Eating when your body clock is off after a long flight

Lighter meals at body-clock night, protein and fibre, when to stop caffeine and why water matters, drawn from CDC, NIOSH and NHS guidance.

You land at 5 am by your body clock, and the city around you says it is lunchtime. Your stomach keeps your body clock's hours, and the menu keeps the city's. A few habits about what and when you eat make the day easier. They draw on public health advice for jet lag and shift work.

Pick a clock for meals

The CDC's jet lag advice is to time meals, sleep and light exposure around the time zone of your destination. On a 24-hour layover that is hard to follow to the letter. A workable middle is to eat your main meal at a normal local time and keep the rest light.

Go light when your body expects night

The US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) advises night-shift workers to limit or avoid eating between midnight and 6 am. That guidance comes from shift work research, not from flying, but the body-clock problem is the same. If your body clock says it is the middle of the night, choose a small snack over a full meal.

A hospital dietitian's advice for shift workers is to eat three balanced meals a day or two lighter meals with snacks. Large meals at night can make you drowsy. Fried, oily or spicy food close to bedtime can cause indigestion that disrupts sleep. If you plan to sleep soon, a light breakfast-style meal keeps hunger from waking you early.

Add protein and fibre

The same dietitian says protein, fibre and healthy fats keep you full longer and cut cravings. Eggs, fish, lentils, chickpeas, nuts, seeds and yoghurt all count. Wholegrain bread, brown rice and porridge add fibre.

NIOSH suggests skipping sugary products and low-fibre carbohydrates, which can increase sleepiness. Its list of better choices includes vegetables, soups, fruit, wholegrain sandwiches, yoghurt, cheese, eggs and nuts.

Time your caffeine

The CDC's jet lag guidance suggests caffeine at your destination during daylight hours when you need it for alertness, and to stop six hours before bedtime. It also says to avoid caffeine after 4 pm. The hospital dietitian sets the line at your last caffeinated drink at least four hours before bed, and says not to lean on caffeine to stay alert. The two sources differ, so take the longer cut-off if you struggle to sleep. Decaf is an easy swap.

Drink water, and go easy on alcohol

The CDC says to stay hydrated, because fluid loss can make jet lag symptoms worse, and to avoid excess alcohol. Alcohol and caffeine can both cause dehydration. Keep a bottle of water with you and sip often. In ports where the tap isn't safe, buy sealed bottled water. Our tap water guide lists which ports those are.

Eat late food with care

A late arrival often means street food or a quick meal from a stall. Choose food that is cooked hot in front of you, as our guide to avoiding food poisoning explains. If you are looking for a meal after 10 pm, see finding food after a late arrival. For the sleep side, read jet lag on a 24-hour layover.

If food keeps upsetting your stomach, or you cannot sleep for days, see a doctor. Our guide to getting sick on a layover explains the steps, and your company's fitness-for-duty rules apply before any duty.

Find a light meal near you

On Chocks shows crew-recommended places with an Open now filter, which helps when your body clock and the city's clock disagree.