Dietitian Susie Burrell shares the three worst times of the day to eat if you want to lose weight

Leading Australian dietitian Susie Burrell has revealed the three ‘danger’ times of the day you should avoid eating.

The Sydney expert said 11.01am, 3.14pm and 9.31pm are the specific times when you’re most likely to overeat and spike up your daily calorie intake.

Research commissioned by a UK supplement company reported the three high-risk periods – and found dieters consumed an extra 750 calories per day during these times.

Susie shared a list of healthy snack alternatives to eat during these hours to combat cravings.  

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Sydney dietitian Susie Burrell (pictured) said 11.01am, 3.14pm and 9.31pm are the three ‘danger’ hours of the day when most tend to give in to cravings and overeat 

Research commissioned by a UK supplement company reported the three high-risk periods and found dieters consumed an extra 750 calories per day during these times (stock image)

It’s important to start the day with a big breakfast in order to surpass the 11am morning cravings.

‘Eating too few calories during the first half of the day is not only a trigger for late morning hunger and cravings, but also can leave you vulnerable to overeating later in the day,’ Susie told 7News.

Giving in to the cravings also may mean lunchtime is delayed until later in the day. 

But a healthy snack at 10:30am, such as yoghurt or piece of fruit, can help combat if hunger strikes.

Susie said it’s important to start the day with a big breakfast and enjoy healthy afternoon snacks to combat against cravings (stock image)

Similarly to morning tea time, afternoon cravings from 3pm to 4pm are a frequent occurrence – any many turn to unhealthy vending machine options for a ‘quick-fix’.

‘Unfortunately the types of foods we associate with snacking at this time of day again tend to be sweet, treat style foods – biscuits, chocolates and snack bars – which leave us feeling unsatisfied and more likely to snack until dinner time,’ Susie said.

She recommends enjoying filling protein-rich snacks, such as nut bars, vegetables with hummus or rice crackers in the afternoon. 

A couple hours after dinner, you might want something sweet to finish the day while watching television – though Susie dubbed this as a ‘bad habit’.

She said eating snacks in the evening while watching your favourite show puts you at risk of overeating. 

During this time, give yourself a ‘cut off’ period by ensuring you don’t eat after a certain hour – such as 8 or 9pm. 

Evening snacks Susie approves of includes dark chocolate, one biscuit or a small amount of ice cream.