For most of us, stepping on the scale makes it quite clear that we need to make eating behavior changes—starting with our meal frequency. Today, let’s break down the science behind why it is okay, even good, to eat only two meals per day.
Don’t be a Normal Eater
If you’re like most Americans, your daily eating events may look something like this:
Sip on an iced vanilla latte on the drive to work, then scarf down a spinach feta wrap at the desk. Two hours later munch on some apple slices, two hours after that, a chicken caesar salad with a bread roll in the breakroom, Following that, chug a can of ginger ale during a meeting. To tide you over until dinner, snacks on a few pretzels with hummus at the desk. Get home for dinner and savor some teriyaki salmon with rice and roasted veggies, and finally a brownie (and maybe a glass of wine to top it off before bed).
Yep, just like that, you’ve had eight or nine eating occasions (meals, snacks, and caloric beverages) throughout the day. What happened to “three square meals a day“? Further, why did we stop eating just two meals a day like we did before the Industrial Revolution?
People who are trying to lose weight are more successful when they eat just two meals a day (breakfast and lunch) than six meals a day1.
It’s not that the person who eats six or more times a day is sitting down to gigantic, “unhealthy” meals. No, this can be the person I described earlier, who eats reasonably, but makes the mistake of eating and drinking their calories at throughout the day.
An example of Two Meals a Day
Meanwhile, the person who eats only two times a day looks more like this:
Chug several black coffees and water at the desk until noon. Finally sit in the breakroom and devour a chicken salad sandwich plus a bag of chips, a veggie soup, some green tea, and a fruit cup. Then a few hours later arrive home for dinner and relish two helpings of bbq salmon and steak with a baked potato and roasted green beans, a glass of wine, and a slice of cheesecake for dessert.
There is evidence that the more you snack, the more you weigh2. Although the two people I’ve described eat very similar amounts of calories, the first person (many small meals) may be more likely to be overweight than the second person (two large meals). It is the spread of the eating occasions in the day that makes much of the difference.
The Science Behind Why Eating Two Meals a Day helps with Weight Maintenance
When we eat, our bodies release insulin—the hormone that tells our cells to absorb glucose from the food we eat. Important for our weight, insulin also tells our adipocytes (fat cells) to store fat. When you eat more frequently, you get more frequent bursts of insulin. When you eat less frequently, you get less frequent bursts of insulin. So, think about it: would you rather tell your fat cells to store fat six times a day, or tell your fat cells to store fat two, maybe three, times a day?
Importantly, the level of insulin release is related to the size of the meals. (Typically speaking, the larger the meal, the larger the release of insulin3). BUT, the good thing is that you can avoid the surge of insulin by eating foods that have lower glycemic indeces during these large meals. By focusing on fats and proteins, with some fiber, during your two meals, you avoid the rush of insulin that typically occurs when you eat refined carbohydrates and ultra-processed foods commonly eaten when we snack4.
When it comes to the two meals to eat, research suggests that people who eat breakfast and lunch 5–6 hours apart and have an 18-19 hour overnight fast are the least likely to gain weight within a year5.
In our food-rich and time-pressed society, small meals, snacking, and drinking calories is a way of life for many folks
But, I implore you to give two meals a day a try. Start with eating only breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Make these meals HEFTY if you must—don’t be afraid to treat them as small feasts full of healthy fats, protein and fiber. Soon, you’ll no longer feel the need to snack in between meals because you’ll be so satisfied from the big meals.
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7490164/ ↩︎
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38226404/ ↩︎
- https://www.nutrisense.io/blog/meal-frequency-and-insulin-sensitivity#:~:text=When%20you%20eat%20smaller%20meals,cons%20of%20this%20eating%20pattern. ↩︎
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4863261/ ↩︎
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5572489/ ↩︎