No one has to convince you that you need good nutrition and exercise, but do you know that there is no need to give up on your favorite food or drink? And there are no advantages to doing so.
The key is in using moderation, which brings us to the question – how important is it for our health that we have 3 main meals a day?!
Strictly speaking, this is not a question but rather an idea, or maybe even a suggestion. The truth is that 3 meals a day are very important to keep our body healthy and our metabolism ready for the tasks of everyday life: all these things are what nutrition means.
As for health, I don’t know if there is anyone who hasn’t considered the matter at least once in his lifetime. From my point of view, it’s much better to have breakfast, lunch, and dinner than not have, but now we are considering more advanced questions – and even science has something to say about it.
Are you aware of the importance of the 3 main meals a day for your health? Most people like to graze or eat small amounts throughout the day. And that’s fine if it works for you. However, there are specific benefits that come from eating three main meals a day.
Are you someone who likes to start the day with porridge, or loves morning coffee and croissants? Perhaps you like your sandwiches at lunchtime, and tucking into spaghetti Bolognese in the evening? Or do you prefer the simplicity of chicken and chips every day?
In a balanced diet, it is very important to focus not only on what you eat but also on when you consume certain foods.
There are certain beneficial times when proteins, carbohydrates, and fats are better metabolized in the body, so it can benefit the most from them.
Therefore, it is important to respect the main meals of the day, but also the snacks between meals, in order not to starve, but also to avoid overeating.
So, let’s see what are the best times for the main 3 meals a day, to lose weight healthy and smart.
BREAKFAST – How important is it for our health?
The first meal of the day is also the most important, having a special role to maintain your optimal weight. Dozens of scientific studies around the world have shown that people who eat “good” in the morning eat less, calorically, throughout the day.
Eating a healthy breakfast can help you maintain a healthy weight. Going through the day without eating is like driving a car on empty. You will run out of fuel (or energy) before you reach your destination (lunchtime!).
Skipping breakfast also causes your blood sugar to drop, making you feel hungry and causing you to overeat at lunch. Your body needs food to work its best.
There are many benefits of eating breakfast. According to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Nutrition, people who eat breakfast have lower cholesterol, less body fat, and better concentration.
A good breakfast includes protein and fiber-rich food items such as vegetables and fruits that provide essential vitamins and minerals. They also help in weight loss, increase energy levels and lower cholesterol levels in the body. Most importantly, breakfast reduces the risk of several chronic diseases like obesity, diabetes, and heart diseases.
It is recommended that you eat between 25 and 30% of your daily calories at breakfast. It is also important to try to make your breakfast balanced with fruit, whole grains, protein, milk and milk products, and a bit of fat.
The time interval for breakfast
Breakfast should be taken within 30 to 60 minutes after waking up and you should try not to skip this meal, even if you may not be so hungry in the early hours of the day.
What is recommended to eat at breakfast?
- At breakfast, you can eat lean ham, fish, skim dairy products, whole bread, and vegetables.
- Avoid refined carbohydrates (white flour, sugar, biscuits, etc.) which are absorbed very quickly and which do not give you the same prolonged feeling of satiety and which could even make you hungry very quickly.
Don’t be hungry in the morning. You will eat more in the evening when the body no longer burns calories but deposits them.
LUNCH
The most important reason for having a good lunch is for your heart. A study by the American Heart Association found that eating lunch had a positive correlation with cardiovascular health. They found that those who ate lunch had lower levels of triglycerides (a type of fat found in the blood) and total cholesterol levels than those who skipped lunch.
The researchers concluded that instead of taking in several small meals throughout the day, we should be aiming to eat just three times: breakfast, lunch, and dinner. This will help keep our bodies balanced , which in turn will keep our hearts happy.
Lunch gives you the energy to power through to dinner, which is why it’s so important to take the time to plan and prepare good meals at midday. Unfortunately, many people don’t take lunch seriously, whether they’re cutting corners by eating leftovers or skipping lunch entirely.
Lunch can have a significant impact on your overall health and well-being. Think about it: If you skip lunch, you’re almost definitely going to eat more for dinner. And if you’re pressed for time and grab something on the go—maybe one of that newfangled high-calorie “snacks” from a vending machine—you may be missing out on some necessary nutrients that would keep you energized.
Recent studies show that skipping lunch can lead to weight gain and increased risk of diabetes, heart disease, and other illnesses.
Ideally, you should respect your body’s biological rhythm and check which is the best hour for you to have lunch, then respect that time even on the weekend!
