To ask how many meals you eat each day?

[Jolleigh]

I'm 25 and most of my friends are a similar age to me. I've found that I don't really know anyone who doesn't have children who eats 3 meals a day. I personally just eat when I'm hungry (though I'm 8 months pregnant with my first so that's more frequent nowadays). What does everyone else do?

Used to be three but have recently changed my eating patterns and only eat when hungry now which means I now eat two meals a day plus some fruit and nuts as a snack. I could probably eat smaller portions as well but am going for baby steps, so will address that in a month or so.

I have loads more energy and sleep better since making the change.

Three plus one or two snacks. In an ideal world I have a big breakfast, late lunch and small evening meal.

I get closest to this on holiday (usually Spain) where I really take advantage of the hotel buffet (2 to 3 medium sized plates of eg - cold meat/omelette/tomatoes, pastries and bread and cheese, plus coffee and cava).

We then usually have a large lunch out eg Menu del dia - 2 courses, at about 2-3 pm. Despite the big breakfast, I'm very hungry by then and will snack if we don't eat before 3 ish.

We then go for tapas in the evening and I will only pick at bits as I'm not that hungry, wheras DP will eat more. If we go for an evening meal I will usually just get a starter or a light main course, as I know I won't be able to eat a whole meal.

I just can't do the 'eat little for breakfast and lunch and then a proper dinner' as I will spend all day starving and miserable.

3 meals a day without fail.

KristinaM - I have been to my GP and consultant about it. They say take Gaviscon as I cant take Ranitidine and Omeprazole.

I have many chronic health issues so its a question of which ones I talk to my GP about. If they are reasonably under control I tend not to bother until something quite serious happens.

2, because breakfast sucks.

Three and an afternoon snack usually, although occasionally I have brunch instead of breakfast and lunch.

Usually 3, but if I'm working 2 and snacks at work then will skip tea. Always eat breakfast

One evening meal a day, and occasional fruit or piece of toast or yogurt, but mostly just coffee breakfast and lunch.

Normally 3 sometimes I miss breakfast but I eat snacks/fruit etc through out the and normally end up sharing food with DS

three meals

Usually 3 meals unless I've had a very big lunch then woule just have a light snack in the evening

Wow, this is a revelation.

Like others, I assumed that everyone ate 3 meals a day.

For me breakfast is the most important meal of the day - I couldn't go without it. That's not to say that I have a lot, but what I do have I need.
I then usually have a light lunch and main meal in the evening but personally I would probably prefer to have a big meal at lunch time as we do on Sunday then very little in the evening.

3 meals a day, and usually 2 or 3 snacks as well.
I don't eat big meals as I feel full up quite quickly. I wouldn't be able to eat enough calories if I only ate one or two meals a day.

2 or 3, Almost never snacks. It's mostly healthy. I just don't have a big appetite. Never have.

More beta -I just wanted to check that you were getting medical advice

I suspect there are a few posters on this thread with food issues

Not eating for two days because you are not hungry is not healthy. Neither is surviving on coffe, biscuits and cigarettes or a sandwich and snacks. Unless the " snacks " are fruit and vegetables and proteins like nuts, beans, fish , chicken etc. but I suspect they are in fact crisps, biscuits and cakes.

If this is you, please get yourself some advice and support to eat more heathily. There are lots of very supportive threads here on MN, for a start.

I miss breakfast and all of us, children included, only have one big 'main' meal a day.

YY Kristina. Reading this thread, I keep wondering, 'aren't these people starving all the time? But it seems like people are trying to avoid eating, whenever possible.

A relative of mine has not eaten a cooked meal in about 10 years. She claims to 'just not like food' but I don't think its an eating disorder in that she is scared of getting fat - in reality I don't know why and I think that maybe she doesn't either - it just seems so alien to me - I love food and I love eating .

She exists on sugared tea, biscuits, sandwiches of a few limited varieties and chocolate. She is thin, but sooo unhealthy and each time she has been pregnant, she has ended up in hospital with severe anaemia and other complications .

3 or 4 if I know I'm not going to be eating until late in the evening.

I too think some of the posters on here are really not eating in a very healthy way.

KristinaM - yes I was thinking that too when reading the posts. Lots of potential food issues for people on here.

Thanks for your advice, it was well taken. My DW tells me to go to the doctor about once a week too and you are right of course. I really should go but its so 'hand wavey' and vague my condition with so many symptoms.

I'm a bloke. I should be either a) fighting fit or b) slumped in A&E with some bit of me obviously missing.

I cant be doing with 'feeling a iffy most of the time but not really bad'. I want a proper illness. On you can really get your teeth into.

I can't help wondering what the long term consequences are of such poor quality eating?

We are told we need vitamins and minerals and healthy proteins etc, which a diet of toast, biscuits and crisps must be lacking in, but people who eat like this appear to function more or less normally, except that they are probably a bit pale and tired most of the time, but they are alive? How will it effect their health eventually, compared to people who eat better?

I've always eaten three meals a day. And usually some sort of mid-afternoon snack - could be nuts, or a bit of yogurt or suchlike, but otherwise I crumble by around 5pm, which makes it hard to keep going to 7pm which is when I eat dinner.

I find all this pressure on women to cut meals and say "oh, I'm not really hungry" or "I'm not really a breakfaster" or "I've never been a pudding sort of person"* quite stressful, really. I cannot function without breakfast. Or lunch. Or dinner.

There was a thread once asking if everyone ate five (a mere five!) portions of fruit and veg a day and someone went on about how she couldn't possibly eat all that much.

*I don't eat masses of puddings, or anything. But I like pudding.

MoreBeta, there is always an exciting chance your doctor might diagnose you with something really Blokey.

The meals aren't the issue, it's the snacks!