DOES THE TIMING OF MY MEALS MATTER?

The frequency and timing of nutritional intake is a topic that is debated and questioned, and we’re here to clear a bit of that up for you.

Does meal timing matter?

Does it matter whether you eat at specific times of the day? Is it bad to skip breakfast? Can you eat after 6 PM? These are all questions we frequently hear in the nutrition space, and the answer to all of them is the same. It depends!

Meal timing is a personal preference. There is no physiological benefit to eating breakfast exactly at 8 AM, lunch at noon, and dinner at 6 PM. Learning to listen to hunger cues from your body is a skill to develop; this way, you don’t feel like you have to sit down and eat at a specific time of day just because it’s your routine.

Is breakfast really the most important meal?

Again, a personal preference. Some people can skip breakfast, and they will be starving by lunch and therefore overeat the rest of the day. Other people can skip breakfast and still eat the same amount of food the rest of the day, so skipping breakfast is an effective way to control calories.

Does meal frequency/size matter?

Does it matter whether you eat five small meals a day or three medium meals, or one big meal? Meal frequency works the same way as meal timing. It’s a personal preference!

If your goal is to lose weight, you need to be on a caloric deficit. Choosing the meal frequency that allows you to be in a caloric deficit is the best choice. This depends on a multitude of factors such as lifestyle, genetics, ability to listen to hunger cues, availability of food, schedule, etc.

To sum it up, there is no perfect meal timing or frequency that is a coverall for everyone. You need to figure out a frequency and timing that works for you as a person. This is a trial-and-error process and will take some time to figure out.

If you have any questions, feel free to schedule a nutrition consultation.