Ordering lunch an hour early is healthier

· Ordering lunch at least an hour before you eat could help you cut calories and avoid unhealthy impulse choices.

. Research shows that people choose higher-calorie meals and make indulgent purchases when ordering directly before they eat and lower-calorie meals when ordering an hour or more before they eat.

· In addition, three studies were done and had the conclusion that food with higher calorie content were ordered and ate when there were short or no waiting time between ordering and eating.

· 1st study: showed that for every hour of postponement between the timing of the order and when the food was ready there was a decrease of 38 calories in the meals ordered.

· 2nd study: showed that those who ordered the food in advance, with a delay of 168 minutes between ordering and eating, had a reduction of 30 calories compared to those who ordered just before lunchtime with a delay of 42 minutes.

· 3rd study:  showed that whoever placed  the meal order in advance ordered significantly fewer calories (an average of 890 calories) compared to those who ordered just before lunchtime (an average of 999 calories).

· Decisions made in the heat of the moment are not as far-sighted as those made in advance.

Christelle Bedrossian
Dietitian-Nutritionist
Beirut, Lebanon