How do your calories split across meals typically?

Mr_Boy
Mr_Boy Posts: 42 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I'm quite interested how many of my daily calories go to breakfast/lunch/dinner/snacks, and I wondered how other people do it... I seem to typically be something like this:

Breakfast: 25% (250-350 kCal)
Lunch: 15% (250-300 kCal)
Dinner: 40% (600 kCal)
Snacks, booze, tea/coffee: 20% (300 kCal)

What about you lot?

For me, breakfast is the hardest one (other than the temptation to eat Snickers and McCoys crisps), it's very easy to go WAY over. Then I have to lose all my post-dinner luxuries like the one triangle of Toblerone :)
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Replies

  • gabbygirl78
    gabbygirl78 Posts: 936 Member
    I eat whatever I feel i want as long as I remain with in my calorie goal for the day. i don't eat a certain percentage for certain meals... as long as I am at a deficit still at the end of the day then I will accomplish my goal :wink:
  • kbcara
    kbcara Posts: 105 Member
    I'm terrible...

    0% breakfast
    40-45% lunch (550-650 kCal)
    40-45% dinner (550-650 kCal)
    10-20% snacks (150-250 kCal)
  • Keiras_Mom
    Keiras_Mom Posts: 844 Member
    Breakfast 20%
    Lunch 20%
    Dinner 40%
    Snacks/Wine/Booze 20%
  • dauvis
    dauvis Posts: 57
    Roughly this...

    Breakfast: 10%
    Lunch: 30%
    Dinner: 50%
    Snack: 10%

    This wasn't planned or anything. Heck, I doubt that this is a good split.
  • 3foldchord
    3foldchord Posts: 2,918 Member
    I guess pretty similar.
    B/L/D/S
    300/350/400/300

    Usually 1450-1500 calories a day.

    I don't eat "on schedule" sometimes it's sit-down meals, sometimes it grazing all day long.
    I started a part time joba few months ago and my 'lunch break' is at odd hours plus I keep a snack with me because of hypoglycemia... So it' still a lot go grazing for me.
  • Cheechos
    Cheechos Posts: 293
    A very loose general thing that ends up happening with my intake is me spending about 300-400 calories per meal (usually three meals a day) and then using the rest for snack-type things. My goal is around 1800 calories, so over half of those are meals and the remaining percentage goes to snacks.
  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
    I never really paid attention, but depending on my exercise load, I would guess it would be ...

    breakfast 500-600 cal
    mid morn 350-500 cal
    lunch 500-700 cal
    mid evening 600-900 cal
    dinner 1200-3000 cal
  • Escape_Artist
    Escape_Artist Posts: 1,155 Member
    Meh, depends

    Meal 1 = about 60% to 70%
    Meal 2 = Whatever is left

    Normally I wil eat anywhere between 700 to 1000 calories in the first meal, depending on how hungry I am
  • CaffeinatedConfectionist
    CaffeinatedConfectionist Posts: 1,046 Member
    0% breakfast
    10% lunch
    50% dinner
    40% snacks

    I do almost all my eating in the late afternoon and evening. Coffee is the breakfast of champions. :drinker:
  • chemteacher1987
    chemteacher1987 Posts: 68 Member
    Breakfast: about 40%
    Lunch: about 20%
    Dinner: about 40%

    Estimations of course
  • feelin_gr_8
    feelin_gr_8 Posts: 308 Member
    Mine is probably about the same as you OP :)
  • teresamwhite
    teresamwhite Posts: 947 Member
    I'm terrible...

    0% breakfast
    40-45% lunch (550-650 kCal)
    40-45% dinner (550-650 kCal)
    10-20% snacks (150-250 kCal)

    This is pretty much me...I know I should eat breakfast, but its really difficult for me, I am just not hungry when I get up, and once I get to work there is very little time. These last few weeks I've made an effort to get at least a piece of fruit and a cup of tea in me before 10AM.
  • fbmandy55
    fbmandy55 Posts: 5,263 Member
    Breakfast 200-400 cal

    Lunch 400-500 cal

    Dinner/snacks 1000 cal

    I'm usually most hungry in the evening :)
  • DopeItUp
    DopeItUp Posts: 18,771 Member
    Lunch: 700-800 (~30-35%)
    Dinner: 1000-1100 (~45%)
    Beer: 400-600 (~20-25%)

    Average day is 2300-2400 total.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    It depends...my meals are generally in the 500 - 600 calorie range unless I go out or something. My snacks, desert, booze, etc can often be as much as 1000 calories depending...but then again, I pretty much eat non-stop from lunch on. My actual lunch tends to be my biggest "meal."
  • jpolinisse
    jpolinisse Posts: 149 Member
    Breakfast: 30%
    Lunch: 40%
    Dinner: 20%
    Snacks: 10%

    2,000 - 2,400 calories

    The bulk of my calories are consumed before the end of the work day. I work out after work and need to be properly fueled.
  • MzLaLa29
    MzLaLa29 Posts: 258 Member
    I'm doing six meals a day. I shoot for 200cal/meal. Doesn't always work but as long as I don't exceed 800 by lunchtime I get to eat dinner. YAY! Just kidding :D
  • CaffeinatedConfectionist
    CaffeinatedConfectionist Posts: 1,046 Member
    I'm terrible...

