Frequent meals vs. 3 meals a day

A lot of us grew up in homes where three meals a day was the norm. In more recent years, however, a shift towards smaller, frequent meals has been the focus of many nutrition experts. That’s because the “three-meal-a-day” rule is not necessarily the healthier choice. Here are some of the advantages of eating smaller but more frequent meals throughout the day:

• Satisfies the appetite, avoiding the feeling of hunger.
• Stabilizes blood sugar levels.
• Provides the body a steady flow of nutrients throughout the day.
• Makes for a more efficient metabolism (versus a slower metabolism), allowing the body to use carbohydrates, protein and fat as fuel.
• Help us avoid skipping meals. Skipping meals is not a good idea as it can lead to sluggishness, hunger headaches, lack of nutrients, a slower metabolism, burning less energy (calories) and eating too much on the next meal.

Tips for creating the frequent meal habit:

1. Do meal prep ahead of time; once a week for bigger meals such as vegetable soup or plant-based casseroles.
2. Keep ready-to-eat items at home such as nuts, seeds, favorite fruits, raw veggies (celery sticks, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, bell peppers or any other plant-based food you enjoy).
3. Make a breakfast smoothie the night before.

“Smaller meals” doesn’t mean snacks-only all day. It just means we eat smaller portions and some healthy snacks (see tip #2 above) throughout the day to keep us satiated and well-nourished.

As we approach the end of June, National Vegetable Month, let us remember that sometimes getting all the nutrition necessary for general well-being can be challenging due to soil depletion or pesticide use in produce. StemFoods Holistics provides five supplement formulas that contain all-natural, superfood extracts. Along with a healthy vegan/plant-based lifestyle, our supplements give the body the nutrition it needs to support self-healing.