When Should I Eat? [Answer]

Most diets have specific rules about when you should eat and what you should eat. I have clients who agonize and obsess over not eating after 6pm, others who are fiercely devoted to skipping breakfast, and many who work right through lunch every day.

Whether you eat three squares a day or many mini meals, there’s one rule that will help you a lot:

1. Eat breakfast like a king.
2. Lunch like a prince.
3. Dinner like a pauper.

You’ve probably heard this before, and maybe even played with it, and then perhaps reverted to old patterns. It’s very effective to eat this way because when you fuel yourself fully in the morning, you stabilize your blood sugar and set yourself up for sharp focus, energy and healthy choices for the rest of the day.

If you start your day with just coffee or maybe a carb-based item like a muffin or croissant, you’ll feel an instant jolt of energy that will last between one and three hours, then a crash and a major craving for fat and salt. By starting your day this way, you dehydrate yourself, when what you really need is replenishing hydration after you sleep.

By starting your day with a large breakfast made up of protein, complex carbohydrates and healthy fats, it’s actually quite difficult to make bad choices the rest of the day.

Make sure to include plenty of water, a green juice, and perhaps some tea or coffee afterwards, if you’re still needing it. It’s really about crowding out here and adding more water and juice, then reevaluating your coffee needs and listening to your body. It’s not about deprivation.

When you give your body what it needs first thing, it will naturally crave the foods that are right for you.

At lunch, you want to again focus on that golden ratio of protein-complex carbohydrate-fat. This is a perfect time to refill your tank to avoid that 3pm energy slump and subsequent sugar and caffeine craving that almost everyone experiences. If lunch is too big, it will leave you exhausted and falling asleep under your desk.

Focus on clean protein, vegetable-based complex carbs and a healthy fat like avocado and/or olive oil for the highest level of energy.

You should get most of your calories from breakfast and lunch, and naturally crave something lighter for dinner. Think salad, some cooked vegetables, and/or a soup. You may want to include a small piece of protein at dinner as well, but experiment with going lighter on carbohydrates.

Sometimes I can even reach for a hydrating smoothie for dinner, when breakfast and lunch have been dense enough. It’s not a diet tactic, it’s just the body’s natural reaction to optimal fueling.

Your body doesn’t require a large meal before bed, since it doesn’t need to exert the same type of energy as you sleep as when you are awake and active.

Don’t get me wrong, the body does a lot of deep and crucial healing and repairing while you sleep, but it doesn’t need a high volume of food to run its nighttime course.

In fact, too much food right before bed can hinder sleep, causing nightmares, night sweats, and restlessness. For deep sleep, maximize your daytime fuel and give your body something light for dinner. Pay attention to your cravings – the body is perfect, and when nourished properly, will tell you what it needs. Listen.

Here is an example of a great day of food:

Breakfast: poached eggs over quinoa with avocado, micro greens, olive oil, sea salt and black pepper; green juice; water

Dinner: Simple Kale Superfood Soup with a side of roasted sweet potatoes; glass of wine

If your goal is weight loss, this upside down meal pyramid is key. When you consume the majority of your food during the day, your body has a lot of time to utilize those calories to give you energy and focus, rather than storing them as fat.

Once you go to sleep, your body doesn’t burn calories as efficiently as during the day. If you follow just this one tactic, you will see results very quickly.

This week, I have an awesome breakfast recipe for you – one of my favorite frittatas ever. I love the combination of mushrooms, asparagus and shallots, but feel free to use any vegetables you have in the refrigerator, and pair it with some roasted sweet potatoes, whole grain or grain-free toast, quinoa, or any other great complex carbohydrate that works for you.

What’s your usual eating pattern? Do you tend to skip meals or keep them sparse during the day then eat your biggest meal at night? What are your goals in this area? How do you want to feel each day, physically and mentally?

Share in the comments below – I would love to connect with you.

Spring Frittata
Serves 4

Ingredients
5 farm eggs
1 shallot
1 cup mushrooms of choice
7 stalks asparagus
2 T fresh rosemary leaves
2 T fresh thyme leaves
Olive oil
Sea salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste

Method
Slice your shallot into thin slivers, clean and slice mushrooms, wash asparagus, break fibrous ends off, and chop into ½ inch pieces.

Coat medium nonstick skillet with olive oil and bring to medium heat. Add shallot to pan and sauté for 5 minutes or so, until translucent. Take rosemary and thyme off stems and stir in. Add sea salt and black pepper at this time.

Add mushrooms and asparagus, along with a few splashes of water or stock, to steam them gently. Taste and add more sea salt and black pepper if desired. Allow liquid to evaporate and caramelization to occur.

Break eggs into bowl, sprinkle in salt and pepper, and beat vigorously for a minute or so. Pour eggs over vegetables evenly, and allow to set for 5 minutes. Turn down heat and cover pan with lid until frittata is cooked through and fluffy. Use spatula to remove frittata from skillet and transfer to a large cutting board. Cut the frittata into four pieces and serve. I love to garnish mine with sprouts or micro greens.

Enjoy!

Photo: Prospect Photography