How to Eat 5-6 Small Meals Per Day
In my 7 Nutrition Tips to Build Muscle and Burn Fat article, I recommend eating 5-6 small meals per day. Not only does eating often help increase your metabolism, but it also helps you avoid cravings by keeping you full throughout the day.
Plan ahead. Eating 5-6 small meals per day requires that you eat every 2-3 hours. In order to do this successfully, you must plan ahead. I recommend having at least two backup plans in case something happens unexpectedly.
For example, last week I had a meeting planned from 2-4pm. I had a meal at 1:45pm before my meeting; so I knew I would need to eat again around 4pm. I also knew the meeting might run long. So I had two backup plans ready:
- I brought some mixed nuts with me to the meeting in case I needed to eat something on the spot.
- I had a spare protein shake at my desk. When we were given a five minute break, I could go back to my desk and drink my shake before continuing the meeting.
Go slowly. It can be overwhelming to switch from 2-3 large meals per day to 5-6 smaller meals per day. In order to get to 5-6 meals per day, you will need to gradually increase the number of meals you eat each day. Start off by eating 4 meals per day. After about a week, increase this to 5 meals per day. Give yourself a week or two to adjust and then increase your meals to 6 per day.
Split the meals. One of the easiest ways to add smaller meals is to just split up your existing meals. For example, instead of eating a large sandwich for lunch, cut the sandwich in half. Have half an hour early and have the other half 2-3 hours later.
Eat more snacks. If you are having trouble splitting up your meals you can try to reduce the size of each meal and add some snacks throughout the day. For example, continue to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but add in snacks between breakfast and lunch and between lunch and dinner. Some good snack ideas include:
- Protein shakes
- Mixed nuts
- Fruits such as apples, oranges, and bananas
- Salads
- A small or half sandwich
There is no excuse for not eating 5-6 small meals per day. If you have any tips for eating 5-6 small meals per day, leave a comment below and let others know.
15 responses so far
Ideas for those snacks or tiny meals:
An orgainic apple- slice and dip in raw almond butter
3 pitted dates- slice open and stuff with almond butter
Slice a chicken or turkey hotdo and put in a baggy for snack
A piece of string cheese with 1/2 apple or 1/2 cup raisins or dried cranberries
1/2 sandwich on sprouted grain bread, with natural chicken or turkey (Boar’s Head)
A piece of lettuce with a slice of Mozzerlla cheese, rolled up
A piece of lettuce with 2 slices of natural chicken or turkey, rolled up
A piece of string cheese with 3 multi-grain crackers
Avoid white flour at all costs- it turns right to sugar in your system. If you haven’t given up white flour, now is the time! You’ll be surpised- whole grains actually have flavor!
Add gentle or vigorous exercise, depending on your blood type, and you’re got a plan!
You can do it, your life is more than worth it! Smile! Elisha
hi, i was wondering do i have to be on a diet to eat 5-6 meals a day. because i’m not trying to lose weight i am trying to maintain my figure. i think eating six meal a day would be a great way for me to feel fuller. i hate eating three big meals it makes me fill like i’m putting on weight. i don’t like to fill full when i’m eating only enough so i can have energy through out the day. can someone please help me to start a 5 meal plan menu? o yeah i almost forgot i work out alot in the fitness gym. i use to be over weight now i’m learning to get alot more work outs through out my life to stay fit.
Courtney,
You do not have to be on a diet to eat 5-6 meals per day. As for your menu, you will have to check out some of the recipe articles and ideas.
How Many calories should each meal be? And in between do we need to drink lots of water?
Thanks so much for all of the tips. I had no idea where to start with 5-6 meals a day.
Now I can get started!
i started eating 6 small meals a day on a monday 10 days ago. after 3 days i had lost 4 pounds. i also cut out sweets,bread,and carbonation.i eat either 3/4 cup of whole grain cereal with fat free milk for breakfast,fruit for snack,a healthy choice or weight watcher meal for lunch,fruit or a small bag of sunchips for snack,fruit for my next snack,and then a meal for dinner.i only drink water.this has made my energy level go through the roof.my clothes are getting looser and i feel great.
so i wake up at 8am and go back to bed at 11:30pm. If i eat at 9am would’nt i have more meals to eat and my last one would be at 11pm eating every 2hrs. how to i figure this out?
I can vouch for the above information. I have experienced it in my own life and have helped many others loose 5 to over 100 pounds of excess body fat. I am a Life and Wellness Coach and I utilize a meal replacement nutritional program that creates this fat burning process rapidly and safely. It is perfect for people who lead busy lives or have health conditions life type II Diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol, etc. It’s not for everybody. It is for people who are serious about their health, serious about weightloss and are ready to do something about it simply, quickly and safely. If you want more information, feel free to email me at wellworx at gmail. To everybody who have visited this sight: You are on the right track. Best to you for a life of optimal health. You deserve it!
I started this plan last month, and I have shed about 13 pounds. What I love about it is the fact that you change your mindset without TRYING. That is, if you take it seriously. But by week 2 my snack cravings had changed to healthy ones- fruit/vegetables/nuts. Previously I used to eat junk food as snacks. My meal of the day is usually dinner, and I get full fast so I don’t eat much.
This is the plan I’ve been looking for, and I encourage others to try! Good luck, I’m sure it will work.
hey my name is Jessica
i am pregnant, and i have put too much weight, therefore i am really trying to maintain my weight. I find this to be very interesting. I would not mind starting this 5 to 6 meal plan a day. I started exercising and im really serious about this. The only thing is that i dont know what to make for these small meals, what should i eat and not eat. I love big dinners that is my weekness and my craving are so hard to control.
I need to know what to eat exactly for 5 meals per day.
is this a bad meal planning?
breakfast 7:45
1 whole egg
3 egg whites
4oz sirloin
handful of almonds
lunch 11:45
egg white salad (at school)
30 gram whey protein shake
4:00pm (after school snack)
6oz grilled chicken
green peppers and onions
630pm (dinner)
8oz red tuna steak or miah miah
baby sugar snap peas or brocolli
im lowering my carb intake
i weight 165 pounds and im trying to have lean muscle
I went on a 6 meal a day diet before I retired. The general rule for quantity of food was to cover a saucer with food… one layer, not a high mound. This worked well. We were even allowed to have one saucer with a dessert (as a meal.) Or place your dessert on your plate along with your other food. I had dessert once every day and still lost weight. Of course, it was small portions.
I stopped eating sugar, white flour/pasta/rice and processed foods in 1994, but still maintain about 20 lbs overweight. I’m hoping the 6 meals will help my metabolism. Anyone know about a website that provides menus that combine six small meals AND natural eating? Yeah, I’m that lazy.
(I am disabled and don’t get much exercise).
Instead of drinking protein shakes I add the protein powder to yogurts for my late afternoon pick me up snack.
I also drink coffee w/this snack (meal) since I work out in the evening.
Ok Im a thin person. I have been thin my whole life and I usually eat 3 good size meals a day. I have recently got a gym membership and workout 3 times a week. my problem is that when I eat 3 meals a day I feel very bloated though out the day. Another issue I have is that I like to eat, it sounds bad but I like chewing and having some kind of flavor in my mouth. I also dont want to lose any weight. Should I try the 6 meals a day or, should I eat 3 smaller meals and have snacks through out the day?