The Importance of Eating Five Small Meals Per Day

There's more to losing weight than just restricting what you're eating. According to many doctors and nutritionists, eating more could actually help you reach your weight loss goal. Eating more doesn't mean consuming more calories, grams of fat and sugar, but eating healthy foods more frequently throughout the day. If you want to make the switch to five meals a day, but aren't sure why you should, learn the importance of this healthy habit before beginning your plan.

Stop Hunger Attacks

• One of your diet's biggest culprits is a sudden hunger attack. When you are hungry, it is hard to focus on choosing the best foods for your health because all you want to do is eat. By breaking down your meals into five small meals throughout the day, you can prevent these hunger attacks from occurring. Frequent eating will keep you satiated and comfortable so that when it is time for your next meal, you are slightly hungry and ready to eat, but not starving. You will be able to make healthy, conscious decisions because you feel comfortable enough to wait for the food to be ready.

Keep Blood Sugar Steady

• Your blood sugar is silently doing you a big favor throughout the day: it provides you with the energy you need to move around and function normally. Food is what fuels your blood sugar, so eating will give you the continuous energy to function. Certain foods, such as sugary candy, cause your blood sugar to spike and then drop rapidly, while other foods, such as fruits and vegetables, move it along at a normal rate.

  Eating healthy snacks throughout the day keep your blood sugar steady and calm without any spikes, drops or weak spots. Five small meals will maintain your blood sugar more regularly than three big ones.

Introduce More Healthy Options

• Since you are probably accustomed to the three-meal set up, you have choices that you are already familiar with and you might not experiment with many new foods. By switching to a five-meal plan, you are open to new choices and can get off to the right start with healthy foods.

  Some nutritional choices for one of your small meals include a handful of almonds and an egg, a juice-based fruit shake, a salad topped with chicken or 1/2-cup of trail mix with an apple.

Think Healthy

• Eating five meals a day means that you will be ready for your next meal soon after your last one finished. This means that you will end up thinking about food frequently throughout the day. By constantly having food on the brain, you have a chance to come up with healthy menus and choices so that when your next meal hits, you make the right choice. Instead of spreading out your meals and grabbing whatever is easiest, take the time to think about your food and plan so that you eat things that are good for your body.