In an ideal world, we’d all consume a wholesome lunch the second the clock strikes noon. However, in today’s fast-paced times where an ever-evolving roster of priorities is always clamouring for our attention, we can all be guilty of sidelining lunch to a quick bite grabbed on the go around late afternoon. However, the fallout for not consuming lunch at the appropriate time comes in the form of a mid-afternoon slump in energy levels. Ahead, everything you need to know about the best time to eat lunch:

What is the best time to eat lunch during the day?

“Simply having food is not important, the timing of the meal matters as well,” declares Vedika Premani, clinical dietician at Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital in Mumbai. The human body is regulated according to a circadian rhythm, which means that our basic physiological processes, including our hormones, are controlled according to a 24-hour body clock.

Premani elaborates, “We are programmed to burn more fuel in the first half of the day due to a higher metabolic rate during that time compared to the latter half. The body is programmed to go for certain periods of time without food while sleeping to redirect and focus on other biological processes, such as liver detoxification. Consuming meals on time makes sure that our body gets sufficient rest for cellular repair and rejuvenation.”

Any delay in mealtimes can disrupt the sleep cycle of your body, which opens the door to a host of health problems like high cholesterol levels and hypertension. While there is no singular time that is healthiest for consuming lunch, Premani recommends having a wholesome meal every three hours to ensure adequate nutrition and energy levels for the latter part of the day. “For instance, if you have breakfast at 10am, the ideal time to have lunch would be between 12.30-1pm,” she adds.

What happens to your body when you skip lunch?

While starting the day with a hearty breakfast and making dinner plans tends to monopolise most people’s priority lists, lunch is often skipped due to its clash with peak working hours. However, the consequences of skipping lunch include a mid-day drop in productivity levels. “While lunch is often downplayed as something that needs to be quick, rushed and jammed into our day, the fuel eaten at lunchtime is extremely important for setting us up for a productive afternoon. If the right quantity and quality of food is not consumed during lunch, there is a higher chance of over-indulging later in the day. This occurs because when the body is deprived of essential food, it releases neurotransmitters that are linked to increased cravings,” the Mumbai-based dietician explains.

How to devise the ideal lunch routine

According to Premani, consuming a well-balanced lunch needn’t be a tedious task if it is planned in advance. “Planning your meals will help to keep your eating patterns on track and ensure that you do not choose the wrong food when you are hungry,” she adds. The road towards devising a healthy lunch routine starts by selecting the approximate time and place that you will be likely to take your lunch break and then preparing a weekly menu of the dishes that work according to this place and time.