Eating well means concentrating on a proper diet and on the time you eat. The foods you consume on a day-to-day basis will have a knock-on effect on your overall health. A balanced plate should include a handful of carbs, an outstretched handful of protein, two handfuls of veg and a thumb-sized portion of fat (olive oil). The current NHS guideline that you should eat small meals often throughout the day is completely disproven. Snacking is generally bad because it produces extra sugar and fat peaks, leading to sugar dips and more hunger. However, snacking can be helpful for some.

There’s more to eating than what’s on our plates

You should stop eating around two hours before bed; otherwise, the digestive tract is working at metabolising your food and absorbing nutrients instead of secreting and absorbing the sleep hormone melatonin. However, if you get home late and don't have that two-hour window before bed, a smaller, lighter dinner is recommended.

The gap between your last bite and going to sleep

<figure><picture itemprop="contentUrl"><source srcset="https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/40092637bf1cc8940db78317f9f107b38a89300e/1577_949_8992_5397/master/8992.jpg?width=1020&amp;quality=45&amp;auto=format&amp;fit=max&amp;dpr=2&amp;s=58eaf475d28a67f209dfc34682b5383d 2040w" media="(min-width: 1300px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 1.25), (min-width: 1300px) and (min-resolution: 120dpi)"><source srcset="https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/40092637bf1cc8940db78317f9f107b38a89300e/1577_949_8992_5397/master/8992.jpg?width=1020&amp;quality=85&amp;auto=format&amp;fit=max&amp;s=77893e08f918f4a2de0560b63ca40830 1020w" media="(min-width: 1300px)"><source srcset="https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/40092637bf1cc8940db78317f9f107b38a89300e/1577_949_8992_5397/master/8992.jpg?width=940&amp;quality=45&amp;auto=format&amp;fit=max&amp;dpr=2&amp;s=d04c63a5cb2de38b56e1fcd57f9d2e17 1880w" media="(min-width: 1140px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 1.25), (min-width: 1140px) and (min-resolution: 120dpi)"><source srcset="https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/40092637bf1cc8940db78317f9f107b38a89300e/1577_949_8992_5397/master/8992.jpg?width=940&amp;quality=85&amp;auto=format&amp;fit=max&amp;s=022a16811c52dbf40b9f3e78ccc22718 940w" media="(min-width: 1140px)"><source srcset="https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/40092637bf1cc8940db78317f9f107b38a89300e/1577_949_8992_5397/master/8992.jpg?width=700&amp;quality=45&amp;auto=format&amp;fit=max&amp;dpr=2&amp;s=d92fcfa9cd6cb1670a6a42d6b8347033 1400w" media="(min-width: 660px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 1.25), (min-width: 660px) and (min-resolution: 120dpi)"><source srcset="https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/40092637bf1cc8940db78317f9f107b38a89300e/1577_949_8992_5397/master/8992.jpg?width=700&amp;quality=85&amp;auto=format&amp;fit=max&amp;s=85d3d96affc0d899aa41dbef30fb98ae 700w" media="(min-width: 660px)"><source srcset="https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/40092637bf1cc8940db78317f9f107b38a89300e/1577_949_8992_5397/master/8992.jpg?width=645&amp;quality=45&amp;auto=format&amp;fit=max&amp;dpr=2&amp;s=2acef74ed213a0d1b0a737222030cb37 1290w" media="(min-width: 480px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 1.25), (min-width: 480px) and (min-resolution: 120dpi)"><source srcset="https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/40092637bf1cc8940db78317f9f107b38a89300e/1577_949_8992_5397/master/8992.jpg?width=645&amp;quality=85&amp;auto=format&amp;fit=max&amp;s=407fae356a3e3c8fd9471b80bc60bed7 645w" media="(min-width: 480px)"><source srcset="https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/40092637bf1cc8940db78317f9f107b38a89300e/1577_949_8992_5397/master/8992.jpg?width=465&amp;quality=45&amp;auto=format&amp;fit=max&amp;dpr=2&amp;s=f14f1fb07cbf08c0989634d565398c0b 930w" media="(min-width: 375px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 1.25), (min-width: 375px) and (min-resolution: 120dpi)"><source srcset="https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/40092637bf1cc8940db78317f9f107b38a89300e/1577_949_8992_5397/master/8992.jpg?width=465&amp;quality=85&amp;auto=format&amp;fit=max&amp;s=b1cf6924504f2c24b6370dbe2b27b2ce 465w" media="(min-width: 375px)"><source