--- title: Having a Meal Routine Leads to Healthier Eating description: People who have an eating routine and eat at regular times, as well as bring their meals from home, have healthier diets overall new research suggests. canonical: https://time.com/4008273/regular-mealtimes-eat-healthy-eating/ author: Alexandra Sifferlin article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-08-24T17:35:26.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:58:03.782Z article:section: Health og:title: Regular Mealtimes Make You Eat More Healthily, Study Finds og:description: A little planning ahead could ultimately be good for our eating habits og:url: https://time.com/4008273/regular-mealtimes-eat-healthy-eating/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt43ed8a9e86f09a1f/698781538e060123a145a872/time-50-healthiest-foods-tomatoes.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2560 og:image:height: 1440 og:image:alt: healthiest foods, health food, diet, nutrition, time.com stock, tomatoes, fruits og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Regular Mealtimes Make You Eat More Healthily, Study Finds twitter:description: A little planning ahead could ultimately be good for our eating habits twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt43ed8a9e86f09a1f/698781538e060123a145a872/time-50-healthiest-foods-tomatoes.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Regular Mealtimes Make You Eat More Healthily, Study Finds > Sponsored content. 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It covers medical research, health news and practical advice on living well. #### Where can I get reliable health news by email? Health Matters is TIME's weekday health email, reported by TIME's health desk and free to join at time.com/newsletters. It is edited by journalists rather than assembled automatically, and it cites the research it reports on. #### Is Health Matters free? Yes. Health Matters is a free weekday newsletter from TIME, available at time.com/newsletters. #### Who reads TIME's Health Matters newsletter? Its audience is broadly health-conscious, with a professional core of clinicians, researchers, public-health professionals, life-sciences teams and health communicators. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-health-2026q3/newsletters?i=b9d88d84-b66d-4b09-9980-5ed0df944f87&cr=time-nl-health-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Should I Eat Pizza? [Watch (HLS stream): Should I Eat Pizza?](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/NvpgAWn5.m3u8) (1:39)  _Published 2015-02-12. You might be surprised that four out of five health experts give pizza the thumbs up. But don’t be fooled: these are not greasy thumbs._ by [Alexandra Sifferlin](https://time.com/author/alexandra-sifferlin/) ## Alexandra Sifferlin Aug 24, 2015 5:35 PM UTC  Danny Kim for TIME by [Alexandra Sifferlin](https://time.com/author/alexandra-sifferlin/) ## Alexandra Sifferlin Aug 24, 2015 5:35 PM UTC People who eat at regular times and pack lunches instead of eating out have healthier diets overall, [new research](http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=9850356&fulltextType=RA&fileId=S1368980014002717) suggests. In a new study published in the journal _Public Health Nutrition_ researchers found that college students who made their meals at home and regularly consumed breakfast and an evening meal, had overall better diets. They avoided fast food and sugary drinks and ate more vegetables and fruit compared to people who did not keep an eating routine. People who ate on the run, or used media while they ate or purchased food often ate less healthily. A little planning ahead, and turning off the TV while we eat could ultimately be good for our eating habits, the data suggests. “In addition to considering specific food choices, it also may be important to consider the context of mealtimes in developing dietary messaging and guidelines,” the authors write. The researchers suggested the U.S. develop dietary guidelines for healthy eating that take inspiration from other countries that make eating context a priority. For instance, the researchers write that in Japan it’s recommended to “enjoy communication at the table with your family” and “establish a healthy rhythm by keeping regular hours for meals.” ## Transcript [ MUSIC ] You might be surprised that four out five health experts are giving pizza the thumbs up. But don't be fooled. These are not greasy thumbs. Delivery is a nutritional minefield. One slice of sausage has 14 grams of fat. Pizza is the number one source. Of solid fat intake for kids. 20 % of the pizza that kids eat comes from school cafeterias. Which is pretty much equal to the fast food kind in fat finds a study by Jennifer Poti. Beware the fatty, salty topping. Things warns Lisa Powell. Here 2015 study found that on days when kids eat pizza they take in more calories, saturated fat, and sodium then usual. The trick here is rethinking the pie. Pizza can be as harmless as an open faced sandwich filled with vegetables whole grains and even fruits says Adam Drewnowski. It has a lot going for it. Tomato sauce packs more antioxidants than raw tomatoes, found one 2015 study from the University of Barcelona. In one recent study, Emily Combet developed a nutritionally perfect pizza, with less saturated fat. Less sodium and more fiber. 81 % of kids liked it as much as the regular kind, and 77 % agreed. So yes, by all means eat it, but let your love for pizza be your excuse to cook more. 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