Calories Per Meal

rose78438
rose78438 Posts: 1 Member
edited December 24 in Food and Nutrition
How many calories should I be eating per meal? I know this differs person to person depending on the daily caloric intake goals but I mostly trying to figure out if all meals should be equal or if for example I should be eating a low calorie breakfast and dinner and a high calorie lunch?

Replies

  • SuzySunshine99
    SuzySunshine99 Posts: 2,989 Member
    Totally personal preference. I eat a small breakfast and lunch and save the bulk of my calories for dinner. It works for my lifestyle. Experiment to find out what works best for you.
  • LyndaBSS
    LyndaBSS Posts: 6,964 Member
    It’s a reasonable question.

    I love breakfast, so I take in the largest portion of calories at that meal.

    I have my dinner at lunchtime, less calories than breakfast.

    I have my smallest meal at dinner time. Typically, a salad of some sort.

    Good luck figuring out what works for you. 🍀
  • gallicinvasion
    gallicinvasion Posts: 1,015 Member
    You’ll have to experiment and see what keeps you fullest. My favorite way of dividing up the calories is to do the following, which really keeps me full throughout the day:

    Breakfast: 10-12%
    Lunch: 23-25%
    Afternoon Snack: 10%
    Dinner: 35-40%
    After-Dinner Snack: 15-20%

    For my current maintenance target of 2200 calories, it looks like this, approximately:

    Breakfast: 250 calories
    Lunch: 500 calories
    Afternoon Snack: 200 calories
    Dinner: 850 calories
    After-Dinner Snack: 400 calories


  • NovusDies
    NovusDies Posts: 8,940 Member
    rose78438 wrote: »
    How many calories should I be eating per meal? I know this differs person to person depending on the daily caloric intake goals but I mostly trying to figure out if all meals should be equal or if for example I should be eating a low calorie breakfast and dinner and a high calorie lunch?

    There is no universally correct way to do it. It really depends on what you find easiest. Weight loss works by being in an overall calorie deficit.
  • BuffaloChixSalad
    BuffaloChixSalad Posts: 98 Member
    I eat more earlier in the day and less at night.
  • windra06
    windra06 Posts: 50 Member
    As you say it's a very personal preference.
    When i'm dieting on 1200cal, I split mine roughly: B: 10-20%, L: 30-40%, D:40-60% depending on what recipes i have planned and how i'm feeling. I'll also fast and have 100% at dinner time once per week. If i'm maintaining then i'll make room for small snacks and tend to eat more in the evening.
    Personally i'm not that hungry in the mornings so i tend to eat more heavily at lunch and dinner. If i know i have a boring day at work ahead ill weight lunch more heavily so i don't get tempted with snacks.

    It's going to be trial and error, if you find you are over eating or having unhealthy snacks late in the day then try to shift your calories to have more then, if you find you are really hungry in the morning or struggling to make it to mid afternoon, you might fare better with a bigger breakfast or lunch.
  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,885 Member
    edited January 2020
    As others have said, depends on your personal preference and what ends up working best for you. I tend to have meals that are not that far apart in size, but usually lunch is slightly larger than breakfast and dinner slightly larger than lunch (although sometimes I vary that -- have a large lunch and light dinner or light breakfast/lunch to make room for a planned larger dinner). I don't snack since I prefer to use the cals in my meals.
  • julebrus2020
    julebrus2020 Posts: 26 Member
    Take a few days and figure out when you are hungry, when do you find yourself craving a snack? Is there a pattern? Are you starving when you get up in the morning, or can you hold of on eating for a few hours? Do you find yourself looking into the fridge in the evenings?
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    rose78438 wrote: »
    How many calories should I be eating per meal? I know this differs person to person depending on the daily caloric intake goals but I mostly trying to figure out if all meals should be equal or if for example I should be eating a low calorie breakfast and dinner and a high calorie lunch?

    You can do whatever you want...it doesn't matter.
  • ashverdo
    ashverdo Posts: 12 Member
    I had them equal through out the day (I dont snack) but I noticed I was starving in the evening and feeling too full in the day. So now my smallest amount of calories is usually at lunch. I have a medium breakfast and a big dinner. I haven't felt hungry doing it this way, for my body. Just move the amounts around until you find what works best :)
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