srcset="https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/40092637bf1cc8940db78317f9f107b38a89300e/1577_949_8992_5397/master/8992.jpg?width=465&amp;quality=45&amp;auto=format&amp;fit=max&amp;dpr=2&amp;s=f14f1fb07cbf08c0989634d565398c0b 930w" media="(min-width: 320px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 1.25), (min-width: 320px) and (min-resolution: 120dpi)"><source srcset="https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/40092637bf1cc8940db78317f9f107b38a89300e/1577_949_8992_5397/master/8992.jpg?width=465&amp;quality=85&amp;auto=format&amp;fit=max&amp;s=b1cf6924504f2c24b6370dbe2b27b2ce 465w" media="(min-width: 320px)"><source srcset="https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/40092637bf1cc8940db78317f9f107b38a89300e/1577_949_8992_5397/master/8992.jpg?width=465&amp;quality=45&amp;auto=format&amp;fit=max&amp;dpr=2&amp;s=f14f1fb07cbf08c0989634d565398c0b 930w" media="(min-width: 0px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 1.25), (min-width: 0px) and (min-resolution: 120dpi)"><source srcset="https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/40092637bf1cc8940db78317f9f107b38a89300e/1577_949_8992_5397/master/8992.jpg?width=465&amp;quality=85&amp;auto=format&amp;fit=max&amp;s=b1cf6924504f2c24b6370dbe2b27b2ce 465w" media="(min-width: 0px)"><img alt="No more midnight fridge raids." src="https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/40092637bf1cc8940db78317f9f107b38a89300e/1577_949_8992_5397/master/8992.jpg?width=465&amp;quality=45&amp;auto=format&amp;fit=max&amp;dpr=2&amp;s=f14f1fb07cbf08c0989634d565398c0b" height="419" width="698"></picture><figcaption dir="auto">No more midnight fridge raids. Illustration: Lalalimola/The Guardian</figcaption></figure>Eating well doesn’t necessarily just mean concentrating on the right diet – the time you eat (or don’t) can also make a big difference to your wellbeingWhen did you last eat? Did you “breakfast like a king” as the saying goes, or skip it to hit a 14-hour fast? While “good” and “bad” foods have been ingrained in us from an early age, there’s more to eating than simply what’s on our plates. “Timing is a crucial factor,” says Jeannette Hyde, nutritional therapist and author of <a href="https://guardianbookshop.com/10-hour-diet-9781398502697" title="" data-link-name="in body link" dir="ltr">The 10 Hour Diet</a>. “Looking at the optimum times to eat can help your weight, but also brings down inflammation and helps you sleep better.”Intermittent fasting has rocketed in popularity over the years, from the 5:2 diet (where you eat normally for five days, and heavily restrict your calorie intake on the others) to aligning mealtimes with our circadian rhythms (the body’s internal clock) and time-restricted eating. It’s the latter Hyde has adopted, consuming food within a 10-hour time window and fasting for 14 hours overnight – “Some people will start at 8am and finish at 6pm, others start at 10am and finish at 8pm” – to improve her metabolism and gut health.Nutritionist <a href="https://www.rhitrition.com/" title="" data-link-name="in body link" dir="ltr">Rhiannon Lambert</a>, meanwhile, believes it’s more what you eat than when. “Your nutrition is so much more than a time schedule or a number [of meals],” she says. “The foods you choose to consume on a day-to-day basis will have a knock-on impact on your overall health.” A balanced plate, Lambert adds, should include a handful of carbs (rice, pasta, spelt, barley, for example), an outstretched handful of protein (chicken, salmon, pulses, tofu), two handfuls of veg (variety is good), and a thumb-sized portion of fat (olive oil for cooking), but how many meals you choose to eat, and their size, comes down to personal preference, lifestyle, and health goals. If, for example, someone had a body fat-loss goal and was more sedentary in the evening, Lambert suggests that a smaller portion at dinner than lunch would make sense.What we do know, according to Dr Tim Spector, professor of genetic epidemiology at King’s College London, is that the current NHS guidelines that you should be eating small meals often throughout the day is “completely disproven” now. “In general, snacking is bad because it produces extra sugar and fat peaks, and therefore leads to sugar dips and more hunger, so you’ll eat more at the next meal.” That said, a ZOE <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/health" data-component="auto-linked-tag" data-link-name="in