    0% breakfast
    40-45% lunch (550-650 kCal)
    40-45% dinner (550-650 kCal)
    10-20% snacks (150-250 kCal)

    This is pretty much me...I know I should eat breakfast, but its really difficult for me, I am just not hungry when I get up, and once I get to work there is very little time. These last few weeks I've made an effort to get at least a piece of fruit and a cup of tea in me before 10AM.

    I don't know if you SHOULD eat breakfast, unless eating breakfast helps you for one reason or another. I feel like it's dealer's choice. People have had success with IF, some people have had success with grazing. Some useful reads on meal frequency/timing:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/820577-meal-frequency-rev-up-that-furnace-lol
    http://www.biolayne.com/nutrition/carbs-at-night-fat-loss-killer-or-imaginary-boogeyman/
  • Juliarosemary66
    Juliarosemary66 Posts: 64 Member
    I tend to split mine as : b and l 40%, d 50% and s 10%. I never used to eat breakfast but I find a170cal fruit smoothie can keep me going through a busy morning and a lunchtime workout at the gym. For me not getting too hungry is the key!
  • mmm_drop
    mmm_drop Posts: 1,126 Member
    Weird, looking back they are pretty much an even 25% for each meal and snacks.
  • SlinkyAndHerAmazingBunsOfSteel
    SlinkyAndHerAmazingBunsOfSteel Posts: 434 Member
    Roughly...

    Breakfast: 200
    Lunch: 350
    Dinner: 500-600
    Snacks: 200
    Drinks: 100-150

    It just depends on what I feel like eating that day
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    On days I work, it's usually (out of approx 1600)

    6% breakfast
    20% lunch
    0-16% snacks
    Whatever is left for dinner / dessert

    On days I don't work, it varies a lot depending on what I am doing that day. And calories are higher on the weekends.
  • 1longroad
    1longroad Posts: 642 Member
    I usually eat 5 to 6 times daily, small meals. Since having surgery and complications, that is all out the window. I don't have much of an appetite, so if I am hungry, I eat!!
  • mkcmurphy
    mkcmurphy Posts: 438 Member
    I take my total and divide by four. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are that number, snacks make up the rest.
  • lisalsd1
    lisalsd1 Posts: 1,519 Member
    Usually about like this:

    B'fast- 300 cals
    Post workout- 100 cals
    Lunch- 300 cals
    Snack- 200 cals
    Coffee/Teas- 100 cals
    *I try to keep it around 1000 cals before dinner

    Dinner- 500-700 cals
    Late snack- 100 cals
    *I try to stay around 1500-1800 cals/day; on the days I use weights, I try to stay less than 2000cals
  • smc864
    smc864 Posts: 570 Member
    Breakfast -- 30%

    Lunch -- 25%

    Dinner -- 25%

    Snacks -- 20%



    I didn't do it on purpose, but looking through my diary those numbers seem to be pretty consistent. I like a big breakfast :smile:


    (edited for spelling)
  • firstsip
    firstsip Posts: 8,399 Member
    I'm terrible...

    0% breakfast
    40-45% lunch (550-650 kCal)
    40-45% dinner (550-650 kCal)
    10-20% snacks (150-250 kCal)

    This is pretty much me...I know I should eat breakfast, but its really difficult for me, I am just not hungry when I get up, and once I get to work there is very little time. These last few weeks I've made an effort to get at least a piece of fruit and a cup of tea in me before 10AM.

    No, you don't need to eat breakfast. If you feel better with something in you in the morning, go for it. All of the claims that "breakfast is the most important meal" or "your metabolism will shut down without breakfast!" have long since been debunked (please see psulemon's great input in a recent post that had a bit of a kerfluffle over the issue: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1130705-i-ve-put-on-5-pounds-in-the-past-2-weeks ).

    In keeping in line with that, I'm usually:

    Lunch: 30-40%
    Dinner: 50-60%
    Misc (dessert? after-dinner snack? before-dinner snack?): 10-20%
  • MinnesotaManimal
    MinnesotaManimal Posts: 642 Member
    My days normally look like this

    breakfast < 1% ( cup of coffee black and or bcca and or caffeine pill)

    Early am workout

    Lunch 0-25%

    Dinner what ever is left. I frequently eat 1500+ calorie dinners and hit my macro nutrient goals and seldom feel hungry and never have energy or fatigue issues when working out with weights or running.
  • Inshape13
    Inshape13 Posts: 680 Member
    Breakfast-350
    Protein/Pre-Workout-250
    Lunch-300
    Protein/Snack-250
    Dinner-550
    Snack/Sweets-150

    Give or take if I am running or doing weights it may be a bit higher on certain days.
  • avskk
    avskk Posts: 1,787 Member
    I tend to just have coffee with a little creamer for "breakfast" (50 calories or less), have a lunch between 250-350 calories, mid-afternoon snack of 50-200 calories, dinner between 350-500 calories, and the rest is either snacks & booze or just left to give me a bigger deficit.

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