Eating healthy includes more than just eating healthy meals.
It also means adopting healthy eating habits - having the amount of meals you need, the right meal sizes and the meal times that work best for you.
The best way to find your ideal routine is: experimenting.
Your body will soon tell you what it needs.
Your portions should fill you and never leave you hungry, but you should not overeat.
One of the best ways to prevent this is to stick to regular meal times which are spread over the day in such a way that you won't be dying of hunger at any time.
Some people are fine with three main meals and one snack in between, whilst others do better with six smaller meals spread over the course of the day.
If you are someone who does not eat much at a time, you are likely to belong to the second group.
Now, let's take a closer look at the different meal times: Rule #1: Breakfast This is certainly one of the most important meals that you should never skip.
Remember you have not eaten since last night's supper.
Breakfast will give you the energy you need to get a good start in the day.
A healthy breakfast includes:

• Whole grains (cereals or bread), which will give you energy for longer than white bread
• Proteins (e.
  g.
  milk, yoghurt)
• Fruit (fresh, juice or jam), which will provide you with important vitamins and - if you choose fresh fruit - also fiber

Rule #2: Lunch and supper One of these should be your "main" meal (the cooked one), the other one rather a light dish.
If you decide on having rather six smaller meals per day, one should be a main meal and the others light meals or snacks.
For the main meal, choose a combination of:

• a large portion of vegetables (providing vitamins and fiber whilst being low in calories)
• a big portion of starchy foods, like whole grain rice or pasta, or potatoes
• a moderate portion of protein rich foods (meat, fish, eggs, legumes), or
• a moderate portion of dairy products (milk, cheese)

For the lighter meal, you could for example have:

• whole grain sandwiches with lean meat or ham or low-fat cheese and vegetables like tomato or cucumber
• a light vegetable soup with some noodles
• a green salad with vegetables or fruit, nuts and a whole grain roll

Rule #3: Snacks These are very important to prevent overeating.
When the time between main meals is too long, always have a healthy snack at hand.
You might even find that you need regular snack times.
Make sure your snack is a snack, not a meal.
It should just be enough to satisfy your little hunger in between and keep you running till your next main meal.
A healthy snack could be:

• fruit: fresh or dried, plain, as a salad, milkshake or with yoghurt
• vegetables: for example cherry tomatoes, cucumber or red pepper slices with a low-fat cheese or yoghurt dip
• whole grain muffins with sugar reduced jam

Rule #4: When you should not eat The purpose of eating is to provide your body with the nutrients it needs to survive and function.
Never eat just because you are:

• bored
• frustrated
• tired
• sad etc.
  

For all your meals, make sure you add as little fat and sugar as possible to eat meals packed with nutrients your body needs, and not with excessive calories it does not need.
Stick to healthy fats and sugars rather than to the unhealthy ones, and keep food groups balanced over the day and week: Fruit, vegetables and whole grains should be the main part of your diet, whilst protein rich foods and dairies are consumed in moderation and fatty and sugary foods kept to a minimum.