Creating meals that have the right balance of nutrients is one of the keys to good health, or at least it seems that way when you’re scrolling through TikTok or Instagram reels for the next quick and tasty viral recipe. But there’s another often overlooked element to nutrition: consuming those meals at the right times.

Understanding the science behind meal timing can have a huge impact on your health, both physically and mentally. Research suggests that a person’s ability to efficiently regulate their appetite is linked to a biological pattern called circadian rhythms. Circadian rhythms follow a 24-hour cycle that regulates the timing of physiology, metabolism, and behavior. At optimum performance, they initiate wake and sleep cycles, and also signal feeding, and fasting bodily states.

It is imperative that eating and sleeping behaviors align with circadian rhythms. When these rhythms are consistently disrupted, it can lead to an increased risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases.

Mild dyssynchronous behavioral patterns such as variability in mealtimes and sleep patterns throughout the week are common, and are sometimes called social and eating jetlag. Therefore, despite all the meal prep and consistency of FoodTok’s recipes, misalignment of your mealtimes with your bodily clock can cancel out all the benefits of your healthy diet.

What does this mean for your mealtimes? Each of us requires a given amount of energy (in calories) each day. This energy is harvested from the carbs, proteins, and fats that we consume. When we fail to eat adequately throughout the day (for example, only one or two meals), it can be challenging to meet our energy and nutritional needs. Regular meal timing also helps to promote regular digestive patterns.

I recommend consuming something within two hours of waking up regardless of feeling hungry or not. Sometimes we fail to recognize hunger early in the mornings because the body ceases hunger cues overnight during its powered-down state. However, I strongly encourage you to try having something small. This meal breaks the overnight fast and provides your body with fuel and nourishment to start and power throughout the day.