How many calories is normal for each meal?

naturallykat
naturallykat Posts: 118 Member
edited October 2 in Food and Nutrition
Just wondering how many calories is normal for each meal - so breakfast, lunch and dinner?

I'm relatively new to calorie counting and so just wondered what to be aiming for. Is there a good ratio- split, like 20:30:50?

Replies

  • tiggerfan
    tiggerfan Posts: 71
    I tend to have
    200 cals breakfast
    50 cals snack (fruit)
    300 cals lunch
    50 cals snack (fruit)
    400 cals dinner
    200 cals milk (400mls skimmed)
  • cem789
    cem789 Posts: 231 Member
    ^^^ good plan.
  • End6ame
    End6ame Posts: 903
    It is irrelevant. You can eat all of your calories at one sitting if you’d like. The time of day, frequency, and size of meals has no effect on weight loss as long as you are hitting your calorie goal and macro goals.
  • aj_rock
    aj_rock Posts: 390 Member
    Really depends how you respond best psychologically. If you can deal with having one huge meal a day, that's fine. If you're more of the grazing type, that's fine too. Do what you feel works best for YOU.
  • mashanda
    mashanda Posts: 120 Member
    i think the devide will depend on your calories allowed for the day. I know i read in a book based on a 1200 calorie diet...

    300 for each meal (breakfast, lunch and dinner) =900c
    150 for two snacks= 300c
  • Katiemarie4488
    Katiemarie4488 Posts: 242 Member
    I eat every 2 - 3 hours... something small each time. My Day totals between 1200 on non work out days... to upwords of 1600+ on hard workout days.... regardless.... I still break up my meals to a constant 2 - 3 hours stopping around 7 or 8 at the latest. I do try to limit my carbs in the evening.... its just a personal thing, im not doing low carb or anything like that
  • not2late
    not2late Posts: 98 Member
    It's all about you and "listening" to your body's needs which you may find varies by day/week/month. Play with eating plans till you find the one that's right for you. Just track your calories against your needs.

    Good luck!
  • Rachel_Leigh84
    Rachel_Leigh84 Posts: 120
    I normally consume 600 calories throughout the day and then 600 again for my tea ( dinner in America!) as I dont feel satisfied if i dont have a substantial evening meal. Like everyone else has said, just do what works for you. I know people say eat less and less as the day goes on but my way is working for me.
  • rc630
    rc630 Posts: 310 Member
    I normally consume 600 calories throughout the day and then 600 again for my tea ( dinner in America!) as I dont feel satisfied if i dont have a substantial evening meal. Like everyone else has said, just do what works for you. I know people say eat less and less as the day goes on but my way is working for me.

    I pretty much do this too.. small breakfast and lunch, one small snack if I really need it (usually depends on if I'm going to be exercising that day) and then a big dinner (500-700 calories)
  • swaymyway
    swaymyway Posts: 428 Member
    It's different for most people and there is no norm but I tend to have

    Breakfast - 150
    Snack - 100
    Dinner - 300 - 400
    Snack - 150
    Tea - 400 - 600
    Snack - 100
  • mamax5
    mamax5 Posts: 414 Member
    It is irrelevant. You can eat all of your calories at one sitting if you’d like. The time of day, frequency, and size of meals has no effect on weight loss as long as you are hitting your calorie goal and macro goals.

    Eating all your calories in one shot is a good way to kill your metoblism! I was watching a show on TLC...or one of the Discovery networks...and this morbidly obese woman, who could not move, would eat all her calories in one sitting had no metoblism. Her doctor said she needed to eat through out the day so her metobolism would start working again.
  • frap12
    frap12 Posts: 6 Member
    Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper.
  • Dtho5159
    Dtho5159 Posts: 1,054 Member
    Do what works for you.. I typically have a smallish breakfast, HUGE lunch and midsized supper. and usually 2 snacks.
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
    Breakfast is usually around 300, lunch around 400, dinner around 700, with whatever snacks will fit. Usually fruit, sometimes a fiber bar, sometimes beef jerky, lots of time a glass of chocolate milk at bedtime. I'm at 1500 calories + around 300 exercise cal.
  • adriayellow11
    adriayellow11 Posts: 140
    It is irrelevant. You can eat all of your calories at one sitting if you’d like. The time of day, frequency, and size of meals has no effect on weight loss as long as you are hitting your calorie goal and macro goals.

