Good nutrition/eating habits

Clementine orange · 09-29-2008, 12:57 PM

ENA'ers, I keep hearing conflicting information about this. Is it better to:

1.) Eat three square meals a day and never snack in between

2.) Eat three meals a day, a little smaller, but with healthy snacks in between

3.) "Graze" - eat healthy small stuff all day

I tend to lean towards option number 3 just because of my often hectic lifestyle and the fact that I usually have to kind of force myself to eat sometimes (since I'm often not really hungry). I also tend to get full (replete) quite quickly.

But I'm wondering how healthy this is.

Any opinions?

CallingAllAngels · 09-29-2008, 01:01 PM

I don't think it matters as long as you get all your food groups in. Do what ever works for you...

~Allie

iLoveMyBabyCairo · 09-29-2008, 01:04 PM

I tend to eat three smallish meals a day and snack on apples and peanuts and triscuits, things like that.

agent · 09-29-2008, 01:13 PM

I try to eat six smaller meals a day. It's been working for me.

I also try to eat according to the time of day - carbs earlier on, protein later. Not exclusively, but if I eat more carbs later, I put weight on, if I eat more protein later on, I lose easier.

JeckyllNHyde · 09-29-2008, 01:15 PM

they say it's best to eat 4-5 times a day. (3 meals, and snacks in between) as this keeps your metabolism up, and reduces weight gain.
i usually make sure i eat breakfast as soon as i wake up to jump start my metabolism. and then i eat thru out the day. the only problem i find is that i am scared to eat too many calories.

sidehop · 09-29-2008, 01:16 PM

Most health & fitness professionals will tell you as long as you don't have certain health condition that require specific nutrition intake, it's healthy to eat small meals five to six times a day.

The problem & especially in the US is people do not consider portion size and the ones that only eat two or three times a day consume more calories than people that space it out between five to six meals.

I eat five small meals and eat slow. Unless I'm training during winter and try to pack extra muscle mass, my normal consumption most of the year is pretty low.

The idea of three square meals should be replaced with three portion size meals with healthy snacks in between. You'll eat less throughout the day and not going to feel tired the next morning (provided you do some physical activities during the week).

ghost69 · 09-29-2008, 01:47 PM

i eat anytime. smaller things though throughout the day. keep your metabolism up.

redhearts · 09-29-2008, 07:29 PM

I say most people would want to do the second option, but never really do.

kuiks8 · 09-29-2008, 07:47 PM

i'm a grazer myself...

View Poll Results: Healthy eating habits, it is better to:
Eat three balanced meals a day and never snack	1	5.88%
Eat three smaller meals a day and healthy snacks in between	11	64.71%
"graze" - eat all day, a little at a time as the mood strikes	3	17.65%
I don't think it matters so long as you are getting all your food groups in.	2	11.76%
Voters: 17. You may not vote on this poll

09-29-2008, 12:57 PM	#1
Clementine orange Offline Platinum Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: La Belle Province Gender: Male Posts: 3,665	Good nutrition/eating habits ENA'ers, I keep hearing conflicting information about this. Is it better to: 1.) Eat three square meals a day and never snack in between 2.) Eat three meals a day, a little smaller, but with healthy snacks in between 3.) "Graze" - eat healthy small stuff all day I tend to lean towards option number 3 just because of my often hectic lifestyle and the fact that I usually have to kind of force myself to eat sometimes (since I'm often not really hungry). I also tend to get full (replete) quite quickly. But I'm wondering how healthy this is. Any opinions?

09-29-2008, 01:01 PM	#2
CallingAllAngels Offline Platinum Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Gender: Female Posts: 4,919	I don't think it matters as long as you get all your food groups in. Do what ever works for you... ~Allie __________________ "Accept Life On Life's Terms"....JAH You can't change yesterday but you can ruin today worrying about tomorrow. God grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change The Courage to change the things I can And the Wisdom to know the difference...

09-29-2008, 01:13 PM	#4
agent Offline Platinum Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: England Gender: Female Age: 27 Posts: 3,891	I try to eat six smaller meals a day. It's been working for me. I also try to eat according to the time of day - carbs earlier on, protein later. Not exclusively, but if I eat more carbs later, I put weight on, if I eat more protein later on, I lose easier. __________________ "You have a right to experiment with your life. You will make mistakes. And they are right too." - Anais Nin "Come now, don't make such a funeral face. It isn't dying that's sad; it's living when you're not happy." -Octave Mirbeau "Don't be sad, don't be angry, if life deceives you! Submit to your grief; your time for joy will come, believe me." -Aleksandr Pushkin

09-29-2008, 01:15 PM	#5
JeckyllNHyde Offline Platinum Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Gender: Female Age: 23 Posts: 5,205	they say it's best to eat 4-5 times a day. (3 meals, and snacks in between) as this keeps your metabolism up, and reduces weight gain. i usually make sure i eat breakfast as soon as i wake up to jump start my metabolism. and then i eat thru out the day. the only problem i find is that i am scared to eat too many calories. __________________ You're just too good to be true... Can't take my eyes off of you...

09-29-2008, 01:04 PM	#3
iLoveMyBabyCairo Offline Platinum Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Liverpool, where the sun never shines. Gender: Female Age: 22 Posts: 6,040	I tend to eat three smallish meals a day and snack on apples and peanuts and triscuits, things like that.

09-29-2008, 01:16 PM	#6
sidehop Offline Platinum Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: NH USA Gender: Male Posts: 1,599	Most health & fitness professionals will tell you as long as you don't have certain health condition that require specific nutrition intake, it's healthy to eat small meals five to six times a day. The problem & especially in the US is people do not consider portion size and the ones that only eat two or three times a day consume more calories than people that space it out between five to six meals. I eat five small meals and eat slow. Unless I'm training during winter and try to pack extra muscle mass, my normal consumption most of the year is pretty low. The idea of three square meals should be replaced with three portion size meals with healthy snacks in between. You'll eat less throughout the day and not going to feel tired the next morning (provided you do some physical activities during the week).

09-29-2008, 01:47 PM	#7
ghost69 Offline Platinum Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Desert Gender: Male Posts: 33,444	i eat anytime. smaller things though throughout the day. keep your metabolism up. __________________ Not only am I friendly, but I'm invisible too. Too perfect of a relationship is too weird-g69 If you say you are normal, I'd think you are weird-g69 The world can only get better, it depends on how you look at it-g69 'As wicked as you are, you're beautiful to me'-5fingerdeathpunch you cannot control the world, you can only live in it the best you can for you-g69 NooOoOoooOOoOoOoooooo

09-29-2008, 07:29 PM	#8
redhearts Offline Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 4,623	I say most people would want to do the second option, but never really do.

09-29-2008, 07:47 PM	#9
kuiks8 Offline Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Vancouver Gender: Female Posts: 3,273	i'm a grazer myself...