Quick Answers
The general recommendation is to eat 3 meals per day, with the option for 1-2 small snacks as needed. Most experts recommend eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with 12-15 hours between your last meal at night and first meal in the morning.
How Many Meals Per Day is Best?
When it comes to how many meals you should eat per day, there are a few factors to consider:
- Blood sugar control – Eating regularly helps control blood sugar levels and hunger. Eating only 1-2 times per day can lead to big spikes and drops in blood sugar.
- Nutrient intake – Consuming meals and snacks at regular intervals ensures you meet your nutrient needs for the day. Skipping meals can make it hard to get adequate carbs, protein, fat, vitamins and minerals.
- Metabolism – Eating small, frequent meals may help boost your metabolism compared to eating the same calories in 1-2 large meals.
- Appetite control – For many people, small frequent meals helps control appetite and reduce overeating at mealtimes.
Based on these factors, most experts recommend eating 3 meals per day, with the option for 1-2 small snacks as needed. This pattern allows for good blood sugar control, nutrient intake, metabolism boosting, and appetite control.
3 Meals Per Day
Eating 3 meals per day is the most common pattern recommended by health professionals. This typically includes:
- Breakfast – Eaten within 1 hour of waking up, breakfast helps replenish glucose stores and provides energy to start the day. A balanced breakfast includes fiber, protein and complex carbs.
- Lunch – Eaten around midday, lunch provides a nutrient boost to get you through the afternoon. Lunch is a good time to incorporate vegetables, lean protein and healthy fats.
- Dinner – Eaten in the early evening, dinner helps refuel after a busy day. Dinner should be lighter than lunch and high in vegetables, fiber and protein.
A common schedule is to have breakfast by 8 am, lunch by noon-1 pm, and dinner between 6-8 pm. This provides 3 meals roughly 4-6 hours apart during the day.
Example 3 Meal Schedule
| Time | Meal |
|---|---|
| 7-8 am | Breakfast |
| 12-1 pm | Lunch |
| 6-8 pm | Dinner |
Benefits of 3 Meals Per Day
Some benefits of sticking to 3 meals daily include:
- Promotes portion control at meals
- Easier to plan and prepare meals
- Allows for consistent meal timing from day to day
- Provides a structured routine and eating schedule
- Less thinking about food throughout the day
- Easier to meet nutrient needs and balance macronutrients
Potential Drawbacks
Potential drawbacks of only eating 3 meals daily include:
- Large time gaps between meals could lead to extreme hunger
- May need snacks to help control appetite between meals
- Not as effective for blood sugar control
- Less flexibility or ability to respond to appetite and hunger cues
- Not ideal for people who get hungry frequently
Is 3 Meals Enough?
While 3 meals per day is the standard recommendation, it may not suit everyone’s needs and preferences. Some people find they do best with additional smaller snacks between meals.
Who Might Want More Than 3 Meals?
Here are some groups who may benefit from more frequent snacks or meals:
- Growing kids and teens – High calorie and nutrient needs
- Active individuals – Higher energy requirements
- Pregnant or breastfeeding women – Increased calorie and nutrient needs
- Older adults – May struggle with large meal portions
- Those with medical conditions like diabetes, PCOS, or reflux
- People with high metabolisms or who feel ravenous between meals
Benefits of Adding Snacks
Potential benefits of adding 1-2 snacks to your 3 main meals:
- Helps control appetite and prevents extreme hunger
- Provides nutrients missed at meals
- Steadies blood sugar levels
- Can boost metabolism from increased eating frequency
- Accommodates varying schedules and activity levels
Best Snacks
If opting for snacks during the day, choose healthy options like:
- Fresh fruits and vegetables
- Dairy foods like yogurt and cheese
- Lean proteins such as eggs or nuts
- Whole grains crackers, oats or cereal
- Hummus and avocado
- Protein bars or shakes (in moderation)
4-5 Small Meals Per Day
Some diets like intermittent fasting promote eating all your food within a short window, often 6-8 hours. But an alternative approach is spreading calories out over 4-5 mini meals throughout the day.
