When to eat what??

I overheard some folks talking about how important it is to eat foods at a certain time of day....or not at a different time of day.  Does anyone know about this?  (the order in which we eat food and timing etc) 

People are different and have different opinions as to what a healthy diet is or should be. Some people eat by a schedule, some people just eat when they're hungry. A person should eat every 3-5 hours. I don't believe in scheduled eating. I believe you should eat when you're hungry, so long as you stop when you're comfortable, not full. Of course, breakfast IS the most important meal of the day, so you definitely want to refuel in the morning as soon as you can, but there really is no order or time in which we should eat, in my opinion. Of course, everybody's different.

As long as you get a varied diet of mostly wholesome foods and it's reasonably well-spaced throughout the day then it really doesn't matter what you chose to eat or when.   There are all kinds of theories (and some very thick books!) about not eating after certain times, having 6 meals a day or combining certain foods at the same meal but, really and truly, that's simply overcomplicating something that should come quite naturally.... which is to eat.

I happen to think that the traditional three meals a day and the occasional snack works because it fits most modern schedules.  Choose good foods that you enjoy and eat them in moderate amounts.  It shouldn't be more complicated than that

I think it depends on your body and what it wants.  Dont wait till you're starving to eat, that way you'll eat more.  Eat when you're starting to get hungry and not big portions.  Healthy snaking always works. 

I personally think that if you want something sweet, better have it in the first half of the day, that way, you have the rest of the day to burn it off.  High cal foods at night are the worst. 

Of the claims and tips I've overheard throughout the years, this is what I remember (I can't be certain of how accurate or worthwhile these are)

Carbs mainly for breakfast, choose low GI vegetables. Fruits high in fructose should also be limited to breakfast as well. After a workout, go for some fast, well-absorbed carbs. Most of your carbohydrates, if not all, should be consumed before noon.

Protein try to eat protein with every meal to keep you full longer.

Fats eat fats in the afternoon and evening

 

I personally like to eat my carbs for breakfast which is also my pre-workout meal (oatmeal, peanut butter, 1 slice of wheat bread). I also try to have egg whites or a soy burger with breakfast for the protein aspect. Post-workout I have a whey protein shake. For lunch I'll have some sort of meat (usually tuna and a soy burger) plus veggies. At dinner, I have my largest portion of meat (~150 grams of pork or chicken or fish) plus more veggies. I avoid all breads/pastas in the evening.

I agree w/mztenderheart that one should eat when hungry (assuming your work schedule permits it...if not, then, gi-jane's is probably fair). Using a modified version of the Mypyramid diet planner, whenever I feel hungry, I reach for either a small or large 'meal' about every 2-4 hours from 7 a.m. to no later than 5 p.m. (any later and I am just not hungry!) but always nutritious or an occassional light sweet. Because my diet is loaded w/veggies and fruits and whole grains and water and plenty of protein I am just not hungry for extras anymore. I do write down all the foods I consume daily because I have a tendency to overindulge but do not count calories anymore. I have a ballpark approximate that I eat @ 2000-2100 cals/day. I have lost 5#+ this month and my anxiety with food is way down.

good luck!

Hello zani, I agree with eveliina that protein should be placed evenly with every meal consumed; but carbs are a whole different story. I workout in the morning doing cardio and have about 25% of them there along with some fats and protein, of course, but if you are weight training like me than the rest of your carbs need to be placed around your workout schedule. Meaning 30-35% prior to workout with weights and the remaining 55-60% directly after workout..now it is VERY VERY important that you don't include fats with these carbs after workout because it will slow down the absorption of carbs to your muscles. You also want to consume some fats at night prior to bed with some sort of slow digesting protein..ie egg, casein protein powders, cottage cheese. There are a lot of options out there for slow digesting protein powders and a lot that have both whey & casein or all three whey/casein/ egg or soy. Casein proteins offer (BCAA) Branched Chain Amino Acids to support muscle recovery and also are slow digesting helping you through the night slowly feeding your body.

Stashie-hey I just started drinking the whey protein drink.Do you feel any difference?I feel like I have some more energy but it is too early to see if it is actually helping lose weight. Do you feel it has helped you lose weight?I think it is smart that you eat your carbs in the morning so you have all day to burn it off.I think I will try that.

You all are great!  Thank you so much for your input!!