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When do you eat your big meal?
Posted by Anok • 3/03/09 • Subscribe to this Discussion [RSS] • Report This Topic
Topics: dinner, food, health
At what time of day do you eat your biggest (or most calories) meal of the day? I've just started changing our family habits from eating a heavy dinner at night - to a heavy lunch, and light dinner instead.
Some of the pro's I noticed immediately -
*It's easier to prepare and clean up (because it's the middle of the day not the end of the day when I'm tired and stressed).
*It's easier to digest - leaving me feeling full, not over full.
*I have more energy during the day instead of feeling sleepy around 2PM - I'm wide awake.
*Punky does better eating a big meal at lunch, and a light supper when it's cranky-sleepy-I-don't-wanna-eat time.
Some of the con's include -
*A restrictive schedule,
*We don't get a huge sit down supper with daddy except for on his days off. But we do still sit down for dinner - it's just a light, quick meal.
*The light dinner doesn't fill up my husband. (freaking high metabolisms!)
What about you?
User Comments
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well, I only usually eat dinner--so that would be my biggest meal
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I did that for a long time. It wreaked havoc on my waistline and eating habits
Do you snack throughout the day? -
No. Usually just have some coffee. Though, the past few days I have been having a breakfast bar before taking my supplements (B vitamins do a number on an empty stomach)
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Yes - eating something helps absorption and prevents stomach problems - you should always eat something, and drink plenty of water when taking anything (vitamins, aspirin, medications etc).
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I usually eat my big meal at night. I have time to sit down and relax this.-
Yeah - I think that's why most people eat their big meal at night - work and schedules interfere with any kind of heavy meal at lunch.
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wrong place
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*snickers*
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the darn reply button is the bane of my existence. ARGH,
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Dinner is my biggest meal of the day. I'm not usually very hungry in the a.m. and usually only have a yogurt and a cup of coffee (but first, I drink a huge glass of water, first thing upon waking).
I normally eat a smallish lunch also, such as a salad, a sandwich, or perhaps some soup.
My husband is a fabulous cook and really enjoys coming home from work and cooking dinner (he is the CEO of a company and I think cooking relaxes him). So, we usually have a very nice dinner at night. If I ate a bigger lunch and breakfast, I'd probably be pretty chunky because his dinner's are really good!-
Yes - this would present a huge problem for me if tat were the case.
It's not however, and I am the chef! Muwahahaha -
I like to cook too but I think it relaxes him so much--you can see him visibly relaxing. And it's pretty nice for me to be treated like a queen.
And did I mention that he gives me a backrub every single night?
God, I love my husband so much! -
You're making me jealous *scowls at Melinda*.
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But it's me--Punky!
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Yeah...but! But! Massages every night?!
*mumble*grumble*groan*grrr*pissandmoan*
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Caffeine kills my appetite, so I usually don't get hungry until three o'clock. Then I stay up too late and make a midnight snack. Oy, it's so unhealthy.
I gotta get better habits.-
Yes - yes you do! Pfft damn buildings always staying up all night hopped up on caffeine!
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I think that's what happens to me too. Caffeine makes me not so hungry for b-fast and lunch.
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Caffeine has stopped affecting me, honestly.
Which is sad in and of itself
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yea the thing is like I work mostly during the day. During work you really dont have time to enjoy you food you eat it quick. So at dinner I can cook something real nice while relaxing.
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I'll bet a nickle that our current work schedules are the reason the big meal of the day moved from lunch time to dinner time.
In some areas/countries they close everything down in the middle of the day for an hour or two - and eat, relax, take a nap and return to work refreshed.
I think that's the way to go about it!
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Dinner I suppose.. cos' I'm stuck up in my classes every day (except sunday)-
Yeah - I used to try and sneak food in or inbetween classes. Not fun!
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Well.. I am a college student, so we are a nocturnal species.. I sleep at around 2:30-3:00 A.M usually(it is 3:30 AM in India right now).. so by Big Meal has to be my dinner at night.. and then I have two more meals at night.. it is usually light snack eaten over a long time hanging out at the canteen.
By the way, a dinner is defined as the biggest meal of the day.. so if tour biggest meal is at lunch time, technically, your biggest meal is your lunch is your dinner-
Wow, you stay up late!
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I have an entire day of classes I can sleep through
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*wags finger* tsk-tsk school is for learning, not sleeping!
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I never eat any big meals; i eat on average every two hours.
My main meals are all about the same in calories
The only rule I use it to only eat protein after 7pm-
How do you manage eating every two hours? ( I mean time wise - while you're at work?)
How many calories do you consume per day (Just curious)?
How big is your grocery bill every week?
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I will usually have a light breakfast of tea and 11 or 12 smallish ants and then the same around lunchtime before having my main meal of mashed potatoes, cabbage, 64 million ants and gravy around sixish.-
64 million ants?! I thought you were an aardvark, not an exterminator!
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They are quite moreish.
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later in the day, 5 or 6 pm....i wish i could eat my big meal earlier, but i'm on the run usually.......-
I believe that's the case for most people. We're lucky as we're stay at home parents. (Well, I am, anyway).
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Since we are not all home for lunch, we eat our big meal at dinner. Although, for the reasons you mentioned, I would like to eat the bigger meal at lunch.
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I wonder if calories wise you could still eat the "big" meal at lunch?
Simply prepare the food ahead of time (once a week is usually enough to meal plan for the rest of the week) and then grab n' go. If you're still full-ish from lunch, you'll only require a light supper, so it would have the same effect.
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dinner-
Early dinner? Late dinner?
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Our big meal is dinner. Sometimes we'll have a big, late lunch and then healthy snack for dinner but that's rare.-
That's what I've been doing as a habit lately. I like it!
