Smaller, more frequent meals spreads out the ”nutrient load,” slows absorption of carbohydrates, helps keep insulin and glucose levels stable, and may prevent overproduction of tissue-damaging molecules called free radicals. In fact, eating more frequent meals can lower total and LDL cholesterol and protect you from heart disease. In a recent study of over 14,000 men and women, cholesterol levels were lower in those who ate six or more times a day compared with those who ate once or twice a day. This was despite eating more total calories, including fat, by those who ate more frequently.

Eating more frequently, compared to eating fewer but larger, more spaced out meals, avoids peaks in insulin and helps prevent you from accumulating body fat. In other words, eating several meals throughout the day is better than eating just a few, even if it means eating more overall calories and fat. ”We need to consider not just what we eat but how often we eat.”