It is very difficult to measure the exact calories that an individual consumes during each meal. Knowing about your calorie intake becomes even more important if you are aiming to lose weight & feel energetic throughout the day.

Some Nutritionists suggests eating 3 times a day while few of them advises taking 5 meals in a day.

How many times you eat depends largely upon your daily physical work out. If you are leading a sedentary lifestyle which results into less calorie burning throughout the day then you may opt to eat 3 times in a day as on the other hand if you work out heavily or leading a very active lifestyle you may opt to eat 5 times in a day.

Apart from knowing how much you should eat in a day, it is also equally important to know the calorie in each meal.

“The total calorie intake for an average man and woman in a day is 2100 calories and 1900 calories respectively. This has been prescribed by the National Institute of Nutrition (NIN).”

When you consume a meal, you don’t really measure the number of calories that go into it. It is imperative for the ones who are looking to shed those extra kilos through cutting down on their diet. Some prefer spreading their calorie intake across three meals a day, while others like to spread it across five meals a day, which may include snacking in the morning and evening. But do you know how many calories should really go into each meal of the day? Or how should you ideally divide it to fulfil the day’s requirement? We have unlocked all the answers for you that might help you to decide the number of calories you must eat in a day.

Eating in parts or distributing your calorie intake will result in better digestion system & improved metabolic rate. A better digestion system and metabolic rate will help in burning more calories resulting in weight loss.

The total calorie intake for an average man and woman in a day is 2100 calories and 1900 calories

Ideally, a diet plan should be spread across the whole day and not just three meals; that is breakfast, lunch and dinner, as we tend to eat more, considering the huge gaps between the three meals. It is a general tendency to eat more after a gap of at least 4-5 hours. This might lead to poor digestion, bloating and other stomach issues. Therefore, it is imperative to nibble on something in between your main meals so you don’t overeat.

Most experts recommend five meals a day that may include light snacking. It is easy to divide the calories in five meals.

I strongly recommend dividing equal portion of calorie intake of the three main meals that is breakfast, lunch and dinner. For the three main meals, it would be two-fifth of the total calories you consume. For the snacks in the morning and evening, it should be one-fifth of the total calories you consume.

Breakfast: You must start your day with the right mix of nutrition, calories and protein to keep you going for the entire day. For a woman, 1900 calories are recommended, then 400-450 calories should be eaten in 4-5 parts. While, for a man, if 2100 calories are recommended, 450-550 then calories should be eaten in 4-5 parts.

Mid Snacking: Most of us miss this but it is important for you to have a light snack between breakfast & lunch. Fruits, low-fat milk, buttermilk etc. are good options for mid snacking. For a woman, total calorie intake should be 200-250 calories, while for a man, it should be 250-300 calories.

Lunch: Vegetables, Curd, Dal, Salad, Roasted Chicken or Fish are ideal combinations for a perfect Lunch. Limit your Roti or Rice intake during Lunch as they contain high calories & takes time to digest. For a woman, 500-550 calories are recommended and for a man, it should be 550-600 calories during lunch meal.

Evening Snacks: A light snack 2-3 hours before the dinner will satiate your hunger & will help you to take light dinner. Green Tea, Vegetable Cheela, Chana Chat are few of the good combinations for Evening snacks. For women, total calories in Evening snack should be 150–200 calories and for men, it should be 200-250 calories.

Dinner: You may eat the same food items in Dinner that you normally have during Lunch but restrict the quantity & prepare it in a manner that its nutritional value should remain intact. For women, 400-450 calories is recommended and for men, it should be 550-600 calories.

If your target is to lose weight then avoid fried, sugary, bakery items, cold drink in any of your meals not only these food contains high calorie but they have very less or no nutritional value.

Unfortunately, there is no Calorimeter available in the market that may calculate the total calories of our food. We have to be wise & sensible enough to understand the calorie content of each & every food.

Conclusion: So to lose weight & feel energetic through out the day distribute your calories. You can alter your calorie intake accordingly, but divide it in the same way as it is given above. So, even if you are dieting, it would be easy to modify your diet accordingly without having to worry about excess calories.

Hope this article might have helped you in knowing the distribution pattern of calories of all of your meals in a day.

Do you have any question regarding Weight Loss or how to distribute your total calorie intake in a day, please write to me.

Dietitian Vinita Jaiswal

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