body link" dir="ltr">Health</a> study, which asked a million people about their snacking habits, found snacking affected those on a good-quality diet less than those on a poor-quality diet.Snacking can, however, be useful for some, says nutritionist <a href="https://www.jennahopenutrition.com/" title="" data-link-name="in body link" dir="ltr">Jenna Hope</a>. “If we go for long periods without eating, we are much more likely to overeat, and that’s because blood sugar levels fall, so we feel like we’re far hungrier than we are.” This can lead to eating more rapidly, too, so being mindful and observing the senses can be an important tool. “No one is going to make any money from telling people to slow down and chew their food properly,” says Hyde. “But if you sit at a table, without your phone or the TV on, be present and chew each mouthful, enjoy it, think of the flavours and texture, you will be in tune with your body and start to recognise when you’re full.” It takes about 20 minutes for those hunger hormones to switch on, Hyde adds, so take your time and you “won’t have room for that KitKat afterwards”.<figure><picture itemprop="contentUrl"><source srcset="https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/12f92da745ca27375713bdafe0499f44e6405cdb/0_0_5000_3328/master/5000.jpg?width=620&amp;quality=45&amp;auto=format&amp;fit=max&amp;dpr=2&amp;s=a9b228f55e786dbfd2b8edf3c8749b0a 1240w" media="(min-width: 980px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 1.25), (min-width: 980px) and (min-resolution: 120dpi)"><source srcset="https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/12f92da745ca27375713bdafe0499f44e6405cdb/0_0_5000_3328/master/5000.jpg?width=620&amp;quality=85&amp;auto=format&amp;fit=max&amp;s=838b5b761e3ef8995685613c8d3fd7c5 620w" media="(min-width: 980px)"><source srcset="https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/12f92da745ca27375713bdafe0499f44e6405cdb/0_0_5000_3328/master/5000.jpg?width=620&amp;quality=45&amp;auto=format&amp;fit=max&amp;dpr=2&amp;s=a9b228f55e786dbfd2b8edf3c8749b0a 1240w" media="(min-width: 740px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 1.25), (min-width: 740px) and (min-resolution: 120dpi)"><source srcset="https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/12f92da745ca27375713bdafe0499f44e6405cdb/0_0_5000_3328/master/5000.jpg?width=620&amp;quality=85&amp;auto=format&amp;fit=max&amp;s=838b5b761e3ef8995685613c8d3fd7c5 620w" media="(min-width: 740px)"><source srcset="https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/12f92da745ca27375713bdafe0499f44e6405cdb/0_0_5000_3328/master/5000.jpg?width=620&amp;quality=45&amp;auto=format&amp;fit=max&amp;dpr=2&amp;s=a9b228f55e786dbfd2b8edf3c8749b0a 1240w" media="(min-width: 660px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 1.25), (min-width: 660px) and (min-resolution: 120dpi)"><source srcset="https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/12f92da745ca27375713bdafe0499f44e6405cdb/0_0_5000_3328/master/5000.jpg?width=620&amp;quality=85&amp;auto=format&amp;fit=max&amp;s=838b5b761e3ef8995685613c8d3fd7c5 620w" media="(min-width: 660px)"><source srcset="https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/12f92da745ca27375713bdafe0499f44e6405cdb/0_0_5000_3328/master/5000.jpg?width=605&amp;quality=45&amp;auto=format&amp;fit=max&amp;dpr=2&amp;s=8e300e9b31b48ad5c584441d64043328 1210w" media="(min-width: 480px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 1.25), (min-width: 480px) and (min-resolution: 120dpi)"><source srcset="https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/12f92da745ca27375713bdafe0499f44e6405cdb/0_0_5000_3328/master/5000.jpg?width=605&amp;quality=85&amp;auto=format&amp;fit=max&amp;s=d43028da2d753ad6b675f38fc4ce8a7f 605w" media="(min-width: 480px)"><source srcset="https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/12f92da745ca27375713bdafe0499f44e6405cdb/0_0_5000_3328/master/5000.jpg?width=445&amp;quality=45&amp;auto=format&amp;fit=max&amp;dpr=2&amp;s=bd45a0c82eb7c5d0601b21312f1028a0 890w" media="(min-width: 375px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 1.25), (min-width: 375px) and (min-resolution: 120dpi)"><source srcset="https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/12f92da745ca27375713bdafe0499f44e6405cdb/0_0_5000_3328/master/5000.jpg?width=445&amp;quality=85&amp;auto=format&amp;fit=max&amp;s=a89ad309e5c0660319939592a1e22832 