Best Time To Eat Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

“Eat breakfast right when you wake up.”

“Don’t eat after 8:00 PM.”

“Eating sweets before bed will give you bad dreams.”

Are you familiar with any of the above? Regardless of what you have heard, there are so many different sayings floating around relating to what and when you should eat breakfast, lunch and dinner. Do you know which ones are right? Although not everyone will realistically be able to follow the same schedule due to a difference in daily routines, there are a few general rules of thumb that can be followed:

Eat Breakfast Within 1-2 Hours After Waking: When taken literally, breakfast is exactly what it says it is – breaking a fast. Therefore, you should eat within 1-2 hours in order to get your metabolism up and running for the day. Even if you generally aren’t hungry after you open your eyes for the first time each day, it’s best to try and at least have something small to give your body the push it needs to get going.

Eat Lunch Approximately Four Hours After Breakfast: Once you get yourself on a schedule, try to eat lunch approximately four/four and a half hours after eating breakfast. However, remember that breakfast should be your biggest meal of the day, so you will want to make sure you are not indulging too much during the afternoon.

Eat Dinner At Least 3 Hours Before Bed: Depending on what time you go to bed each night, you should aim to eat around three hours prior to that. Aside from the fact that you probably would rather not go to bed on a completely full stomach, eating too close to rest can make it difficult to get a solid sleep since your blood sugar is likely higher than when you didn’t eat. Additionally, lying down immediately after you eat can increase the likelihood that you experience some sort of discomfort from heartburn or even acid reflux.

That being said, don’t forget that you should be eating when your body says it’s time to. If you feel like you are heading to the kitchen just because the clock says you should be, you could be harming your health.

Starting today, we encourage you to take a closer look at your eating habits. After all, this month is National Nutrition Month, and this is a great way to start honoring it!

Chip’s Family Restaurant is currently located in Fairfield, Orange, Trumbull, Wethersfield, Southington and Southbury CT! For more information about the current menu offerings, please click here.