Those of us who eat smaller multiple meals every day, eat better and weigh less than their counterparts, who eat fewer but larger meals.
People who eat fewer meals during the day tend to eat their main meal at night with a glass of alcohol, both of which can contribute to a higher body mass index BMI, (which is the relationship between height and weight.) Eating more frequently throughout the day can lead to us eating healthier, lower calorically dense food, which leads to a lower overall caloric intake and BMI.
Researchers at both Imperial College London and Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University in Chicago analysed the data from 2,385 adults from a study, which was conducted between 1996 and 1999. A BMI of between 18.5 and 24.9 is considered normal and a BMI of between 25 and 29.9 is considered overweight. A BMI of 30 or higher is considered obese.
They found that participants who ate 6 or more times over a period of 24 hours, had an average BMI of 27.3 and consumed an average of 2,129 calories. Those who ate less than 4 times a day, over a period of 24 hours, had an average BMI of 29.0 and consumed an average of 2,472 calories.
From the above research a conclusion can be reached that those people who ate more often, consumed foods that were lower in calories and higher in nutritional value such as vegetables, the study found.
Eating smaller meals more frequently, means we’re less likely to reach for the biscuit tin and more likely to eat more low calorie and healthier foods.
This is interesting. I know that we ought to eat smaller meals more often, than fewer large meals, but I hadn't appreciated the correlation with eating fewer calories overall and a generally healthier diet.
I have started to cut down on my portion sizes too, as well as eating a meal at lunchtime and a smaller meal on an evening with fruit in between, or a healthy seed bar and I have noticed that I don't get as hungry as much as I used to, or that I eat as much unhealthy snacks as I did.
I think we can all look at our portion sizes, cut down and if we eat small portions more often, we won't miss those bigger, fewer meals.
Thanks, yes that's the idea. Having studied Diet and Nutrition myself I have always known the correlation, but if and when we come to think about it, it actually makes a lot of sense. We tend to go about things in our own sweet way until something happens, then we run for our lives trying to sort illness out.
I personally know what it's like to deal with illness, so therefore I make myself aware of what I need to do to stay well. Eating smaller meals, but more often definitely is what we have to do.