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?

So nobody hovers up their DCs leftovers? I don't do this so much anymore but when mine were small I ate the equivalent of 5 full meals. It's a miracle I am not any fatter than I am.

no I find other peoples leftovers distinctly unappetising

3 meals a day plus snacks/grazing in afternoon and evening.

Always pretty healthy meals but do like my crisps and chocolate.

Never been on a diet though, couldn't do it but I am lucky as am tall and slim.

If I didn't have breakfast, I would pass out at work. In fact I need to eat regularly otherwise I feel a bit rough

I was brought up on 3 meals a day with nothing in between except maybe a piece of fruit or a biscuit if the next meal will be a bit later than us, and that's how bringing my children up. No emotional food issues. No weight issues. No food cravings or blood sugar problems. I think it's the heathy way to eat really.

Cereal or toast for breakfast (between 7.15 and 9am depending on work v weekend), sandwich/soup/something on toast for lunch (between 12-1.30). Main meal somewhere between 6.30-8pm.

I don't get hungry in between when my meals are apread out like that so don't snack on crisps and biscuits and cakes in between. If I ever miss a meal or have to wait much later than usual for it then I get ratty when my blood sugar drops and just snack on crap cos I'm starving so I really try to avoid that happening. I get irritated when dh's family book a table in a restaurant for, say, 3pm. I really don't know what that meal is - is it lunch? Because I would have eaten something at 1 because I would have been too starving to wait till 3 pm. Is it tea? Ditto - far too early if I've had lunch at 12.30. The one day of the year that I don't mind eating the main meal of the day at 3pm is Xmas Day cos we would have all been stuffing ourselves with chocolates and nice stuff all morning so can easily wait till 3!

I really think there is something in the old fashioned way of eating meals that is healthy. Fast food that's available at all hours, and fad diets have really not had a good impact on our health or weight as a society.

Later than USUAL

I had a friend who used to say Mummy pickers big knickers!

So nobody hovers up their DCs leftovers?

No, they go in the bin or in the dog.

5 small meals a day, 3 hours a part.
But I do weight training / cardio 6 days a week, so I need protein to feed my muscle growth.
Have a 18 month DD. When not training my eating is terrible!

Anywhere between 2 and 5, depending on the day! If DD has been challenging, usually closer to 5....

I usually eat three meals a day. Sometimes I skip lunch if I'm busy. I always eat a good breakfast because I do an intense hour to hour and a half workout every morning and need enough fuel to get through it.

If I'm hungry after dinner I'll have a piece of fruit to snack.

I eat breakfast between 10 and 11am, lunch of soup around 2pm and my evening meal between 7 and 8pm.

My snacks include fruit, breadsticks, nuts, yoghurt and plain biscuits.

If I need a choc fix I drink Sainsbury's Fairtrade cocoa at 36 calories for 2 heaped teaspoons as long as you do not add sugar or milk.

I have cut down on sugar and feel much better for it. No sugar in hot drinks, no sweets.

I don't tend to eat the dcs leftovers. Ds would never leave leftovers, and by the time dd is finished her leftovers are cold mush and not at all appealing!

I'm overweight so I know my portions are too big as I don't tend to snack much. But I still prefer to eat 3 meals a day.

3 a day plus sometimes a snack if I'm working late and a plain cup of coffee mid-morning.

I find eating like this encourages me to stick to a healthier (more boring) diet. I don't know what other people are like but if I'm walking round the house snacking I hardly ever feel like snacking on a piece of sprout or half a boiled potato. I end up eating less healthy food because of its instant snack qualities. If I want to eat what I think I should be eating (vegetables, root vegetables, good quality meat properly prepared), then I need the encouragement of a proper sitdown.