445w" media="(min-width: 375px)"><source srcset="https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/12f92da745ca27375713bdafe0499f44e6405cdb/0_0_5000_3328/master/5000.jpg?width=445&amp;quality=45&amp;auto=format&amp;fit=max&amp;dpr=2&amp;s=bd45a0c82eb7c5d0601b21312f1028a0 890w" media="(min-width: 320px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 1.25), (min-width: 320px) and (min-resolution: 120dpi)"><source srcset="https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/12f92da745ca27375713bdafe0499f44e6405cdb/0_0_5000_3328/master/5000.jpg?width=445&amp;quality=85&amp;auto=format&amp;fit=max&amp;s=a89ad309e5c0660319939592a1e22832 445w" media="(min-width: 320px)"><source srcset="https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/12f92da745ca27375713bdafe0499f44e6405cdb/0_0_5000_3328/master/5000.jpg?width=445&amp;quality=45&amp;auto=format&amp;fit=max&amp;dpr=2&amp;s=bd45a0c82eb7c5d0601b21312f1028a0 890w" media="(min-width: 0px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 1.25), (min-width: 0px) and (min-resolution: 120dpi)"><source srcset="https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/12f92da745ca27375713bdafe0499f44e6405cdb/0_0_5000_3328/master/5000.jpg?width=445&amp;quality=85&amp;auto=format&amp;fit=max&amp;s=a89ad309e5c0660319939592a1e22832 445w" media="(min-width: 0px)"><img alt="Tom Kerridge: ‘In the kitchen … you’re surrounded by food.’" src="https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/12f92da745ca27375713bdafe0499f44e6405cdb/0_0_5000_3328/master/5000.jpg?width=445&amp;quality=45&amp;auto=format&amp;fit=max&amp;dpr=2&amp;s=bd45a0c82eb7c5d0601b21312f1028a0" height="412" width="618"></picture><figcaption dir="auto">Tom Kerridge: ‘In the kitchen … you’re surrounded by food.’ Photograph: David M Benett/Getty Images</figcaption></figure>Then, consider the gap between your last bite and going to sleep. “You should stop eating around two hours before bed,” says Hope. If you don’t, the digestive tract is “working hard to metabolise your food and absorb nutrients rather than secreting and absorbing the sleep hormone, melatonin”. Varying lifestyles can, of course, make this difficult, something Michelin-starred chef <a href="https://tomkerridge.com/" title="" data-link-name="in body link" dir="ltr">Tom Kerridge</a>, who lost 12 stone in five years, can relate to. “The kitchen is always the worst space because you’re surrounded by food, and you’re cooking at times when it’s been deemed lunch or dinner,” says Kerridge, who has restaurants in London, Manchester, and Marlow. “That’s part of the reason I got into a bad space in the first place, because you’re eating filling, naughty things late at night.”If you’re getting home late, and therefore don’t have that two-hour window before bed, Hope suggests a smaller, lighter dinner, such as an omelette or bean-based soup. Kerridge adds: “For me, it’s about trying to get a grip on the food I eat, rather than the time I eat it. You’ve got to look at it as a lifestyle choice that’s sustainable, rather than it being an instant return.”… we have a small favour to ask. Tens of millions have placed their trust in the Guardian’s fearless journalism since we started publishing 200 years ago, turning to us in moments of crisis, uncertainty, solidarity and hope. More than 1.5 million supporters, from 180 countries, now power us financially – keeping us open to all, and fiercely independent.Unlike many others, the Guardian has no shareholders and no billionaire owner. Just the determination and passion to deliver high-impact global reporting, always free from commercial or political influence. Reporting like this is vital for democracy, for fairness and to demand better from the powerful.And we provide all this for free, for everyone to read. We do this because we believe in information equality. Greater numbers of people can keep track of the global events shaping our world, understand their impact on people and communities, and become inspired to take meaningful action. Millions can benefit from open access to quality, truthful news, regardless of their ability to pay for it.If there were ever a time to join us, it is now. Every contribution, however big or small, powers our journalism and sustains our future. ​​Support the Guardian from as little as $1 – it only takes a minute. Thank you.<div>Single</div><div>Monthly</div><div>Annual</div>

