If you ask people about the best time to drink their morning coffee, you’ll likely get a wide variety of responses: Some may say it’s during their commute to work, others sip it with breakfast while reading the newspaper at the kitchen table, and then there are those who’d prefer to enjoy their steaming cup of mud while still in bed. 

Personal preferences aside, studies show that if you’re hoping to maximize the benefits of your daily coffee, there may be times to drink it that are better than others. Here’s a look at what you need to know before sipping your morning joe.

Timing Is Everything

A 2025 study in the European Heart Journal  looked at more than 40,000 adults who had participated in a long-term nutrition study and identified three groups: People who had coffee in the morning; people who drank it all day; and people who didn’t drink coffee at all.

After making adjustments for various factors including caffeinated and decaffeinated intake and sleep hours, “we found that a morning-type coffee drinking pattern was significantly associated with lower risks of all-cause mortality and CVD-specific mortality, independent of the amount of coffee intake,” the authors wrote. “In contrast, an all-day-type pattern was not significantly associated with mortality compared with non-drinking.”  More specifically, people who drank coffee between the hours of 4 a.m. and noon were 31% less likely to die from cardiovascular disease and 16% less likely to die from any cause than those who didn’t drink coffee at all. 

The authors of the analysis theorize that drinking coffee in the morning instead of later in the day means that the caffeine is less likely to negatively affect your sleep patterns, and better sleep means better heart health. The study also notes that coffee can act as an anti-inflammatory. Bodily inflammation levels tend to peak in the morning, so drinking a cup of coffee in the hours after waking up may help offset some of that inflammation. However, they note that more research is needed on both fronts, and on coffee’s health benefits overall.

There’s another belief that coffee should be drunk when the body’s level of the stress hormone cortisol — which can also enhance alertness — is at its lowest. Though there have been no studies to back up this idea, coffee can increase cortisol, so the thinking is that drinking it when your cortisol levels are high will cause undue stress. Elevated cortisol can cause health issues over time.

Typically, cortisol levels peak 30 to 45 minutes after waking up and then slowly decline for the rest of the day. It’s been suggested that most people reach lower levels of cortisol roughly three to five hours after rising out of bed. So if you get up at 7 a.m., consider having your morning coffee between 10 a.m. and noon.

Another factor worth considering is whether you work out in the morning. It’s said that the caffeine in a cup of coffee increases strength, endurance, alertness, and energy levels during a workout, but only if you allow ample time for the caffeine to be absorbed before hitting the gym. Research suggests waiting 45 to 60 minutes between the time you finish your coffee (no more than one to two cups is necessary) and when you begin your workout. 

Getting the Most Out of Your Roast

Ultimately, there’s no golden rule to follow when it comes to enjoying your morning cup of joe. “Everyone’s sensitivity, or internal response, to caffeine is different,” registered dietitian Anthony DiMarino told the Cleveland Clinic, adding that the stimulant runs through some people in as little as two hours and through others in as many as 10, depending on their metabolism.

Given all the information out there, and considering the vast metabolic and lifestyle differences that everyone has, it’s hard to settle on one “best time” for morning coffee consumption. But as a general guideline, consider having your coffee before noon. And if you work out in the morning, consider having coffee and hitting the gym 45 minutes to an hour later. This won’t work for every lifestyle, but it’s what the facts suggest.

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Since 1967, Trader Joe’s has built a devoted following by offering a unique variety of foods, from frozen meals and snacks to affordable pantry staples and fresh produce. While shoppers love discovering the chain’s latest products, many dietitians are fans too, swearing by specific items for their nutritional value. 

We asked registered dietitian and fitness specialist Cynthia Ray, author of the books The 21-Day Sugar Detox and The Faster Way to Fat Loss After 40, to share her top premade breakfast, lunch, and dinner picks.

When choosing the healthiest fare, Ray looked for meals that were relatively low in sodium and added sugar; prioritized fiber and blood-sugar-stabilizing protein; included plenty of vegetables; and were made with healthy fats and “simple, recognizable ingredients.” Here are her favorites. 

