If you are the parent of a young child, you need to understand the importance of maintaining a healthy diet not only for your child but also for you. Towards this end, one step that you will want to consider taking is the eating of smaller meals and the eating of smaller portions when you do eat.

Nutritionists have long held that it is better to eat smaller meals more often than it is to eat 2-3 large meals every day. However, most people have ignored this advice because it is often easier to eat fewer times a day and they are used to breakfast, lunch and dinner. In today’s world, many people are so busy throughout the day that they feel they don’t have time to eat 5-6 times per day, as experts often recommend. This is understandable, especially since there are certain social aspects built around the three main meals, especially lunch and dinner. Restaurants and other eating establishments also design their menus around three square meals.

But if you care about your health, there are many reasons to consider switching to eating small. Most people who eat fewer times a day tend to really stuff themselves at mealtime. This is due in part because they know that it will be awhile before their next meal, and also because they are used to the humongous servings that most eateries now offer. People get so used to eating large meals that they feel unfulfilled if they shrink their portions. If they knew that they would be able to have another snack before their next meal, though, it might change their approach to eating.

Some nutritionists believe that eating smaller meals more often can lower your cholesterol¹. A study published in the British Medical Journal determined² that people who eat six small meals a day lowered their cholesterol by 5% compared to those who ate 2-3 big meals every day. Of course, most of these people were probably not eating fast food six times a day. No matter how often and how much you eat, healthy choices must still be made in regards to the type of food you eat. But it does appear that eating more frequently can help lower cholesterol.

Another health advantage to eating small is that it is easier on your digestive system. When you eat large meals, your stomach and intestines³ are forced to process more material at once, which can lead to indigestion, upset stomach, heartburn and occasionally ulcers⁴. More food goes to waste when a lot of food is eaten at once, since the body can’t digest and use it all at once. Eating smaller is easier on the digestive system because your body is able to slowly process the food and properly distribute the nutrients⁵. Eating smaller also makes it easier to be active between meals, since it doesn’t take your stomach so long to rid itself of all the food.

如果你的孩子还小,你一定得知道保持饮食健康对你的孩子和你自身都十分重要.为此,可供你考虑的一种方法就是实行少食多餐制.

营养学家早就提出与其每天吃2-3顿正餐,不如增加餐次同时减少每餐的食物摄入量.然而大多数人都对此不屑，因为少量的餐次对大多数人来说比较可行,而且人们也习惯了早餐,午餐,晚餐这种形式.如今,许多人太繁忙以至于他们认为没有时间像专家所推荐的那样,一天中吃5-6顿饭.这是可以理解的,因为现在的人们在三顿正餐间都需要进行一定的社会活动,尤其在午餐和晚餐之间.饭店和其他享用饮食的地方所提供的菜单也都是针对这三顿正餐而制订的.

但是如果你关心自己的健康,那就有太多理由让你少食多餐啦.大多数每天就吃几顿饭的人会每顿都吃得饱饱的.一部分原因是他们知道在下顿饭之前还有一段时间,另外,他们也已经习惯了如今这种食物的大供应量.一旦人们习惯了每餐都吃得很多,那么一旦要让他们减少食物量,他们就会觉得没吃饱.但如果让他们知道在下一顿饭之前还有一顿点心,那么也许他们会改变一下现在进食的方式了.

一些营养学家认为每顿吃少点可以降低你的胆固醇.刊登于英国医学杂志上的一篇研究显示,与那些每天吃2-3顿大餐的人相比,每天吃6顿饭,但每顿量都很少的人们体内的胆固醇含量低了5%.当然,这些人可不能一天6顿都吃快餐.无论你吃几顿,每次吃多少,选择健康的食物也是很重要的.但少食多餐确实被证明可以降低你的胆固醇含量.

每顿吃少点同样也对你的消化系统有好处.当你吃得多时,你的胃和内脏同时被迫接受太多的东西,就会出现消化不良,胃痛, 胃灼热等状况,偶尔还会出现胃溃疡. 由于你的身体无法一下子消化你吃的所有食物,如果你一次进食很多,许多食物其实是被浪费的.如果吃得少一点就能减轻消化系统的负担,因为你的身体可以慢慢消化食物并且合理分配营养成分. 吃得少点也可以使你的胃在两餐之间变得更活跃点,因为你的胃不必再用很多时间去消化所有的食物了.