What percentage of calories per meal?

IreneAdler

So I'm looking at the calories I have left for dinner and snacks (837) and wonder which meals should be getting which percentage of my allotted calories? Most during breakfast? Evenly spaced out throughout the day?

ErinGiam

Here's what I try and go by:

Breakfast - 230-260 cals
Snack - 100-180 cals
Lunch - 330-360 cals
Snack - 100-180 cals
Dinner - 360-420 cals

Obviously this is not for everyone since we are all have different calorie totals but it should give you a good idea of the general breakdown. I found this information online after researching how to properly eat 5 meals a day.

Hope this helps!

YeaILift

20% Pre Workout
20% Post Wokrkout
10% Lunch 1
10% Lunch 2
10% Lunch 3
10% Lunch 4
10% Dinner 1
10% Dinner 2

or simplified,

40% Breakfast
40% Lunch
20% Dinner

Also, I eat most of my non-vegetable carbs during breakfast and early lunch.

RMinVA

Everyone is different, so you really have to figure out what works for you.

I read an article awhile ago that made total sense to me...eat the buik of your calories when you are most active. For most of us that is during the day. So, I follow the old adage of "Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper."

Breakfast is usually my highest calorie meal of the day coming in between 300-400 calories. Sets the tone for the day, is high in protein, and keeps me full! Lunch and dinner usually, but not always, come in between 200-300. Then I will have 2-3 snacks @ 150 - 200. If I stick to that, it also keeps me in my "sweet spot" range of 1400-1600 to lose weight.

OnMyWeigh

As a general rule I just divide my total (1200) by 4.

Breakfast 300
Lunch 300
Dinner 300
Snack, Drinks and splurges 300

However, my normal work day looks like this:

Breakfast- Active Lifestyle Apple Raisin Walnut Oatmeal (170) Coffee 2 Cups w/ sugar free creamer (100)
Lunch- Michelina's Lean Gourmet (260-320)
3:00 snack- Apple (100)
Dinner- Lean and Green (i.e. venison, elk or chicken and vegetables) (500)

If I workout I get a snack in the evening...if not then I don't.

menchi

150-200 Breakfast
600 Lunch
400 Dinner
200-400 Snacks

I almost always have oatmeal with berries and tea or coffee for breakfast, sometimes add a fruit. I didn't really eat breakfast before dieting so I can't handle a lot of food first thing in the day. The rest of the meals get more calories depending on if I workout out that day.

SEAFOODMAN

B>40%
L>35%
D>25%

pbbagel

For 1200 cals:
B: 200
L: 300
500
S: 200 (usually I have a snack mid afternoon and after dinner).

cwolfman13

It doesn't really matter...I tend to have a smallish breakfast and a decent sized lunch...some big time snacking in the afternoon and my dinner and desert and a glass or two of wine/beer usually comes in around 1200 calories...definitely the biggest meal of the day.