Eat More Often and Lose Weight
While eating three balanced meals is a great way to lose weight, the body sometimes responds better to eating healthy foods more frequently throughout the day. One way to boost metabolism, burn more calories, and decrease hunger is by eating mini-meals.
What Are Mini-Meals
Mini-meals are smaller meals eaten frequently throughout the day. Instead of having three large meals during the day, meals are broken down into five to six smaller meals spaced three to four hours apart throughout the day. If a dieter is one who counts calories, the calorie total for each mini-meal is calculated by taking the total daily allowable calories and dividing by how many mini-meals will be eaten. For example, if a dieter's plan calls for 1800 calories per day, and six mini-meals are eaten per day, the total calories for each mini-meal should be approximately 300 calories.
How Mini-Meals Aid Weight Loss
If too much time goes by between meals or no snacks are eaten, it's easy to overeat at the next meal. Mini-meals keep hunger at bay because meals are eaten every three to four hours, so there's no time to get hungry. Mini-meals boost metabolism by making the body consistently burn calories digesting and absorbing food. Since mini-meals consist of fewer calories than larger meals, eating mini-meals is a great way to control portions.
Example Mini-Meals
Each mini-meal should contain a protein, a healthy carbohydrate, and a small amount of fat. A few examples of balanced mini-meals are:
- Turkey on whole grain bread
- Chicken roll-ups with low-fat cheese
- Mixed green salad with added veggies and water-packed tuna
- Keep track of calories until eating mini-meals becomes second nature. Eating mini-meals makes it easy to eat more total calories throughout the day. Without counting calories at first, overeating could be a problem.
- Make sure a mini-meal consists of healthy foods instead of processed foods.
- For some, eating mini-meals makes them feel like they're overeating because they're eating so often. Be patient and give the body enough time to get accustomed to a new way of eating.
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