We hear a lot about what to eat, but much less about how to eat. Until recently, I struggled with maintaining a healthy diet that would also keep my energy up throughout the day.

This was my old routine: First I would wake up around 6 am, get dressed and have breakfast at home every morning, make a cup of black tea after arriving at work, and have additional caffeine or a light snack mid-morning, all before midday lunch. Then in late afternoon, I’d often find myself snacking again to fight hunger pangs or a dip in energy so I could get through to evening activities and to dinner.  

So basically, I was eating first thing in the morning regardless of how hungry I was within the limited window of making breakfast at home, and then struggling to manage hunger throughout the day. I felt particularly susceptible to the 3 pm energy slide and would snack just to stay awake even if I wasn’t hungry. Furthermore, because this was a “snack” it was an easy opportunity to grab less than ideal treats from the vending machine or hospital cafe. I often justified it because I needed energy to get to the gym or make a decent dinner later in the evening.

On my new meal schedule, my energy shot up the charts. Here’s what I’m doing now:

1. Don’t force an early meal. I’m no longer routinely eating food before heading out the door to work.
2. Hydrate. I drink water or caffeinated beverages in the office early morning- tea and/or sugar-free energy drink are my go-to’s.
3. 1st meal of the day in late morning or midday. If I only drink water or tea, I’m usually ready for this meal by around 10:30 or 11 am, but it can often go to noon if I have an energy drink. The exact timing also depends somewhat on my work schedule, but I’m finding that this constraint is working better for me than the window of time for eating breakfast at home.
4. 2nd meal of the day in late afternoon. Eating around 2 to 3 pm gets me through my usual energy dip, and I go for more real foods. 
5. 3rd meal in mid evening. The later lunch carries me through to a typical dinner time around 7 pm.

In essence, I am no longer constraining myself in the morning, but instead eat a more satisfying first meal when I’m hungry, and use my 2nd meal to get through a known problem spot in late afternoon. Plus, with afternoon snack time now a meal, I eliminate the extra calories (and expense) of eating this on top of the 3 main meals.

If you want to try my energy boosting meal plan, or have your own hacks for how to eat, share in the comments!