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There are days when eating lunch properly feels almost impossible. You are stuck in a meeting, rushing to finish work or moving from one task to another. And before you realise it, lunchtime is over. Maybe you grab a coffee and tell yourself you will eat something later.
It may not seem like a big deal if it happens once in a while. But if skipping meals becomes a habit, it can affect the way you eat later in the day. By dinner, you may be much hungrier than usual and end up eating more than you normally would.
Nutritionist Anjali Mukerjee speaks about exactly this in an Instagram video. She is not referring to intermittent fasting, but to those everyday situations where people simply get too busy to eat.
“So what happens when you miss a meal? And we are not talking about intermittent fasting here. We're talking about the time when you are rushed, when you have meetings, when you have no time to eat, where lunch becomes a cup of coffee,” she says.
Mukerjee explains that when you miss a meal, you also miss the opportunity to give your body some of the nutrients it needs. That includes protein, healthy fats, carbohydrates and fibre.
The bigger problem, she says, can come later. Once you are very hungry, it is easy to eat more at your next meal. And instead of thinking about whether the meal is balanced, you are likely to reach for whatever feels filling.
The nutritionist mentions, “So what do you normally eat? You'll eat more of carbs because that's the only thing that will satisfy you.”
She gives examples of what this could look like at dinner – an extra serving of rice, a few more chapatis or a bigger portion of pasta or noodles.
“So you may have that extra helping of rice, extra helping of chapatis or pasta or noodles or whatever is your favourite and you'll start gaining weight,” Mukerjee says.
That is why, according to the nutritionist, simply skipping a meal should not be seen as a shortcut to losing weight.
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She says, “So missing a meal is not equivalent to losing weight. You may actually gain weight and be nutritionally depleted.”
Her suggestion is fairly straightforward: plan your meals, even if you have a busy day ahead. In her video, she said that it can take just 10 minutes to plan a meal.
In the caption accompanying the video, Mukerjee also suggested keeping meals balanced with protein, fibre, healthy fats and quality carbohydrates. Having a few easy options ready can also help, especially when hunger hits, and there is little time to cook or think about what to eat.
The point is not that every meal has to be elaborate. It is simply about not letting a busy day turn into a day of coffee, followed by a very heavy dinner.
Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for a qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.