also containantioxidantsand [boast]anti-inflammatory properties, which support recovery and overall health, adds Goodson.
Mizina/Getty Images
it’s possible for you to also sip on a glass of tart cherry juice before hitting the hay.
Healthiest Dinner Nutrients
When it comes to dinner, satiety-boosting nutrients are the name of the game.
This includes protein, fiber, andhealthy fats, according to Goodson.
Westend61/Getty Images
Its also worth focusing on nutrients that soothe the body.
Examples include magnesium and tryptophan, which aid restful sleep by supporting relaxation and melatonin production, Goodson notes.
These foods include:
Is Dinner Important?
Anshu / Getty Images
Eating dinneralong with breakfast and lunchis a vital part of your everyday health.
It also helps stabilize blood sugar levels and prevent late-night cravings, promotingbetter sleep quality, she adds.
John Lawson/Getty Images
Helen Camacaro / Getty Images
