How many times a day you need to eat: Nutritionist's advice
Illustrative photo (Freepik)
It’s a common question for many: how frequently should we eat? When it comes to meal frequency, it's crucial to consider individual health conditions and other personal factors, according to nutritionist Yuliia Koval.
How many times should we eat?
Each person is unique, with their preferences, lifestyle, physical activity levels, and health issues to consider.
In addition to regularity and frequency, it's important for health to consider the distribution of daily energy intake and synchronization with circadian rhythms.
"Recent prospective studies have shown a significant increase in the risk of illness with high meal frequency (6 meals a day) compared to low meal frequency," the expert says.
According to her, most people need three main, substantial meals a day.
Consider the following factors:
- Don’t skip breakfast. Those who eat breakfast have a lower risk of weight gain compared to those who skip it. Moreover, a balanced breakfast reduces the risk of overeating throughout the day and helps avoid chaotic snacking.
- Each meal should include the main macronutrients: proteins, fats, carbohydrates, and fiber.
- Between meals, adhere to food breaks with only water, tea, or coffee without sugar.
- Dinner should be light and consumed 3-4 hours before bedtime to avoid negatively impacting circadian rhythms.
Key considerations
The dietitian emphasized the importance of calorie distribution throughout the day. High calorie intake in the morning versus a high-calorie dinner can affect weight loss and ghrelin levels.
Specifically, adding a nutritious snack can be beneficial and won’t harm your health.
Snacks might be necessary for:
- Individuals with gastrointestinal issues.
- Those with eating behavior disorders to help control hunger.
- People who require a high caloric intake but cannot physically consume large portions divided into three meals.
- Athletes.
- Children, pregnant, and breastfeeding women.
Healthy snacks:
- Berries + nuts + yogurt.
- Vegetable salad with mozzarella and crackers.
- Hummus with vegetables.
- Whole grain bread with cottage cheese spread, avocado, and herbs.
"Listening to hunger cues and stopping when full is perfect, but during stressful times, many experience disrupted eating behaviors, and eating in response to emotional hunger can lead to weight gain," added the nutritionist.
This material is for informational purposes only and should not be used for medical diagnosis or self-treatment. Our goal is to provide readers with accurate information about symptoms, causes, and methods of detecting diseases. RBС-Ukraine is not responsible for any diagnoses that readers may make based on materials from the resource. We do not recommend self-treatment and advise consulting a doctor in case of any health concerns.
