Butter is gold in the morning, silver at noon, lead at night.

The proverb ranks butter by the time it is eaten: highly valued in the morning, less so at midday, and undesirable at night. Gold, silver, and lead make that decline vivid.

It expresses a preference for eating rich food earlier rather than later in the day. The changing metals describe a judgment about timing, not a literal change in the butter.

Use it to express a preference for having butter or other rich food earlier in the day, especially when deciding what to eat in the evening. It works as a memorable rule of thumb rather than a precise dietary instruction.