Nutritionist Polina Zhuravleva has explained that the traditional idea of three fixed meals a day—breakfast, lunch, and dinner—does not hold up as a universal rule. There are no rigid directives about how many meals a person should have. Instead, the focus is on listening to individual needs and tailoring eating patterns accordingly, a stance she shared with the Public News Service.
Her guidance is simple: eat when genuine hunger arises, but avoid overeating. There is no requirement to snack every few hours, as every person’s body and appetite are unique. Trusting one’s own cues is more valuable than adhering to a fixed schedule, according to the expert.
Zhuravleva also emphasized paying attention to meal timing without making it overly rigid. The sensation of fullness often takes time to develop, so lingering at the table for too long can lead to overeating. The best practice is to eat in response to hunger, finish the meal in a reasonable time, and leave the table without lingering, which helps maintain a balanced appetite throughout the day.
One key point highlighted is that rapid eating can leave a person feeling hungry soon after the meal. Adequate hydration matters too because thirst can masquerade as hunger in the brain, potentially driving unnecessary eating.
Historically, many people in Russia have experimented with extreme diets, but modern nutrition emphasizes flexible eating patterns that support consistent energy, hydration, and mindful intake across diverse lifestyles, including those in North America where varied work schedules and activity levels demand adaptable strategies for meals and snacks.