Experts concur that it is ideal to eat breakfast one to two hours after waking up, or around 12 hours after your previous meal, even if what you eat typically matters more than when you eat it.
"You might notice yourself feeling extra hungry at breakfast and beyond if you wait too late in the day to eat breakfast," suggests Real Life Nutritionist's Miranda Galati, MHSc, RD.
"When you wake up, your tank is low and your body is in need of a blood sugar boost, so if you delay breakfast too long, you might find your body is screaming for fuel when you finally sit down to eat."
Rachel Dyckman, RD, notes that you could feel lethargic in the interim as well as have increased hunger later on. If you take precautions to avoid this, she cautions, your efforts to counteract it could backfire.
Although this isn't the case for everyone, Dyckman states that "if you're a coffee drinker, having your morning coffee on an empty stomach can be irritating and lead to gastrointestinal symptoms."
In addition, Lindsay Malone, MS, RD, LD, advises against eating too early in the day. "From your last meal of the day to your first meal of the following day, you want a reasonable window. Better management of insulin, lipids (triglycerides, cholesterol), and blood sugar is usually the outcome of this, the doctor adds.
"Eating first thing in the morning speeds up your metabolism when you're hungry." According to Trimly Nutritional Coach Kim Shapira, MS, RD, "it literally creates a movement in your digestive system that activates many, many parts of your body."
"We do not experience this activation when we are not eating. Eating increases your metabolism and raises the body's temperature."
When it comes to losing weight, Blanca Garcia, RD at Health Canal advises that having breakfast within an hour of waking up can help you feel full throughout the day, reducing the likelihood that you'll later snack on unhealthy foods.