Is It True That 12 Hour Ideal Time For Lunch? This Is What Nutritionists Say

Lunch illustration (Pexels/fauxels)

JAKARTA - Lunch is often considered an important break in the midst of daily activities. In addition, lunch also plays a major role in maintaining energy and focusing on completing activities until the evening.

However, is it true that 12 p.m. is the best time for lunch? Nutrients Lena Bakovic, MS, RDN, CNSC, explained that the ideal lunch time actually depends on individual needs and their respective lifestyles.

"Eating at noon is as important as other foods. Providing our bodies the right nutrition during lunch helps provide sustainable energy throughout the day and prevents excessive eating or eating unhealthy snacks in the future," said Lena Bakovic, MS, RDN, CNSC, quoted by VOI from the Real Simple page on Wednesday, December 18, 2024.

When it comes to lunch times, the most important factors are personal schedules and routines.

"Idegenous times depend heavily on individual needs and their sleep-building cycles," said Bakovic.

For example, if someone wakes up at 7 am and has a nutritious breakfast at 8 am, they will most likely feel hungry about 4-5 hours later, which is 12 to 1 pm.

Ideally, lunch covers various food groups to ensure macroequilibrium and micronutrition.

"If we imagine a plate (size 20-25 cm), I always suggest filling half a plate with vegetables, a quarter of a plate with fatless protein such as fish, chicken, or nuts, and a quarter of the rest with complex carbohydrate sources such as quinoa, red or wild rice, or sweet potatoes," added Bakovic.

This proportion not only provides the necessary nutrition, but also supports a stable energy level and mental clarity to live the rest of the day.

If we eat lunch too early or too late, the health benefits of lunch, especially regarding energy and mental focus, may not be maximized.

"Eating too early in the afternoon (not long after breakfast) can cause greater hunger in the afternoon, before dinner time. This can trigger snacking on unhealthy foods," Bakovic explained.

If you're feeling hungry early, check your breakfast options, because that's probably what makes you hungry quickly.

On the other hand, lunch is too late, approaching dinner time, it can cause a person to skip dinner and feel hungry ahead of bedtime.

"This can encourage snacking on salted or sweet foods with low nutritional value," said Bakovic.

Snacking ahead of sleep can also interfere with a good night's sleep, which in the end affects the rhythm of the body's sirkadian as well as hunger and fullness.

Then, is it important to have lunch at the same time every day? The answer is yes.

"Just like a consistent sleep-building cycle that is important to keep the body in sync, the same goes for meal time," said Bakovic.

"Having a consistent lunch time every day helps the body recognize hungry and saturated signals that are in line with our sleep-building cycles," he continued.

However, if you eat lunch earlier or one to two hours late than usual, there's no need to worry. As long as you eat lunch around the same time every day, you can still feel the benefits of a consistent meal time with circadiant rhythm and body metabolic health.