Dining Late

Don’t do it -- at least, not very often. That recommendation is included in various trains of dietary thought worldwide. The late Strom Thurmond, who served in the U.S. Senate until he was 100, attributed his longevity to basic eating routines: large breakfasts and very little food consumption after midday. Agricultural families traditionally take their largest meal at lunch -- the meal we called “dinner” when I was growing up on a hay farm. (What many of you call “dinner” was what we called “supper.”) In many countries renowned for their cuisine, such as Italy, folks may consume substantial portions of high-calorie, high-cholesterol foods, but usually not at night.

Modern generations of Americans, on the other hand, are in the habit of dining out or ordering in at night. Enjoyable . . . and quite unhealthy.

To quote “Poor Richard” (Benjamin Franklin): “Eat few Suppers, and you’ll need few Medicines.”