Make Any Eating Style Work for You

Traditional Three-Square

Breakfast, lunch and dinner punctuate the day with a balanced array of foods at each meal. Meals tend to serve as social time with family, friends or business associates. If the last meal of the day is late, keep the menu light. Try fruit or sorbet for dessert.

Tip: Take small helpings. Eat slowly. Share rich desserts instead of finishing them yourself.

Traditional with Snacks

Mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacks bridge the gap between lighter versions of breakfast, lunch and dinner. Try fruit, bite-sized cut raw vegetables or whole-grain crackers for snacks.

Tip: Save something from the meal menu to eat at snack time.

Mini-Meals

More frequent, but small-scale meals, from wake-up to bedtime, distribute the day's food group servings and calories more evenly over the course of the day. Research suggests that spreading the day's food intake more evenly over time carries cardiovascular benefits.

Tip: Use low-fat whole-grain items throughout the day to boost nutrition and fiber.

Nibbling and Grazing

Frequent eating of small food portions eliminates meal schedules altogether. It also may help lower cholesterol and may provide other benefits by the slow and steady intake of nutrients throughout the day.

Tip: Healthful nibbling takes planning. Prepare good foods in large quantities to avoid "junk food" alternatives.