Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dine like a pauper, so says the old adage. This advice might not be new, but science is catching up. Recent research not only supports this concept, but reveals how it can impact our health.
Our bodies are governed by an internal clock – known as our circadian rhythm. Influenced largely by light, it shapes various aspects of our health and wellbeing, including our sleep-wake cycle, body temperature and stress hormones.
Interestingly, research shows it can influence our digestion, too.
“Circadian rhythms are best known for controlling sleep and wakefulness,” explains Dr Gerda Pot, a nutrition and health scientist. “But they also play a key role in how well we digest food, how our bodies handle blood sugar and when we burn or store fat.
“Circadian rhythms also influence the hormones that regulate appetite and fullness. Biologically, we are primed to eat during daylight hours and rest overnight. When we eat in line with this rhythm, digestion and metabolism tend to work more smoothly.”
What is chrononutrition?
Chrononutrition is often described as eating the ‘right foods, at the right time, and in the right quantities’.
“It’s not a diet, but a scientifically grounded approach to nutrition that respects our biological rhythms, physiological functioning, and real metabolic needs,” says Dace Krumina, a chrononutrition specialist. “When food is consumed in harmony with these rhythms, nutrients are better absorbed and less likely to create metabolic stress.”
Eating in alignment with our circadian rhythm
As well as being primed to eat, move and think during the day, our bodies are biologically designed to repair and regenerate at night.
“In the morning, the body enters an active phase,” explains Dace. “Hormones such as cortisol rise, digestion becomes more efficient, and insulin sensitivity is higher. This is when the body is best prepared to receive food and transform it into energy and metabolic reserves. As the day progresses, this capacity gradually decreases.
“At night, priorities shift. Digestion slows down while the body focuses on cellular repair, tissue regeneration, hormonal balance, brain recovery, and detoxification. The nutrients eaten during the day are then used during sleep to repair and rebuild the body.”
Chrononutrition says that eating late or too heavily in the evening creates a mismatch. It forces digestion to compete with recovery processes.
“This is why the same food can have different effects depending on when it’s eaten,” adds Dace. “When consumed at the right biological moment, food is well digested and well used. When eaten at the wrong time, it can lead to bloating, poor sleep, blood sugar instability, weight gain, fatigue, and hormonal imbalance.
“Chrononutrition works by respecting this natural internal timing, allowing the body to function with less strain and greater balance.”
What does the science say?
A growing field of research is showing that chrononutrition does indeed offer a range of health benefits.
“Chrononutrition was developed in 1986 by Dr. Alain Delabos, a French geriatric physician who initially studied the effects of under-nutrition in ageing populations,” explains Dace. “His clinical observations revealed that inappropriate meal timing and food combinations contributed to metabolic deterioration and muscle loss, as well as declines in cognitive function, emotional regulation, and overall vitality.”
Since then, more studies have shown that when we eat may be just as important as what we eat.
“Research suggests that eating a larger meal earlier in the day, within a morning or early-afternoon window, can improve glycaemic control, support weight loss, and enhance mitochondrial function,” says nutritionist, Lucy Slater.
“Another review in 2024 found that consuming larger amounts of food later in the day is associated with higher risk of type 2 diabetes, obesity, and coronary heart disease.”
What are the benefits of chrononutrition?
“Research consistently shows that people who eat larger breakfasts and lunches, and lighter dinners, often experience a range of health benefits,” says Gerda. “These include easier weight loss, better blood sugar control, reduced hunger and cravings and more stable energy levels.
“These benefits are often seen even when total calorie intake stays the same. Shifting food earlier in the day appears to support better metabolic health than eating later.”
Dace sees this reflected in her practice.
“Many of my clients experience improvements in blood sugar regulation, cholesterol balance, and insulin sensitivity, whether in a preventive context or alongside existing concerns such as pre-diabetes,” she says. “Clients often describe feeling more grounded, calmer, and more resilient to stress, with less irritability and mood fluctuation. Food anxiety decreases, and trust in the body gradually returns.
”However, in my practice, chrononutrition is never applied as a fixed protocol. It’s always personalised, progressive, and adaptive. Every person has a unique metabolic history, lifestyle, stress load, hormonal context, and relationship with food.”
What we eat is still important
Chrononutrition doesn’t mean we can indulge in donuts every morning and stay healthy.
”Research now shows that improvements in weight regulation and type 2 diabetes risk are not driven by one single factor, but by the combined effect of three layers working together: meal timing, food composition, and appropriate quantities, all aligned with the body’s circadian and hormonal rhythms,” says Dace.
“Importantly, studies emphasise that meal quality matters greatly. Consuming rapid sugars or low-nutrient foods early in the day does not deliver the same benefits as eating nutrient-dense food that supports satiety, stable blood glucose, and metabolic efficiency.”
Bringing our circadian rhythm into balance
Modern lifestyles can easily disrupt our body clock. According to Gerda, common causes include skipping breakfast, late-night eating, irregular mealtimes, constant snacking, poor sleep, artificial light late at night and shift work.
“To bring rhythms back into balance, aim to eat meals at consistent times, have breakfast within one to two hours of waking, finish dinner at least three hours before bed, get natural daylight in the morning and keep sleep and wake times regular,” says Gerda. “Small, consistent changes can have a meaningful impact.”
How to try chrononutrition
Many of us work full-time, and often have to commute and eat late. Chrononutrition can take some organisation, but we can make it work for our schedule.
“For many people, front-loading the day’s calories at breakfast works well,” says Lucy. “However, it isn’t always practical. Making lunch the biggest meal of the day is a realistic alternative.
“A savoury Mediterranean-style breakfast, a high-protein, fibre-rich lunch, followed by an early, light dinner such as a simple soup with seeds is a good option. With these small, consistent changes, many people notice improvements in energy, digestion, appetite regulation, sleep quality, and weight regulation within just a few weeks.”
“Prioritise proteins and fats earlier in the day,” says Dace. “Keep carbohydrates to appropriate quantities and reduce heavy food intake in the evening.
“This might look like a breakfast of one or two eggs on sourdough bread with olive oil, within an hour of waking. Lunch between 12-2pm could be poultry, slow-release carbs (for example brown rice or sweet potatoes) and vegetables.
”Ideally eat a small dinner two to three hours before sleep. Light proteins such as fish, seafood or tofu with carbs only from vegetables and fats from omega-3 rich oils. Avoid cheese, starchy carbs, desserts and ultra-processed foods in the evening.
“Dinner is not meant to ‘fuel’ the body, but to get out of the way so night-time repair can occur.”
