We are pleased to announce that on March 4, 2025, an updated Rich Text Editor will be introduced in the MyFitnessPal Community. To learn more about the upcoming changes, please click here. We look forward to sharing this new feature with you!

Snacks vs. Meals

mrsgoodwine
mrsgoodwine Posts: 468 Member
edited November 2024 in Food and Nutrition
Just curious. Does anyone here eat small snacks instead of full meals? E.g., 6 small snacks vs. 3 "normal" meals (I realize "normal" is subjective).

Replies

  • Mycophilia
    Mycophilia Posts: 1,225 Member
    I prefer meals since I like feeling full at least once every day.
  • iLoveMyPitbull1225
    iLoveMyPitbull1225 Posts: 1,690 Member
    1 eat three main meals an two snacks in between. It's all personal preference!
  • Gska17
    Gska17 Posts: 752 Member
    I also normally eat three main meals with 1-2 snacks in between.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    It's personal preference, but I do much better (and am happier) with meals. I have three and sometimes an additional snack since I go a long time between lunch and dinner (around 9 pm usually), depending on my workout schedule.
  • mygnsac
    mygnsac Posts: 13,413 Member
    I usually break breakfast up into two snacks a couple hours apart (about 200 cals each), then I usually have a full lunch (about 400-500 cals), an afternoon snack (about 100-150 cals), a full dinner (around 400-500 cals), and sometimes an evening snack (about 100-150 cals.). I've tried the 6 snacks a day thing and it didn't work for me.
  • lizzocat
    lizzocat Posts: 356 Member
    I eat about 1200-1300 calories a day. My main 'meal' of the day is usually lunch- the rest of the day is 50-200 calorie snacks basically every couple of hours.
    Example:
    9:30 Breakfast - 200 calories,
    11:00Snack - 50 calories (seaweed!)
    12:30/1:00 lunch - 400 calories
    2:30 snack - 150 calories
    4:00/5:00 snack - 300 calories (protein bar pre workout)
    9:00 snack - 100 calories

    We wont count today where I ate 1200 calories by 2:00 because I was so hungry from lifting yesteday : (
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Mycophilia wrote: »
    I prefer meals since I like feeling full at least once every day.

    This, but I often end up hungry anyway and needing a snack :(
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    I only eat 2 meals a day. One is small, the other is huge. Sometimes I add a snack and sometimes I don't, depending on whether I get hungry.

    I don't think I'd be happy with just small snack-sized meals throughout the day and never having a real "sit down meal". A big dinner is important to me.
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    edited June 2015
    I have 3 good sized meals and 2 to 3 snacks :smiley: breakfast and lunch 400-600 cals /dinner 600-800 cals/ snacks 150 cals I have tried eating bigger main meals but always go back to having snacks - I just can't go longer than 4 hours without food regardless of how big a meal I've eaten.
  • mistikal13
    mistikal13 Posts: 1,457 Member
    The only time I eat snack sized meals is if I'm not feeling well. Otherwise, it's full meals for me.
  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,751 Member
    I prefer to eat bigger meals, no snacks.

    I feel more satisfied doing this - when I ate 6/7 times a day I was constantly hungry, thinking about my next "meal", and my energy went up and down a lot.
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    I eat whenever I'm hungry. Sometimes it's 2 meals, sometimes it is 6 meals.
  • Jruzer
    Jruzer Posts: 3,501 Member
    Normal is very subjective. On weekdays my breakfast, and maybe even my lunch, might qualify as "snacks" on someone else's diet. I usually have a fairly standard dinner meal with the family and fairly large "snacks" in the evening, which are typically larger than my breakfast and lunch.
  • vgrezzy
    vgrezzy Posts: 31 Member
    i prefer to eat 3 mid sized meals a day with snacks in between. I like feeling absolutely full for a couple of hours, and the snacks keep my metabolism up. when i did pure snacks i had issues with being backed up. and meals allow for more macro-balanced meals because snacks are typically very high in carbs/fat/low in protein, but it all depends on what you're eating. find what works for you
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I eat 3 squares and a morning snack and afternoon snack and evening snack. meals are good...snacks are good...it's all good.
This discussion has been closed.

Categories