Tame Your Mealskipping Ways

When you miss a meal, you deprive your body of key nutrients. Here are dietitian-approved ways to get your three square meals a day.

- Karen Robock

SO, YOU FORGOT TO EAT LUNCH AGAIN because you got slammed at work or you missed dinner because you were rushing to your favourite yoga class. Skipping a few meals is no biggie, right? Wrong, says Brianna Meghawache, a registered dietitian with Whole Foods Nutrition Coaching in Edmonton.

For starters, missing meals means that you’re probably missing out on key vitamins, minerals, and fiber. That’s especially true if you’re just loading up on snacks in between because they don’t tend to be as nutritionally complete, especially if you’re reaching for high-sugar and high-carb grab-and-go options. What’s more, when you skip meals frequently, your metabolic rate slows down, which means that you’re burning fewer calories at rest, setting you up for weight gain. Avoiding breakfast, lunch or dinner on a regular basis can also lead to increased feelings of anxiety and stress (hello, hangry emotions!) because your blood sugar is in constant flux. You may also be more likely to overeat when you do nosh because you’re so famished.

Maybe you’re skipping one of your three square meals intentionally, looking for some of the much-touted health benefits of intermittent fasting (an eating cycle that includes periods of fasting for between 12 and 36 hours), such as lower cholesterol levels, better blood sugar control and boosted brain health? This style of eating does have proven pluses. A systemic review published in Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology in 2015 looked at 40 different studies and concluded that intermittent fasting can be an effective way to lose weight. But it has to be done right. It’s worth talking to a dietitian with experience in intermittent fasting before you begin so that they can run through your individual health status and any potential problems you might encounter with this regimen.