If you eat these foods for dinner instead of breakfast, it could be disastrous for your health

Everyone knows diet and what we eat on a daily basis is important and plays a big role in health outcomes. Now, a new study finds when we eat particular foods can make a major difference as well.

Save carbs for breakfast and plant-based foods for dinner

The research, just released by The Endocrine Society, reports that if you have a mind to eat lots of refined carbs and fatty meats it’s a better idea to do so for breakfast. Their nationwide project found that people who eat such foods for dinner have a higher risk of heart disease than those who eat similar foods for breakfast.

So, what should be on your dinner menu instead of prime rib or beef? Study authors recommend it’s best to go with plant-based meals paired with some whole carbs and unsaturated fats. 

Look, it’s probably a better idea to avoid refined carbs and fatty or processed meats altogether, but these findings are something to keep in mind the next time you’re feeling reckless or are enjoying a “cheat day.” Going for a fatty, unhealthy breakfast is a healthier option than waiting until dinner time to indulge.

“Meal timing along with food quality are important factors to consider when looking for ways to lower your risk of heart disease. Our study found people who eat a plant-based dinner with more whole carbs and unsaturated fats reduced their risk of heart disease by ten percent,” says study author Ying Li of the Harbin Medical University in Harbin, China.

A large dataset was analyzed to produce these findings. In all, information on 27,911 adults living in the United States originally collected by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) was analyzed. In addition, dietary insights collected during interviews set up with each adult were also considered. 

More specifically, researchers looked for any and all associations or heart health outcome differences between eating various fats, carbohydrates, and proteins at breakfast and eating the same foods for dinner. That process led to the conclusion that a plant-based dinner can reduce the risk of heart disease by up to 10%.

Switch up your diet to live longer

It’s hard to fathom, but just under 18 million people die annually on a global scale due to cardiovascular diseases and events including heart attack, stroke, and congestive heart failure. 

Change isn’t something that always comes easily to us humans, and tens of millions of people have been set in their meat-eating ways for so long that the very notion of switching to a more plant-based diet probably sounds laughable.

It’s a challenge well worth meeting, though, and while your taste buds may temporarily feel frustrated, your heart will thank you in the long run.

The full study can be found here, published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.