How Often Per Day Should I Be Eating?
When trying to lose or maintain your weight, it can be difficult to determine exactly how much you should be eating and how often. To make this issue even more difficult, there are tons of different recommendations and theories on the market today that all suggest different schedules. From three squares a day to seven mini meals to all snacks, and everything in between, you are probably left wondering: how often per day should I be eating?
The simple answer to this question is five times per day. Now, this does mean that you can eat whatever you what and as much as you want. This “five times per day” eating schedule should consist of three main meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner), and two snacks (mid-morning, and mid-afternoon). That being said, it is quite important that you eat the proper types of food at each of these times.
Breakfast should consist of a well balanced meal that will help to energize you and get you ready to take on your day. You should have a good combination of fresh fruits or vegetables, lean protein (such as eggs), low fat dairy (such as skim milk, yogurt, or cottage cheese), and whole grains (such as oatmeal, cream of wheat, whole grains breads, or whole grain cereals).
The mid-morning snack should be somewhat small, and should be just enough to provide you with a bit of extra energy to keep you feeling satisfied and keep you from reaching for the junk food until it is time for lunch. Whole grain, fiber filled foods, lean protein, and dairy are appropriate choices. A few whole grain wheat crackers with a bit of low fat cheese and a few apple slices is a great snack option.
Lunch should also be reasonably sized and consist of a wide variety of healthy foods. Go heavy on the fresh veggies and fruit. Make sure you have a good amount of fiber and whole grains to fill you up, as well as some lean protein and dairy.
The mid-afternoon snack should be very similar to your mid-morning snack. Again, you just want to keep cravings at bay until it is time for dinner.
Dinner should be your largest meal of the day and should consist of lean protein, plenty of fresh vegetables, whole grains, and possibly some low fat dairy. A grilled chicken breast with a side of steamed spinach, a baked sweet potato, and some brown rice is an excellent choice. If you feel as though you will need something sweet for dessert, try a fresh fruit cup. This will satisfy you, while keeping calories in check.
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