Sample Schedule
Here’s what a sample schedule with 5 small meals could look like:
| Time | Meal |
|---|---|
| 8 am | Fruit and yogurt smoothie |
| 10:30 am | Cottage cheese and nuts |
| 1 pm | Leftover grilled chicken and veggies |
| 3:30 pm | Protein bar or apple and peanut butter |
| 6:30 pm | Salmon, sweet potato and salad |
Benefits
Potential benefits of 4-5 mini meals per day include:
- Keeps metabolism revved up
- Better blood sugar control
- Less insulin spikes
- Reduced cravings and overeating
- More consistent energy levels
- Easier to get protein throughout the day
Drawbacks
Some downsides of this frequent meal pattern may be:
- More time and effort preparing multiple meals
- Potentially more expensive
- Need for frequent snacking
- Difficult to maintain long term
- Social or work life may make it challenging
1-2 Meals Per Day
On the opposite end of the spectrum from grazing, some people opt to only eat 1-2 meals per day. This includes approaches like:
- 16:8 intermittent fasting – Eating during an 8 hour window, such as noon to 8pm
- OMAD diet – Eating one meal a day
- 20:4 or Warrior fasting – Eating one meal within a 4 hour window
Benefits
Potential advantages of fasting and eating fewer meals include:
- Weight loss from overall calorie reduction
- Allows body to enter fat burning mode between meals
- Convenient and simple to follow
- Saves money and time on shopping and cooking
- Can boost focus and productivity
Drawbacks
Drawbacks of this eating pattern may be:
- Increased hunger, especially at first
- Energy crashes if meals aren’t balanced
- Can be hard to meet nutritional needs
- Difficulty exercising or being active
- Headaches, dizziness, irritability
- Higher post-meal glucose and insulin spikes
This style of eating may not suitable for everyone, especially those with medical conditions or a history of disordered eating.
Picking Your Meal Frequency
There are several factors to consider when determining your optimal meal frequency:
- Activity level – More active people often do better with more frequent meals
- Appetite – If you get ravenous between meals, more snacks can help
- Metabolism – Faster metabolisms may benefit from increased meal frequency
- Blood sugar control – If you have diabetes or hypoglycemia, opt for more frequent eating
- Digestion – Those with reflux or other GI issues may need smaller, more frequent meals
- Weight goals – Meal timing strategies like intermittent fasting can aid weight loss
- Lifestyle and schedule – Pick a meal frequency to match your needs and availability
Listen to your body’s signals for hunger and energy levels. Be flexible – you may want more snacks some days than others. Try different meal frequencies and see what works best for your body.
Putting it All Together
Guidelines
Here are some general guidelines on meal frequency:
- Aim for at least 3 meals per day
- Allow for 3-5 hours between meals
- Add 1-2 snacks as needed to control hunger
- Don’t go longer than 5-6 hours without eating
- Choose nutrient-dense foods at meals and snacks
- Allow 12-15 hours overnight between your last snack/meal and breakfast
Sample Schedules
Here are a few sample meal schedules to give you an idea of different meal frequencies you could follow:
3 Meals Per Day
- 8am – Breakfast
- 12pm – Lunch
- 6pm – Dinner
3 Meals + 2 Snacks
- 7am – Breakfast
- 10am – Snack
- 12:30pm – Lunch
- 3pm – Snack
- 6:30pm – Dinner
5-6 Small Meals
- 8am – Breakfast
- 11am – Snack
- 1:30pm – Lunch
- 4pm – Snack
- 7pm – Dinner
- 9pm – Snack (optional)
The sample schedules above provide a balanced approach of meals and snacks every 3-5 hours during the daytime hours. Choose the pattern that best fits your lifestyle and energy needs.
Final Tips
Here are some final tips when planning your daily meal frequency:
- Listen to your body – Hunger and energy levels help determine your ideal frequency
- Be consistent – Try to maintain a similar pattern each day
- Don’t skip breakfast – Starting the day with a meal powers you through the morning
- Schedule meals and snacks – Plan eating times into your day like appointments
- Pack snacks – Bring healthy snacks when out to prevent gaps longer than 5 hours
- Stay hydrated – Drink water and fluids regularly throughout the day
The Bottom Line
Most experts recommend eating about 3 meals per day with 1-2 optional snacks as needed. This provides a good balance of blood sugar control, nutrient intake, metabolism boosting, and appetite control. However, you may require a higher or lower meal frequency based on your own hunger cues, schedule, and lifestyle. Get in tune with your body, be flexible, and find a meal frequency that makes you feel energized while still allowing for enjoyable eating.