Breakfast

Best Overall: Harvest Vegetable Hash Egg White Bites

Ray’s top breakfast pick is made with egg whites, cottage cheese, and whole-food carbohydrates like sweet potato and butternut squash. “These ingredients make a balanced meal that is nourishing and filling,” she says, so these bites are ideal for a quick, nutritious breakfast or afternoon snack. She also loves that there are no added sugars or seed oils. (Seed oils are a hotly debated topic due in part to their presence in processed foods — which Americans eat a lot of, and which are often loaded with fat, sugar, and sodium — and the idea that consuming too much of the oils may contribute to inflammation, among other issues. Not all experts agree that seed oils are bad for you, however, and institutions like the American Heart Association recommend them over other sources of fat such as butter, which are high in saturated fats. You should focus on eating a healthy diet and make choices based on your dietary needs. For her part, Ray prefers to avoid seed oils and recommends using olive or avocado oil and getting fats from whole food sources instead.)

Best Sit-Down Breakfast: Broccoli & Cheddar Quiche

“I’d definitely recommend this over most frozen breakfast sandwiches or other pastry options,” Ray says. That’s because it’s made mostly with whole-food ingredients, including eggs, cheese, broccoli, and onions. That said, it’s not a perfect dish due to its refined-flour crust and a modest amount of canola oil. She suggests adding antioxidant-rich fresh berries or another fiber-rich fruit to add more nutrients. 

Best High-Protein, Low-Carb Breakfast: Egg Frittata

This dish makes Ray’s list because it’s made with eggs, Swiss cheese, and other protein-packed ingredients that will balance blood sugar and energy throughout the morning. She loves the fluffy texture, but docks it slightly for canola oil and some ingredients used for texture and stability. Ray still calls it “one of the healthier prepared breakfasts at Trader Joe’s.”

Lunch

Best Overall: Fiesta Salad With Shrimp

“This meal provides three servings, the ideal balance of 12 grams of total protein, plenty of vegetables, fiber-rich black beans, quality carbohydrates, and very little added sugar in the dressing,” Ray says. Her main critiques are the 570 milligrams of sodium, which is “a bit higher than ideal,” and the seed oils in the dressing. She suggests using less dressing or using a seed-oil-free option instead.

Best Plant-Based Meal: Coconut Chickpea Curry

Ray considers this high-fiber, shelf-stable pouch meal one of the healthiest options at Trader Joe’s and praises its whole-food and clean ingredients. However, “it only has 6 grams of protein per serving,” Ray says. She recommends adding grilled chicken, eggs, shrimp, cottage cheese, or plain Greek yogurt to boost protein. 

Best Mediterranean Lunch: Greek-Style Chicken Salad

This salad bursts with Mediterranean flavors and delivers 10 grams of protein per serving, along with crisp vegetables, artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, and dill. Ray flags the higher sodium content of 670 milligrams and notes the mayonnaise lists canola oil as its first ingredient. Even so, “it’s still one of my favorite healthy lunch options,” Ray says. 

Best Vegetable-Packed Lunch: Green Goddess Salad

Ray calls this salad “one of the healthier grab-and-go lunch options at Trader Joe’s.” It’s packed with leafy greens, colorful vegetables, and lean chicken. Her only critique is the dressing, which is made primarily with canola oil; she suggests using less of it or swapping in olive oil and lemon juice instead. 

Dinner

Best Overall: Seafood Boil

“This is truly one of the healthiest complete prepared dinners I have found at Trader Joe’s,” Ray says. It has 21 grams of protein per serving, 6 grams of fiber, 520 milligrams of sodium, and 2 grams of added sugars. She notes that this Louisiana-style dish is loaded with whole-food ingredients, including tilapia, shrimp, and clams, along with potatoes, corn, and a butter-based sauce. The only drawback, she says, is a small amount of processed andouille sausage. “This is a meal I would bring home to my family and enjoy myself,” she says. “If you are looking for a well-rounded, whole-food, satisfying, healthy clean-food meal to make on a busy night, this is the one to bring home.”

Best Light Vegan Meal or Protein Boost: Madras Lentils

This shelf-stable dish is one of Ray’s personal favorite pantry staples. “I love the rich flavor provided by the variety of spices in the ingredients,” she says. On its own, it’s a simple vegan meal loaded with fiber, but it’s “lower in protein than I recommend for a complete meal,” Ray says. She suggests adding grilled chicken, shrimp, tofu, or plain Greek yogurt to make the dinner more filling. 

Best High-Protein Dinner: Chicken Tikka Masala

“Another one of my longtime favorites,” Ray says of this hearty, flavorful frozen entree. It has 21 grams of protein, under 600 milligrams of sodium, and a clean ingredient list, “making it one of the better frozen entrees” at Trader Joe’s. The dish is low in fiber due to white rice and a lack of plant foods, so Ray suggests adding a side of vegetables to boost fiber content.

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