The diversity and consistency of what and when people eat

The timing and types of food people eat, along with daily fluctuations in in these parameters, are important factors influencing health and well-being. However, there is limited data on how eating patterns remain consistent over multiple days. To address this gap, we conducted an exploratory, observational analysis of over 20,000 adults, who recorded more than 2.5 million food logs collected over two weeks via the myCircadianClock app. Our analysis reveals significant variability in food timing and diversity. The time window during which 95% of food and beverages were consumed during the 2 weeks ranged from 10 hours 54 minutes for the lowest decile to over 16 hours for the highest. The median number of unique food and beverage items consumed over the two weeks varied from 20 to 86, but only a subset of these items was consistently eaten on multiple days. Many common foods were regularly consumed at specific times of the day, and factors like age, gender, and work schedules influenced both eating patterns and food choices. These findings provide a foundation for utilizing longitudinal food records in nutrition and lifestyle research to enhance our understanding of human behavior and health.