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Our big meal is an evening dinner also. That's the only time everyone is home to share a meal together!-
I'm wondering - and trying to implement - some other family time together that either doesn't include food (everyday) or gathering over a light meal instead of a big one.
it sure makes "dinner time" better for us (plus we have a little one, so that makes a difference).
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Usaully it's breakfast. Though dinner comes in pretty big at times...especially when I make those quesoberzas with all the veggies and sour cream! Oink!
Those are my only 2 meals, usually.-
I just can't do breakfast! It makes me all tired for the rest of the day.
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Wow - so am I the only one who does a big lunch and small dinner anymore?
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I do big lunch small dinner when I make those quesoberzas in the middle of the day. Want some?
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I've noticed it's really hard to have a big lunch because of many people's schedules. When I had a job, I only got 30 min. for lunch. It's better to have a big meal at lunch though.
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Yes! I would love some Lynnea! Yum!
maxwell - I agree - I know it's tough on schedules. I still have a nasty habit of inhaling my food and rinks from my old work schedules - which consisted of "you get to eat if you have a spare minute - but no breaks".
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I much prefer bigger lunch, smaller dinner, especially with college two nights a week.-
Yes, night classes when you're hungry are a bitch!
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Yeah its not good to be thinking 'shut the fook up, I am hungry damn it!' when someone if baring their soul
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My big meal is at night, sometimes right before bed. Wish my office had a fridge so I could change this around. :\-
Start a petition to get one!
or buy one of those little plug in ones for dorms (they're good for like a 6 pack of soda or a sandwich).
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I don't really plan my meals...I eat when I'm hungry...
Sometimes I eat lunch at 3pm and don't have dinner at all...sometimes I eat a big dinner at 10pm...I'm just crazy that way!-
LOL! With a little one that's not the best plan - but that is how i used to eat - only when hunger calls.
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I'm determined to live like a student for the rest of the year!
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LOL!
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I eat a bigger lunch now since I became unemployed. Breakfast is a more common occurrence as well. Coffee has disappeared from my diet. Dinner tends to be more slapped together. Usually a cup of noodles or a small sandwich. I just think eating a large dinner is something that happened within the last century.
I think our bodies naturally feel more comfortable with a bigger lunch than dinner.-
I agree. Hooray! Someone else who thinks it was supposed to be that way!
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I ate my big meal like five minutes ago, and man am I stuffed.
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I can tell - you have eaves bloat!
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Does my back porch look fat? Should I cover it with a floppy sweatshirt?
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No no - new coat of paint and you ought to be just fine.
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Breakfast like a king
Lunch like a prince and
supper like a pauper.
I wish I could stick to that.
Randy -
I don't eat any large meals a day, I eat small meals all day. I don't have a family to feed either, but we never really ate large meals when I was growing up either - though we ate well. Unless we were visiting my one grandmother who tended to do the traditional one heavy meal a day thing. -
Big lunch because I don't usually have breakfast and I have dinner late. -
I see the cultural problem many of us have been forced into. One meal a day, late meals are all symptoms of unhealthy life styles. One meal a day promotes malnutrition. Late meals promote obesity. How do we correct this? It is a battle that we must win if we want good health. Smaller meals through out the day may be a solution for some. Eating less than 3 hours before bed is a NO NO. The sugars in your food(starches) go straight to fat.
I know we all error once in a while, which can be remedied by a good exercise program, but make sure you do not make it a habit. Well, you have heard my one sermon for the day. Good health to you all. -
diner time -
Very wise move on your part, making lunch the larger meal. You'll all be healthier for it. You do need to try to get some breakfast in, though, to start your engine. It may not be the food itself that makes your tired, but what you eat. Cereals and fats tend to make me more sleepy - I find yogurt and fresh fruit wakes me up.
Personally, I try to eat 3 meals of roughly 300 kcal each per day, and then a couple of light snacks (fruit, carrots, a small portion of nuts, some of that delicious Kashi cereal, etc) 100-150 kcal each. I'm a bit of a grazer so the 5 planned small meals thing works for me. -
I never stop eating. -
I'd have to say breakfast. I start with a bowl of granola cereal topped with a sliced banana and yogurt. About a half-hour later or so I'll have a hard boiled egg, a piece of dry toast and a glass of fresh squeezed citrus punch from my grove.
Lunch is usually salad greens topped with tuna or chicken and maybe some fresh carrot and celery sticks with Ranch dressing.
Dinner, if I eat, is often a big bowl of popcorn sprinkled with Old Bay seasoning. -
I eat late at night.. I have the pleasure of starting work in the afternoon.. So I take a light meal to quench dinner time hunger (and save money...). Then I go home and eat a prepared meal.. Also helps me to sleep -
Breakfast: Most of the time, Rice and on some days, Wheat Bread and Milk. I take Multivitamins after I eat!
Lunch: Rice, juice or water.
Dinner: Still rice LOL.
In between meals: Anything I can get my hands on! I eat 5-6 times a day but I don't understand why I don't get fat! -
Lunch: Rice with malunggay and squash soup grated with coconut. -
Dinner--everyone's home. We usually figure out what to cook each night based on input. THen again, if my wife makes a pot of soup, we kick that along for a good week--just change the bread. Right now we're going on our fourth day of minestrone. I picked up some grated parmesan yesterday to sprinkle on top--you know to change it up a bit, especially for our son who groans when he walks into the kitchen wondering what's for dinner then remembers it's soup for dinner again. -
I love a big dinner and my family does too. Other countries like Colombia have a siesta and everything closes for 2 hours. The eat a big lunch, take a nap, then go back to work. Dinner is something small. I think it's a great way to live, but when I go, I eat the big lunch and I still want the big dinner! -
Heavy lunch
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