The ideal number of meals per day is 5 . Three main meals and two snacks . The main meals are breakfast , lunch and diner . There should be one snack between breakfast and lunch and one other snack between lunch and diner . You should eat a meal or a snack every three to four hours . A meal should be before or after a snack . Never consume two meals in a row or two snacks in a row . The ideal order is meal-snack-meal-snack-meal. Even if you are on a diet you should follow this order . If you wake up  late you have a different order of meals and snacks . You have meal-meal-snack-meal, or meal-snack meal because you skip one meal or one snack .