Eat breakfast yourself. Share lunch with a friend. Give your dinner to your enemy

When everything else fails, sometimes it's good to turn to old wisdom.
Eat breakfast yourself. Share lunch with a friend. Give your dinner to your enemy
There is scientific evidence behind this ancient saying. See these articles, for example.
High-Fat Diet Disrupts Body ClockCould the Timing of When You Eat, Be Just as Important as What You Eat?Evidence of How Food Might Shift Body Clock

There is also the old Mediterranean Diet. Lunch was the main meal of the day,  eaten before 14 o'clock with family and friends. I'm not sure if people in the countries around the Mediterranean Sea are still keeping with traditions but actually I haven't seen fat people in Madrid (except the American tourists, of course). You might also give a look at the Predimed Study: Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease with a Mediterranean Diet

OK, I've bought it but what shall we eat in the morning? What people used to eat before breakfast cereals invaded us and eggs were declared public enemy?
The answer is simple: whatever was available and whatever pleased them if they had a choice.

Some nutritionists say you should eat cereals and fruit, others  say you should eat proteins and veggies.
I don't think this is so important as long as you eat sugar and fat in moderation.

Skipping breakfast is the worst idea in a diet, that's for sure.  

If you can't eat an early breakfast, try a later one, on the go. But eat it, don't skip it.

How much should you eat? This is a trial and error thing. Eat enough not to be hungry till the next meal or morning snack (if you included it in your daily menu). Probably, something between 250 - 400 kcal.

I like to eat a different breakfast each morning. My lists of favorite healthy breakfasts include, besides a nice cup of coffee:

- Eggs (fried or boiled or scrambled) and maybe a bit of bacon or ham, tomatoes or eggplant salad, bit of white cheese, toasted whole wheat bread

- Zakouska (made with eggplant or mushrooms, red bell peppers or paprika peppers, tomato juice, carrots, onion, oil, spices), toasted whole wheat bread, feta cheese

- Black radish and celeriac salad with olive oil, walnuts, lemon juice and bit of cheese

- Fried or poached eggs with spinach and/or mushrooms, toasted whole wheat bread

- Mushrooms, cheese, paprika peppers or cucumbers or tomatoes, toasted whole wheat bread

- A salad made with endives, yogurt, xia seeds, a boiled egg and rolled oats

- Sardines with lemon juice, pickles or a paprika pepper, toasted whole wheat bread

- Peanut butter, toasted whole wheat bread, bit of Swiss cheese

- Tomato salad with feta cheese and olives and toasted whole wheat bread

- Frankfurters with mustard,  toasted whole wheat bread, pickled cucumbers or a tomato salad

- Ham, bit of swiss cheese, radishes and  toasted whole wheat bread

It's mostly protein and veggies with some whole wheat bread or rolled oats, as you can see. It has worked pretty well for my diet so far.

Sometimes, if I know I can't have the 10 o'clock snack,  I add an yogurt and a piece of fruit or a spoon of low sugar jam or some nuts.

You might prefer some other kind of breakfast, like that based on cereals, jam or fruits, milk or yogurt. If it suits you, why not? But if you see the scale is not on your side, try the protein and veggie breakfast. You might skip bread or oats for a week or two (no more!).

If your daily routine allows for a good lunch, better eat like the French people used to before modern life invaded them. Have a nice entree (soup or salad or some appetizer), followed by a piece of meat and some veggies. Salad should be mandatory for lunch. If you're on diet, forget the dessert or eat a piece of fruit.

In the evening, a meat or cheese sandwich and some veggies or a salad with a bit of cheese or 1-2 portions of fruit or just a cup of milk or yogurt with some toast and peanut butter are perfect for a light dinner.

Some diets recommend snacks between meals, others forbid it. It really doesn't matter if you eat 5 meals or three meals as long as you take care not to eat too much in a day.

Respect meal times, especially breakfast. Eat less in the evening if it suits your daily routine. At least, try not to eat especially in the 2 hours before sleep. Don't go hungry to sleep either, have some protein and veggie snack or a cup of milk if still hungry.

Other good to follow traditions:

Include at  least one "fish day"  replacing meat by fish.

Include a fasting day (especially if you have a diet with high intake of animal protein). Replace meat and fish with beans and don't eat neither milk nor cheese or diary on that day. Just veggies, beans, seeds, bread, rice or pasta, and fruit.

One more simple new rule to keep in mind for the road from "fat" to "fit":

For each portion of protein or carbo, have at least one portion of veggies or fruit. As many colours as possible.

And whatever you eat, don't forget to put your shoes on and make a nice stroll in the fresh open air in the nearest park, forest or even some small green alleys with cats and no cars. There's a Spring out there even if it's a bit cold.