We’ve written before at HuffPost UK about when the “best” time to eat dinner is (good news ― it’s more of a guideline than a hard and fast hour).

But does the same apply to lunch?

Well, the British Heart Foundation does warn that eating later in the day can be linked to worse health outcomes, like higher blood pressure ― but it’s unlikely that extends to my preferred 3 pm lunchtime, right?

According to dietitian Lena Bakovic, the “best” time matters more as it relates to other meals than it does to the clock. 

When’s the worst time to eat lunch?

Lena says the “optimal” time is about four to five hours after breakfast, and roughly the same distance away from dinner too. 

“If someone wakes at 7 am and eats a nutrient-dense breakfast at 8 am, then they are likely to tune into their hunger cues roughly four to five hours later, at 12 to 1 pm,” she shared with Real Simple. 

Doctors at Northwestern Medicine agree with that even spacing, putting the cut-off point at about 2 pm ― if you can’t grab lunch ’til then, they say you should snack. 

As for what seems to be the worst time ― those who ate lunch as late as 4:30 pmadjusted less well to the blood sugar changes and turned fewer carbs into energy. 

Valter Longo, director of the Longevity Institute at the University of Southern California, says the type of lunch we eat matters, too. 

He told GQ that he likes to make lunch a very light meal of nuts and fruit, “because you don’t have the insulin release and all the postprandial consequences” of a bigger lunch. 

Prostpriandial periods are when your blood sugars increase after eating. They usually last for about two hours. 

What’s the best lunch for longevity?

Longevity experts list cruciferous veggies, dark leafy greens, fatty fish, whole grains, extra-virgin olive oil, berries, fermented food, yoghurt, legumes, and tomatoes as some of the best options.

Some 2023 research looked at data from the UK Biobank and suggested that we could expect 10.8 and 10.4 years of life gain for men and women respectively if we shifted from unhealthy to healthy diets.

“The largest gains are obtained from consuming more whole grains, nuts and fruits and less sugar-sweetened beverages and processed meats,” they added.