    This is not true! Ask any professional dietician or nutritionist! Do your research please!
  • Akerman
    Akerman Posts: 16
    It is irrelevant. You can eat all of your calories at one sitting if you’d like. The time of day, frequency, and size of meals has no effect on weight loss as long as you are hitting your calorie goal and macro goals.

    Don't mean to slam your post but that advice is horrible. Please post where you read that it doesn't matter the frequency or size of meals.
    The frequency of meals and timing of your food is very important when It comes to weigt loss. For weight loss the only real time that carbs are needed is first thing in the morning, pre-workout and post-workout. Post workout being one of the most important due to the fact that you Need simple carbs (sugar) to help stabilize your insulin levels which will go out of whack during your workout. Without stabilizing your insulin to glycogen levels your body will start to break down muscle in the recovery period after a workout.....not good. Simp,e carbs like water lemon, kiwi, banana.....etc are great post workout with a protein shake.

    As a basic plan you can follow Katiemarie4488's advice. Spread your meals out throughout the day every 2-3 hours. No need for carbs and fats in the same meal. So it's either protein and carbs or protein and heathy fats or EFA's. No carbs after supper unless it's your post workout carb meal

    Regards
  • Nancyhusanu
    Nancyhusanu Posts: 65
    I normally consume 600 calories throughout the day and then 600 again for my tea ( dinner in America!) as I dont feel satisfied if i dont have a substantial evening meal. Like everyone else has said, just do what works for you. I know people say eat less and less as the day goes on but my way is working for me.

    I pretty much do this too.. small breakfast and lunch, one small snack if I really need it (usually depends on if I'm going to be exercising that day) and then a big dinner (500-700 calories)


    Ditto I do it this way because this is the meal I have with my family, and usually want to eat what they eat, and not worry about cooking a bunch of different meals and just enjoy their company!
  • kitinboots
    kitinboots Posts: 589 Member
    Do what works best for you.
    I work at night, in a bar and often have a drink or two at work, so I save calories to allow for this. I have up to 200 for breakfast, about 200 for lunch, and I can eat another 200 worth of snacks before work. I then have 600 left which allows me to nibble on the bar snacks, have a glass or two of wine, and then eat a small meal after work. Its the only way I can keep in check, but I don't see it working for many other people.
  • 4theking
    4theking Posts: 1,196 Member
    It is irrelevant. You can eat all of your calories at one sitting if you’d like. The time of day, frequency, and size of meals has no effect on weight loss as long as you are hitting your calorie goal and macro goals.

    This is not true! Ask any professional dietician or nutritionist! Do your research please!

    There is a lag time from when new research/findings come out and when it reaches mainstream dieticians, nutritionists, docs, etc. The old school tells you to eat a large breakfast, medium size lunch, and small supper and to never, ever skip breakfast. New findings say just the opposite. The very best thing one could do for losing fat is skip breakfast, eat a bit of protein for lunch, and then eat all of your days remaining calories at night.
  • VeganGal84
    VeganGal84 Posts: 938 Member
    I tend to have 3 big meals (400-500 calories each) plus 3 small snacks (50-150 calories each).

    I eat around 2000 calories a day, though! (set to lose 1/2 pound a week + eating all exercise calories back)
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    This is not true! Ask any professional dietician or nutritionist! Do your research please!

    done and done

    if you'd like to read some on meal frequency;

    http://www­.ncbi.nlm.­nih.gov/pu­bmed/19943­985
    This study shows there was no difference in weight loss between subjects with high/low meal frequencie­s.

    http://www­.ncbi.nlm.­nih.gov/pu­bmed/91554­94
    Evidence supports that meal frequency has nothing to do with energy in the subjects.

    http://www­.ncbi.nlm.­nih.gov/pu­bmed/11319­656
    Yet again, no difference in energy in the subjects compared to 2 meals/d to 6 meals/d.

