Making breakfast the biggest meal of the day can help you live longer
On busy mornings, we often rush out the door without making time for breakfast—almost 25% of Americans skip that meal. And that could have negative long-term consequences.
Eating on the go and saving the largest meal for later in the day has become commonplace. But science has found that eating breakfast like a king, lunching like a prince and dinner like a pauper could be the key to living longer and healthier lives. It might even help you reach 100.
The research, published in 2022, analyzed nine studies on chrononutrition, or how eating at different times affects energy and health outcomes. The analysis found that those who ate the most early in the morning had improved cholesterol and blood pressure levels and lost more weight, which may reduce the risk of heart problems and diabetes, which lead to earlier mortality.
Saving larger meals for the evening hours, especially eating within two hours of bedtime, can make it harder for the body to metabolize food, putting people at risk for chronic health problems. It can also make it difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep.
So even on your craziest days, you don’t want to skip breakfast.
How to eat breakfast like you live in a blue zone
Those who live in the blue zones of the world – the areas at the forefront of longevity research like Ikaria, Greece; Sardinia, Italy; and Nicoya, Costa Rica—also tend to eat more filling meals or have dinner earlier in the day.
“Nicoyans often eat two breakfasts with a light dinner; Icarians and Sardinians make lunch the main meal of the day,” reads a post on the Blue Zones website. “Many Adventists who follow the ‘breakfast like a king’ rule eat only two meals a day, one in the morning and another around 4 p.m.”
While those living in the blue zones eat varied menus, meals low in ultra-processed foods and high in protein, fiber and complex carbohydrates are a common denominator. Many blue zone residents also eat a breakfast packed with whole ingredients, protein, and nutrients.
“Breakfast in the blue zones looks very different from the standard American breakfast of eggs and bacon,” the post continues. “Beans are a common breakfast in Costa Rica, while miso soup and rice are popular in Okinawa. In Loma Linda, [Calif.]Centenarians often eat a hearty breakfast of oatmeal or a slightly untraditional tofu scramble.”
While late shift workers and workers with mixed hours may have little control over meal times, choosing nutritious foods and eating well before bed can still make a difference.
Why is mealtime important?
Another recent study published in Cell Metabolism that controlled exercise, sleep and light exposure — and gave participants the same food but at different intervals — found that eating later decreased the hormone associated with feeling full. The later-eating group also burned fewer calories than the earlier group, and the genes associated with fat storage differed between the groups.
“Taken together, these changes could explain why late eating is associated with an increased risk of obesity, which has been reported in other studies, and provide new biological insight into the underlying mechanisms,” said the study’s researchers, Dr. Frank Scheer and Dr. Nina Vujović, before wealth.
One explanation is how our body’s metabolism changes throughout the day. Consuming most of our food earlier in the day aligns with our circadian rhythm, or natural body clock. Research suggests that melatonin, the hormone released for sleep, may decrease glucose tolerance and explain why the body has a harder time metabolizing late-night meals.
However, you don’t have to revise your schedule to follow the blue zone trail. Some habits may work for some, but not for all. Another way to prioritize health and longevity is to eat simple, easy-to-cook, and delicious foods, Blue Zones founder and longevity expert Dan Buettner previously said wealth.
“People tend to think [of] the expensive superfoods or even expensive fresh produce that are out of reach for many Americans,” he says. “In a blue zone, people eat farmer’s food, so they eat the beans and vegetables that grow on fallow land and whole grains, which are cheap. You can buy these in bulk.”
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