Eating well doesn’t necessarily just mean concentrating on the right diet – the time you eat (or don’t) can also make a big difference to your wellbeing

food

Food

health

Health

Eating well doesn’t necessarily just mean concentrating on the right diet – the time you eat (or don’t) can also make a big difference to your wellbeing

W hen did you last eat? Did you “breakfast like a king” as the saying goes, or skip it to hit a 14-hour fast? While “good” and “bad” foods have been ingrained in us from an early age, there’s more to eating than simply what’s on our plates. “Timing is a crucial factor,” says Jeannette Hyde, nutritional therapist and author of <a href="https://guardianbookshop.com/10-hour-diet-9781398502697">The 10 Hour Diet </a>. “Looking at the optimum times to eat can help your weight, but also brings down inflammation and helps you sleep better.”

Intermittent fasting has rocketed in popularity over the years, from the 5:2 diet (where you eat normally for five days, and heavily restrict your calorie intake on the others) to aligning mealtimes with our circadian rhythms (the body’s internal clock) and time-restricted eating. It’s the latter Hyde has adopted, consuming food within a 10-hour time window and fasting for 14 hours overnight – “Some people will start at 8am and finish at 6pm, others start at 10am and finish at 8pm” – to improve her metabolism and gut health.

Nutritionist <a href="https://www.rhitrition.com/">Rhiannon Lambert </a>, meanwhile, believes it’s more what you eat than when. “Your nutrition is so much more than a time schedule or a number [of meals],” she says. “The foods you choose to consume on a day-to-day basis will have a knock-on impact on your overall health.” A balanced plate, Lambert adds, should include a handful of carbs (rice, pasta, spelt, barley, for example), an outstretched handful of protein (chicken, salmon, pulses, tofu), two handfuls of veg (variety is good), and a thumb-sized portion of fat (olive oil for cooking), but how many meals you choose to eat, and their size, comes down to personal preference, lifestyle, and health goals. If, for example, someone had a body fat-loss goal and was more sedentary in the evening, Lambert suggests that a smaller portion at dinner than lunch would make sense.

What we do know, according to Dr Tim Spector, professor of genetic epidemiology at King’s College London, is that the current NHS guidelines that you should be eating small meals often throughout the day is “completely disproven” now. “In general, snacking is bad because it produces extra sugar and fat peaks, and therefore leads to sugar dips and more hunger, so you’ll eat more at the next meal.” That said, a ZOE <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/health">Health </a>study, which asked a million people about their snacking habits, found snacking affected those on a good-quality diet less than those on a poor-quality diet.

Snacking can, however, be useful for some, says nutritionist <a href="https://www.jennahopenutrition.com/">Jenna Hope </a>. “If we go for long periods without eating, we are much more likely to overeat, and that’s because blood sugar levels fall, so we feel like we’re far hungrier than we are.” This can lead to eating more rapidly, too, so being mindful and observing the senses can be an important tool. “No one is going to make any money from telling people to slow down and chew their food properly,” says Hyde. “But if you sit at a table, without your phone or the TV on, be present and chew each mouthful, enjoy it, think of the flavours and texture, you will be in tune with your body and start to recognise when you’re full.” It takes about 20 minutes for those hunger hormones to switch on, Hyde adds, so take your time and you “won’t have room for that KitKat afterwards”.

Then, consider the gap between your last bite and going to sleep. “You should stop eating around two hours before bed,” says Hope. If you don’t, the digestive tract is “working hard to metabolise your food and absorb nutrients rather than secreting and absorbing the sleep hormone, melatonin”. Varying lifestyles can, of course, make this difficult, something Michelin-starred chef <a href="https://tomkerridge.com/">Tom Kerridge </a>, who lost 12 stone in five years, can relate to. “The kitchen is always the worst space because you’re surrounded by food, and you’re cooking at times when it’s been deemed lunch or dinner,” says Kerridge, who has restaurants in London, Manchester, and Marlow. “That’s part of the reason I got into a bad space in the first place, because you’re eating filling, naughty things late at night.”

If you’re getting home late, and therefore don’t have that two-hour window before bed, Hope suggests a smaller, lighter dinner, such as an omelette or bean-based soup. Kerridge adds: “For me, it’s about trying to get a grip on the food I eat, rather than the time I eat it. You’ve got to look at it as a lifestyle choice that’s sustainable, rather than it being an instant return.”

… we have a small favour to ask. Tens of millions have placed their trust in the Guardian’s fearless journalism since we started publishing 200 years ago, turning to us in moments of crisis, uncertainty, solidarity and hope. More than 1.5 million supporters, from 180 countries, now power us financially – keeping us open to all, and fiercely independent.

Unlike many others, the Guardian has no shareholders and no billionaire owner. Just the determination and passion to deliver high-impact global reporting, always free from commercial or political influence. Reporting like this is vital for democracy, for fairness and to demand better from the powerful.

And we provide all this for free, for everyone to read. We do this because we believe in information equality. Greater numbers of people can keep track of the global events shaping our world, understand their impact on people and communities, and become inspired to take meaningful action. Millions can benefit from open access to quality, truthful news, regardless of their ability to pay for it.

If there were ever a time to join us, it is now. Every contribution, however big or small, powers our journalism and sustains our future. ​​Support the Guardian from as little as $1 – it only takes a minute. Thank you.

How timing your meals right can benefit your health

There’s more to eating than what’s on our plates

The gap between your last bite and going to sleep

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