“Eat three square meals a day.”
“No, eat six small meals per day.”
“Wait several hours between meals.”
“Go ahead and graze all day!”
It’s enough to make you wonder whether there are any trustworthy parameters around meal timing at all.
Here’s what to know for planning the best meal schedule for health.
“For the average person, spacing out meals this way is probably the better route to go.
This better allows your gut to ‘clean up shop,'” says gut health dietitianAmanda Sauceda, RDN.
“When you eat, the migrating motor complex gets interrupted.
You don’t want to be eating all the time because the ‘cleaning’ will stop.”
When you eat carbohydrates, your blood sugar rises, then slowly falls.
Waiting too long between mealsin the range of six hours or longercould create some unpleasant symptoms oflow blood sugar.
So what’s the best timing for keeping blood sugar steady?
“You want to avoid grazing.
Sauceda recommends starting with a framework of protein, fat, and fiber at every meal.
“Protein is the most satiating nutrient, so you want to start there,” she says.
Foods like whole grains, fruits, veggies, and legumes are all great choices.
Finally, confirm you’re taking in enough calories at every meal to keep your belly from grumbling.
According toresearch from 20141,eating more slowly and mindfullymight also help keep you fuller longer.
