Meals?

[ProteinMonsta]

Hey all, my first post, here goes...So I hear your supposed to have 5-6 small meals a day as opposed to 2-3 big meals. Is this because your body can't take in and use all that protein at once? Also what exactly constitutes a 'small meal'? Would eating a promax bar (20g's of protein, with some carbs and fat) be a small meal? How bout just a protein shake (appromitately 25g's protein)? How bout a can of tuna (BumbleBee's is about 37g's protein)?

Hopefully, some of you you experts could shed some light on this 'small meal' theory and give me some examples of yours. Thank you

PM

 

[Shaggy]

I'm no expert, but I'm making myself a meal right now. (I also try to do the 4-5 meals a day)
oatmeal (2 packets)
can of Cambells chicken noodle soup
500ml bottle of water.


I'm no expert, but I figure this constitutes a meal.

(today I've drank 3 bottles of water, a large plate of spaghetti w/ meat sauce and cheese, and a PB and Jam sandwhich.)

 

[Fil]

It doesn't really have much to do with how much protein you can absorb at once. Your body is pretty capable of handling quite a bit of protein, and it's unlikely that you're going to be getting so much food in a meal that you can't handle it (unless, of course, you're overeating, in which case not absorbing your protein is the least of your concerns).

The main ideas behind eating throughout the day are:
1. Your food absorbs much better
2. Your body it constantly metabolizing, thus increasing your calorie usage
3. Your overall calorie intake shouldn't be much higher than if you were eating 3 bigger meals - the meals are that much smaller.
4. Your energy intake is spread throughout the day rather than at 3 large peaks, so you end up with more long-term energy.
5. It makes you a lot more conscious about what you eat!

It's a good idea to eat this way, but you do what your lifestyle permits. A protein shake or meal replacement shake is a fantastic way to meet your dietary needs when you can't get a meal in, and relative to "normal" food, meal replacements are cheap. If you buy it in bulk, especially, you're paying under $2 for a very complete meal.