Is one eating pattern better than another? I was reading through a compilation of recently published nutrition articles and two, in particular, caught my eye.
One was titled “Sticking to 3 Meals a Day May be Key to Weight Control” and the other was titled “Eating Small, Frequent Meals May Help Control Weight, Study Says”. Both of these articles presented compelling arguments to support their position, yet they each promoted different meal frequencies as ideal. Does that mean only one can be right?
On the contrary, I think that both three large meals and frequent small snacks may be eating patterns that encourage long term weight control, but the effectiveness of each strategy will depend on the individual. If limiting between meal snacking helps you control your caloric intake, then three or four meals a day may be the better strategy for you. On the other hand, if spreading your meals over too many hours leads you to feel extremely hungry and likely to overindulge at your next meal, then maybe 6 small meals a day is the way to go.
Overall, there are some areas of nutrition that may never have a one size fits all answer as to what works for everyone, and the number of meals one should eat per day in order to maintain a healthy weight, or lose weight, is probably one of them. Your best bet is to try out a couple different meal schedules until you find what works best for you—and to stick with it!
Cari is a Registered Dietitian and Director of Wellspring Wisconsin (wellspringweightloss.com).