It is recommended that lunch be made up of only 2 dishes, not three as many of us have been accustomed to as a kid, and the dessert will be served between 16 and 17 as an afternoon snack.
The time interval for lunch
The best time for lunch is 13.00-15.00.
What is recommended to eat at lunch?
Now is the time to consume high-value proteins (fish, seafood, turkey or chicken), vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, cabbage, etc.) in the form of soups/ broths/ vegetable creams/ salads, legumes (lentils, chickpeas, beans, etc.), cereals (brown rice, whole wheat or rice pasta, etc.)
THE SNACKS
There are multiple formulas for organizing meals throughout the day – 3 meals per day and 2 snacks, 3 meals per day without snacks, 6 meals per day, etc.
No rules or formula applies to everyone, the body sends us signals.
Snacking is an important part of any person’s daily menu, as it complements and ensures the daily nutrients needed to cope with daily activities.
One of the most important aspects of a healthy lifestyle is having a good diet. For most people, especially those who are very busy, it can be hard to prepare meals that are both healthy and delicious. Therefore, many people end up eating junk food as their snacks.
Why are healthy snacks so important? They keep you away from your junk food habits. They keep your cravings at bay and helps control hunger to a great extent. They also make you feel full for a longer duration of time.
This is the reason that people who eat more frequently tend to lose weight faster than the ones who eat less frequently.
The following are some reasons why you should switch from unhealthy snacks to healthy snacks, such as fresh vegetables and fruits:
• They help boost your immunity
• Keep you active and energetic throughout the day, and prevent you from falling ill
• Are Good for Your Heart
• Help You Lose Weight
• Improve Your Mood
• Prevent Chronic Diseases.
The time interval for snacks
The hourly intervals most suitable for snacks are 10.00-11.00 for the morning and 16.00-17.00 for the afternoon.
Morning snack
Ideally, we would opt for those foods that contain the nutrients needed at that time of day, to recharge our batteries.
Recommended snacks include fresh fruits or vegetables, whole grain products: biscuits, toast, dairy products, dried fruits, oilseeds, etc.
Afternoon snack
Opt for a mixture of dried fruits, nuts or seeds
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DINNER – The last meal of the day
Dinner can be a great way to bond with your family and friends. With everyone eating together, you can catch up on each other’s lives while enjoying a healthy meal. Another benefit is that dinner gives you the nutrients you need to power through the rest of your day.
Research has shown that eating dinner can boost your immune system, lower cholesterol levels, and help you maintain a healthy weight. All these benefits make dinner essential for staying healthy.
However, despite all these benefits, most people aren’t eating dinner every night. That’s why I recommend making dinner a priority in your life. Take time out of your busy schedule to sit down with your loved ones over a delicious meal. Whether it’s a full three-course meal or something simple, dinner is important for both physical and mental health—so eat up!
Dinner is often the only meal we eat with family or friends. For this reason or if a meal has been skipped during the day, we are tempted to put everything we find in the fridge and, of course, eat everything we have on the plate. The result is a high-calorie consumption, restless sleep, and of course weight gain.
When we schedule dinner we must consider its caloric and nutritional content to ensure a restful sleep and to maintain optimum weight.
The time interval for dinner
Dinner should be taken between 18.00-19.00, at least 3, 4 hours before bedtime.
Foods consumed after 8 pm no longer fall into the category of dinner, but into the category of night food. The calories related to these foods remain unburned and will be deposited as fat.
What is recommended to eat at dinner?
Therefore, it is important to have a light dinner.
The biggest enemies, not only of the figure but also of the restful sleep are roasts, alcohol, foods rich in caffeine, and “heavy” proteins (pork or beef), which make digestion difficult.
For dinner, you can consume fish (mackerel salmon, sardines), flax seeds, green vegetables, rich in B-complex vitamins, quinoa, lentils, lean poultry.
The basic principle of having dinner is to eat exactly what you need until you go to bed. Specifically, it is important not to go to bed either hungry or full belly.
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Last Thoughts:
Then what’s the verdict? A body needs to flow to work properly, and that means it needs to be fed three quality meals. Eating three meals will help you maintain a healthy metabolism.
Remember, food that goes unused is wasted. And nobody wants to end up fat from eating too many calories every day. That’s why it’s important to eat three quality meals every day. That way, you can do things you love better, like your job and spending time with family.
Not having three meals a day regularly can affect your heart. Having breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily means you can eat and store away more energy for instance, which should lead to better health in general.
Apart from these benefits, it is also really good for establishing healthy eating habits – which can be hard to do if you don’t have regular structured meals throughout the day.
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