Meal timing is highly individual. Some people can’t start their day without a big breakfast first thing while others prefer to eat the most food at dinnertime.
Typically, most people split their daily calorie intake up between three meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner (plus some snacks). Does it matter which meal is the most caloric? Should you eat most of your calories for the day during a certain time window?
In TODAY’s expert tip, Collin Popp, Ph.D., dietitian and assistant professor at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine, reveals how to time your daily calorie intake for the most health benefits.
Dietitian Tip of the Day: Eat Majority of Your Calories Before Sunset
Most healthy adults should aim to get the majority of their calories earlier in the day, between the morning and early evening, about 5–7 p.m., Popp tells TODAY.com.
If you eat three main meals a day, that would mean breakfast and lunch are your largest or most caloric meals, compared to dinner and late-night snacks, Popp explains.
If you tend to eat many smaller meals throughout the day, then try to shift these earlier so you only eat a minority of calories past the evening.
This timing of calorie intake, which Popp calls “front-loading,” can be beneficial for your metabolic health, energy, blood sugar, and sleep.
Why It Matters
Eating most of your calories earlier in the day is optimal because it better aligns with the body’s 24-hour internal clock, aka circadian rhythm, which regulates our sleep-wake cycle.
Our circadian rhythm also regulates our metabolism, hunger and energy levels. The goal is to eat the majority of calories between the morning and early evening because our metabolic response is greater, so we’re able to utilize more energy from food, says Popp.
In healthy people, their insulin sensitivity — how well the body responds to the hormone insulin, which regulates blood sugar — is also higher in the morning, he adds.
Front-loading calories can also help fuel our body and brain to get through the day and curb hunger, which may prevent overeating at night.
Research suggests people who eat the majority of their calories at breakfast or lunch are more likely to lose weight than those who eat the most at dinnertime.
Consuming the majority of calories later in the day or during the night is not optimal for health for several reasons, says Popp.
First, back-loading calories at night can interfere with sleep and disrupt digestion. By not aligning with our circadian rhythm, the body may not metabolize food and use energy as efficiently. Eating the majority of calories at night is associated with weight gain and unstable blood sugar levels, especially for people with diabetes.
How to Get Started
If you want to get a sense of how many calories you should be eating each day to maintain your current weight, you can use this calculator from the National Institutes of Health.
Counting calories isn’t for everyone — fortunately, this tip only requires timing the majority (more than 50%) of your calories, says Popp.
Here’s an easy way to break down your daily calories:
- Breakfast is 25-40%.
- Lunch is 30-40%.
- Dinner is 15–20%.
- Snacks make up the remaining.
During each meal — but especially breakfast and lunch — aim to get enough protein, healthy fats and fiber, says Popp. Try to eat 20–30 grams of protein per meal and 8-10 grams of fiber per meal (based on a recommendation of 25-30 grams of fiber per day).
TODAY’s Expert Tip of the Day series is all about simple strategies to make life a little easier. Every Monday through Friday, different qualified experts share their best advice on diet, fitness, heart health, mental wellness and more.
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