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 cholesterol. A study published in the British Medical Journal determined 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 intestines are forced to process more material at once, which can lead to indigestion, upset stomach, heartburn and occasionally ulcers. 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 nutrients. 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.

    如果你的孩子還小,你一定得知道保持飲食健康對你的孩子和你自身都十分重要.為此,可供你考慮的一種方法就是實行少食多餐制.

    營養(yǎng)學(xué)家早就提出與其每天吃2-3頓正餐,不如增加餐次同時減少每餐的食物攝入量.然而大多數(shù)人都對此不屑，因為少量的餐次對大多數(shù)人來說比較可行,而且人們也習(xí)慣了早餐,午餐,晚餐這種形式.如今,許多人太繁忙以至于他們認(rèn)為沒有時間像專家所推薦的那樣,一天中吃5-6頓飯.這是可以理解的,因為現(xiàn)在的人們在三頓正餐間都需要進(jìn)行一定的社會活動,尤其在午餐和晚餐之間.飯店和其他享用飲食的地方所提供的菜單也都是針對這三頓正餐而制訂的.

    但是如果你關(guān)心自己的健康,那就有太多理由讓你少食多餐啦.大多數(shù)每天就吃幾頓飯的人會每頓都吃得飽飽的.一部分原因是他們知道在下頓飯之前還有一段時間,另外,他們也已經(jīng)習(xí)慣了如今這種食物的大供應(yīng)量.一旦人們習(xí)慣了每餐都吃得很多,那么一旦要讓他們減少食物量,他們就會覺得沒吃飽.但如果讓他們知道在下一頓飯之前還有一頓點心,那么也許他們會改變一下現(xiàn)在進(jìn)食的方式了.

    一些營養(yǎng)學(xué)家認(rèn)為每頓吃少點可以降低你的膽固醇.刊登于英國醫(yī)學(xué)雜志上的一篇研究顯示,與那些每天吃2-3頓大餐的人相比,每天吃6頓飯,但每頓量都很少的人們體內(nèi)的膽固醇含量低了5%.當(dāng)然,這些人可不能一天6頓都吃快餐.無論你吃幾頓,每次吃多少,選擇健康的食物也是很重要的.但少食多餐確實被證明可以降低你的膽固醇含量.

    每頓吃少點同樣也對你的消化系統(tǒng)有好處.當(dāng)你吃得多時,你的胃和內(nèi)臟同時被迫接受太多的東西,就會出現(xiàn)消化不良,胃痛, 胃灼熱等狀況,偶爾還會出現(xiàn)胃潰瘍. 由于你的身體無法一下子消化你吃的所有食物,如果你一次進(jìn)食很多,許多食物其實是被浪費的.如果吃得少一點就能減輕消化系統(tǒng)的負(fù)擔(dān),因為你的身體可以慢慢消化食物并且合理分配營養(yǎng)成分. 吃得少點也可以使你的胃在兩餐之間變得更活躍點,因為你的胃不必再用很多時間去消化所有的食物了.