    http://www­.ncbi.nlm.­nih.gov/pu­bmed/19059­98
    Eur J Clin Nutr. 1991 Mar;45(3):­161-9.Link­s
    Influence of the feeding frequency on nutrient utilizatio­n in man: consequenc­es for energy metabolism­.

    http://www­.ncbi.nlm.­nih.gov/pu­bmed/11319­656
    Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 2001 Apr;25(4):­519-28.Lin­ks
    Compared with nibbling, neither gorging nor a morning fast affect short-term energy balance in obese patients in a chamber calorimete­r.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    I don't think there is a "normal", as you'll probably find from all the responses. Everyone is different. Different schedules, different bodies, different metabolisms. Just find a plan that works for you. As long as you have energy throughout the day, aren't hungry (often or for long) and are meeting your nutritional and calorie goals then you have found your "normal".

    Find something that you can live with.
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member

    The frequency of meals and timing of your food is very important when It comes to weigt loss. For weight loss the only real time that carbs are needed is first thing in the morning, pre-workout and post-workout. Post workout being one of the most important due to the fact that you Need simple carbs (sugar) to help stabilize your insulin levels which will go out of whack during your workout. Without stabilizing your insulin to glycogen levels your body will start to break down muscle in the recovery period after a workout.....not good. Simp,e carbs like water lemon, kiwi, banana.....etc are great post workout with a protein shake.

    As a basic plan you can follow Katiemarie4488's advice. Spread your meals out throughout the day every 2-3 hours. No need for carbs and fats in the same meal. So it's either protein and carbs or protein and heathy fats or EFA's. No carbs after supper unless it's your post workout carb meal

    Regards

    so my muscles will go all catabolic on me if i don't stabilize my insulin levels right after working out?

    and for weight loss, please explain how CHO after dinner is any different then before dinner if you are in caloric deficit? is there some magic fairy that turns CHO after dinner right to fat?
  • silkysly
    silkysly Posts: 701 Member
    Feel free to rummage though my diary…, some days are different than others.
  • akaChuck
    akaChuck Posts: 233 Member
    I usually have most of my calories in the morning because I have a long day of training for my sport...lunch and snacks are probably the lightest amount of calories because I'm busy skating and don't want a stomach ache (who does?!). Once skating is done and I have dinner it's about the same amount of calories (perhaps 100-200 calories less than bkfast). It really is based off of what KIND of foods I eat during the day. Carbs in the AM, and protein>carbs in the PM.

    It works well for me but hey, everyone is different! Try a few different meal plans and see what makes you feel best by the end of the day.
  • naturallykat
    naturallykat Posts: 118 Member
    Wow you guys, such a lot of confusing and conflicting advice, but thank you all for your thoughts.

    I think I'll just carry on as I have been doing and as quite a few of you say; find what works for me. Since I've a lot to lose and am on 1700 cals a day that's working out at around 350 for breakfast, 450 for lunch and 900 for dinner. I'm not too bothered about snacks, I don't seem to get hungry between meals unless I'm bored or trying to procrastinate something else!
  • sal0118
    sal0118 Posts: 84
    Bump
  • BrewerGeorge
    BrewerGeorge Posts: 397 Member
    It is irrelevant. You can eat all of your calories at one sitting if you’d like. The time of day, frequency, and size of meals has no effect on weight loss as long as you are hitting your calorie goal and macro goals.

    This is not true! Ask any professional dietician or nutritionist! Do your research please!
    There is a big difference between how easily you gain weight when you over eat, and what happens when you UNDER eat. Every bit of advice you ever hear about diet should have an asterisk beside it. That asterisk should say "subject to calorie net."

    It is an immutable fact of physics, let alone biology, that you absolutely cannot gain fat if you eat fewer calories than you burn. If that worked, we'd be using pig fat for fuel and get away from Middle Eastern oil! You could eat 1000 Cal of potato chips once a day, or 1000 cal of balanced, raw food and you will not gain fat if you burn 1500 Cal that day. (If it appears that you've done so, it means that you are mis-estimating what you're burning.)

    Everything to do with diet composition and scheduling is a tweak. They can make things more or less efficient, but they are all subject to the master equation of calories in vs calories out.
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