Breakfast, lunch and dinner. If you've always thought that tucking into three meals a day is the best way to eat, then you're not alone. But there is evidence to suggest that eating smaller, more frequent meals could be more beneficial for our health.
This may sound obvious, but changing eating patterns after a lifetime of eating the same way could be more difficult than you first think. Follow these steps to help you on your way:
If you’re planning on eating more meals, work out how many calories you need each day. Divide your calorie intake by the number of meals you’ve decided to eat so each meal contains roughly the same amount of calories. For example, if you’d like to eat 6 meals a day and need 1500 calories, each meal should contain around 250 calories.
When you’re used to eating at certain times each day it can be challenging to change your eating habits. Schedule when you’re going to have your first meal and plan your other meals around this. You have more meals to eat in the same time frame so it may help to space mealtimes evenly. It’s common for many people to eat their meals three hours apart. So, if you have your breakfast at 6am eat your following meals at 9am, noon, 3pm, 6pm and 9pm.
Having smaller portions often leads to people restricting their diets. Don’t fall into this trap. Include a wide range of food including fruit, vegetables, whole grains and foods rich in protein and fibre. Sources of protein and fibre like eggs, nuts, nut butter, beans and lentils may help you feel fuller for longer.
If you’re eating more often to lose weight, take notice of how much you eat. It’s easy to get carried away. Make sure each meal contains the right number of calories to avoid overloading on your daily intake. Weigh your serving sizes and read nutrition labels so you can be sure you’re not eating too much.
So, it’s possible that eating six times a day could help keep your energy levels stable. It could also help keep your hunger at bay, which can stop you from overeating. If you want to try eating more frequently remember to control your portions and eat a diet full of nutrients.
A guide to planning your meals How to get the most nutrients from your food Shop our Food & Drink range.