3 meals a day vs snacks

aokoye

Danp wrote: »

Is dessert a snack?

These are the important questions we tack on the MFP forums

I vote for yes.

lemurcat2

If I eat dessert I eat it immediately after dinner, so it's more a continuation of dinner than a snack (which I see as something between meals that tides one over).

But it's just semantic.

In my mind, like the prior poster, I sometimes have dessert (which is not always sweet, sometimes it's cheese), but rarely snack.

aokoye

Ah yes I see where you're coming from. If I'm eating dessert at a restaurant then I eat it right after dinner, but if I'm at home it's typically at least an hour after dinner, more often than not more. I also have dessert fairly rarely. What's more common is that I will have a few sweet things (a canelé and a cookie) throughout the day and one of them might land after dinner.

trunkmonkey1977

I have read so much different data on this. Some will say IF is the answer. While others say snack. Me, i have done both. I prefer to be like a cow, snack all day with no heavy meals.

no1elseislikeme

I seldom eat breakfast or lunch. I’ve just never been the type to do so. So, I snack during the day and then I usually have dinner and dessert. It’s what seems to work best for my body.

jnomadica

I prefer multiple small meals through the day:
7am breakfast
11am lunch #1
2:30pm lunch #2
6pm dinner
8pm dessert/snack

I prefer not to feel overly full, and I love getting to eat so frequently. It’s interesting to see how different preferences are!

crb426

staticsplit wrote: »

My day usually goes like this, but not always:

8 - 9 am - milky coffee (hardly ever hungry first thing, though if I am then I have something)
....
I don't like eating too much and feeling full, plus I get shaky if my blood sugar goes low. I love snacks.

I'm similar, except my day starts way earlier! I basically have small meals in the first part of my day and save about half of my calories for dinner.

4:30am: Milky Coffee
6:00am: Breakfast
10:00am: "Second breakfast" (snack)
12:00pm: Lunch
5:30pm: Dinner

suziecue25

I eat 3 meals a day and generally have a snack [not necessarily a healthy one] after dinner, which is usually my biggest calorie meal.

If I grazed on snacks all day I know I'd eat far too many calories...that's just me.

corrarjo

@lucym0802 My cats start begging for food ~6am, when they're hungry. They eat again around noon and 6pm. I don't feed them on my schedule, but on theirs. They don't know what time it is. They're synchronized because they eat together. Sometimes I wonder if the hunger drives the schedule or the schedule drives the hunger.

Since I quit processed foods I've "lost" my appetite and have no "cravings". I eat when I'm hungry, usually between 12 - 2pm, and again between 6 - 9pm. I usually eat two full meals. First meal is a salad, the second is something savory. They both fill me up. I may have a small breakfast of oats and berries early in the day. That helps add fiber and carbs if I need them. I have no desire for snacks. If I'm lacking some nutrients I'll try to incorporate them into one of my meals.

This is what is working for me.

LivingtheLeanDream

My pref is 3 good sized meals plus 2 small snacks but that's a personal thing.

The main thing is doing what works for you and enables you to stay within your allotted calories consistently.