Table of Contents
Last updated on March 8th, 2024 at 07:34 pm
Each of us goes through each day with the responsibility of making numerous food decisions. How many meals and snacks should we have each day? What qualified as a meal vs a snack?
Meals and snacks are often distinguished by:
- The time of day
- The type of food in the dish
- The level of fullness you feel after the food is completed
- How long the food takes you to eat
- The portion of the food
- How quickly the meal takes to prepare
- Cultural practices
It’s important to note that all of these measures of meal vs snack will likely vary from one person to the next.
In fact, if you asked 5 different people to distinguish between a meal and a snack you probably won’t get the same two answers.
This article will help you break down what meals and snacks typically look like in Western culture, common meal, and snack schedules, and whether certain meal structures are healthier than others.
What is The Difference Between a Meal and a Snack
Let’s start with some basics of the meal and snack structure that is common in Western culture.
Building Balanced Meals
Meals commonly consist of:
- Protein (meats, beans, lentils, tofu, nuts)
- Carbohydrates (bread, pasta, rice)
- Fruit and/or vegetable (berries, grapes, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots)
- Dessert or treat (if desired)
Building Balanced Snacks
Snacks typically consist of 1-2 of the components you would find in a “full” meal (protein, carbs, fruit/vegetables, dessert).
Examples of snacks include:
- Protein (cheese)+carbs(crackers)
- Dessert(pie)
- Protein (nuts)+Carb (cheese)
- Protein (hummus) + veggies (carrots)
- Fruit (berries)
It’s important to know not all meals and snacks will look like this and that’s totally okay! For example, some snacks might have two sources of protein or two sources of carbohydrates. While we want to aim for variety throughout the entirety of the day, one meal won’t or snack isn’t going to make or break your health.
These meal and snack examples are not food rules, they’re simply gentle nutrition guidelines.
Ultimate Balanced Snacks List
Balanced Morning Snacks
- Fruit slices and cheese
- Yogurt and granola
- Overnight oats with fruit
- Bowl of Cereal
- Fruit smoothie
- Muffins
- Granola bars
- Peanut butter toast
- Bagel with cream cheese
- Cottage cheese with fruit
- Chia seed pudding
- Hardboiled egg and toast
Balanced Afternoon Snacks
- Meats and crackers
- Popcorn (add nutritional yeast, garlic, hot sauce, balsamic vinegar for a kick)
- Trail mix
- Fruit Salad
- Frozen chocolate-covered bananas
- Chips and salsa
- Cookies and fruit
- Peanut butter and jelly sandwich
- Mini turkey, avocado, and cream cheese wraps
- soft pretzel with cheese
- Veggies and ranch
- Crackers and avocado spread
- Tuna salad and crackers
- Strawberry shortcake
- Chips and bean dip
- Cesar salad
- Pudding and fruit
- Chex mix
- Rice cakes with nut butter and pomegranate
- Cream cheese stuffed mini bell peppers
If nothing sounds good to eat, try shooting for foods that take less than or equal to the time it takes to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
At What Point Does A Snack Become A Meal
There are no hard and fast rules about when a snack becomes a meal. However, different quantities and types of foods can make you feel different both physically and emotionally.
It’s important to distinguish how different quantities of food make your bodies feel different so make food decisions that will help you feel good and keep you nourished.
Some guidelines of when you might be transforming from snack to meal are:
- Your body feels a higher level of fullness once the food is complete when a snack becomes a meal
- A snack may fit on a 4-5 inch plate while a meal might fit on a 9inch or larger plate
- You start to add 3 or more types of food to the eating experience
- The food is taking you a longer amount of time to complete
It’s important to note that if you have a tendency to eat fast , the quantity of food will be a better distinguisher of meal vs. snack than the length of time to complete the food.
Meal And Snack Schedule
Eating regularly throughout the day will help keep you energized, and improve your mood.
Some common meal and snack schedules include:
- 3 meals and 3 snacks per day
- 3 meals and 2 snacks per day
- 6-10 snacks per day
There is no right or wrong meal or snack schedule as long as you are meeting your nutrient needs for the day including any additional needs for fitness.
The number of meals and snacks will increase with physical activity, illness or during weight restoration from an eating disorder.
Finding the meal and snack schedule that works for you is an excellent non-scale victory that will improve the way you feel throughout the day.
Is It Healthier To Snack or Eat Meals
Whether it is healthier to eat meals or snacks will be unique to each person. There is no right answer to whether meals or snacks are better for overall health.
Whether you are choosing to eat meals, snacks, or a combination of both here are some tips to make sure you are meeting your nutrient needs:
- You’re eating something at least every 4-5 hours (it can be more frequent than this)
- You are meeting your total caloric needs for the day (this will vary highly depending on the person)
- You’re eating something within about an hour of waking up
- You’re getting in a variety of fats, proteins, carbohydrates, fruits, vegetables, and treats that you enjoy
- You’re not eating right before bedtime (this can disrupt your sleep)
Regardless of the meal and snack structure you choose, you should be eating frequently enough to keep your energy level from spiking and dropping throughout the day.
You should choose a meal and snack schedule based on:
- The structure of your day (is it realistic to eat frequent snacks over meals?)
- The way your body feels after you have a certain amount of food (do you get tired or sluggish after larger meals?)
- How physically active you are (people with high levels of activity require frequent snacking in addition to meals)
- Other household members (if dining with others you must also consider their routines)
Balanced
- Switch Witch: The Good, The Bad and the Ugly - October 18, 2024
- Giving Yourself Unconditional Permission to Eat - October 17, 2024
- Help, I Feel Like I Don’t Deserve To Eat - September 7, 2024