Waiting too long in-between meals could be affecting your health — here's how often you should actually be eating (2024)

FAQs

How frequently should you eat meals? ›

In Western culture, it is a common idea that the daily food intake should be divided into three square meals: breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Often dieticians suggest adding two snacks (morning and afternoon) to help appetite control, and indeed the mainstream media message is to eat “five to six times a day”.

However, a new school of thought has emerged that recommends eating larger, less frequent meals. So how often should you be eating? The Theory: Nutrition experts tend to recommend eating 3 balanced meals (350 to 600 calories each) and 1 to 3 snacks per day (between 150 and 200 calories each).

Dinnertime should follow the same schedule as your earlier meals, making sure there is no more than four to five hours between lunch and dinner. Some people will need to eat a snack between lunch and dinner because eating dinner at 4 or 5 pm is not always realistic.

Low blood sugar causes people to feel irritable, confused and fatigued. The body begins to increase production of cortisol, leaving us stressed and hangry. Skipping meals can also cause your metabolism to slow down, which can cause weight gain or make it harder to lose weight.

Eating every two hours is a commonly recommended practice for maintaining steady energy levels and controlling hunger. This approach involves consuming smaller, frequent meals or snacks throughout the day, which can help stabilise blood sugar levels and prevent overeating.

Eating regular meals and snacks helps keep your energy at an even level, without highs and lows. “Aim to eat every three to four hours. That means three small-to-moderate-size meals and two snacks,” says Raphael. Make them well balanced, and include complex carbs, proteins, and fats.

For most healthy adults, it's safe to eat 1–2 eggs a day depending on how much other cholesterol is in your diet. If you already have high cholesterol or other risk factors for heart disease, it may be best to eat no more than 4–5 eggs per week.

Many people eat three nutritious meals a day and have no trouble maintaining their weight. But studies have suggested that grazing (eating smaller amounts of food more frequently) can make it easier to maintain or lose weight. Eating four to six small meals each day can take the edge off your appetite.

Diet quality

Specifically, those who consume at least three meals per day are more likely to have a greater intake of vegetables, greens, legumes, fruit, whole grains, and dairy. These individuals are also more likely to consume less sodium and added sugars than those who consume two meals per day.

The goal is to eat every 3 to 4 hours in order to keep your blood sugar consistent and for your stomach to optimally digest. Setting this schedule consistently across days can also help curb overeating which can lead to bloating or indigestion.

What is the healthiest time to eat dinner? ›

If we have a sugar spike after eating late, our body has a harder time regulating blood sugar, Panda says. This could put us at risk of diabetes and other metabolic disorders. For that reason, he says the ideal dinnertime is three to four hours before bed. What we eat for dinner matters, too.

Even if you can't eat an early dinner, you should try to make breakfast and lunch your biggest meals of the day and dinner your smallest. If you're used to eating a small lunch and a big dinner, then switch the order. You can make your dinner a meal that's heavy on vegetables to lighten it up.

A fast metabolism rate means your body will effortlessly break down food to release energy and utilize that energy to keep you energized all day. The best time to have breakfast is between 7 AM and 8 AM. Under no circ*mstances must you delay your breakfast beyond 10 AM. So, don't be late for breakfast!

Our bodies can go without food for several hours, for several days, and even longer because our bodies are developed to store fat.

When comparing fasting in the night vs morning, evidence gravitates toward skipping dinner rather than breakfast. While some research studies agree that you can lose weight when skipping breakfast, there can be health risks such as elevated cholesterol levels and increased risk of heart disease [9][10].

The two meal diet plan is a form of intermittent fasting, which is one of the most popular new diet trends in the country. It's a good thing, though, because there is scientific evidence that intermittent fasting is a great way to lose weight and improve your holistic wellbeing.

Eating every 3 hours may help you feel less hungry than if you were going longer between meals. You may get used to eating smaller portions. This can help prevent overeating and binging that could reverse weight loss.

The 16:8 intermittent fasting plan is a form of time-restricted fasting. It involves consuming foods during an 8-hour window and avoiding food, or fasting, for the remaining 16 hours each day. Some people believe that this method works by supporting the body's circadian rhythm, which is its internal clock.

To reap benefits that facilitate weight loss, fat burning, metabolism and management of appetite and cravings, make sure there are at least 12 hours between dinner and the next day's breakfast. An easy way to achieve this is to push dinner a little earlier or skip the late-night snacks.