How To Eat Four To Five Small Meals A Day

People who eat only a few times a day are more likely to be obese than those who eat multiple small meals daily, according to the University of Massachusetts Medical School. The less frequently you eat, the more likely it is that your body will hold onto calories, slowing down your metabolism. It may take some time to become accustomed to eating 4 or 5 smaller meals each day, and initially you may feel like you spend the entire day eating or thinking about food.

Step 1

Determine how many calories you eat each day. Divide that number by four or five, depending on the number of meals you plan to eat each day to find the number of calories each meal should contain.

Step 2

Plan your meals ahead of time. On a typical day, plan to eat four or five meals that have roughly the same number of calories. If you are planning a lunch with coworkers or dinner out with the family, take that into account when planning your other meals.

Step 3

Choose a variety of foods at each meal. Include protein, carbohydrates and fat in each meal to help you feel full and satisfied.

Step 4

Eat slowly. Until you become accustomed to smaller, more frequent meals, you may feel hungry soon after eating. Take at least 20 minutes to eat each meal, so that your body has time to realize you have eaten.