What to do if you always eat lunch way too early

For anyone who eats their first meal before 7am, exercises regularly and is relatively fit and healthy, three meals a day will not be enough. Photo / Getty Images

You know the feeling - you got out of bed early, made it to the gym and prepared a healthy breakfast only to find yourself ravenous at 11am and struggling to stay away from a cheeky muffin or slice of banana bread.

You are not alone. Early starts as well as the wrong breakfast mix can easily leave you starving by late morning and unsure what the best options are to keep your nutrition on track. So if you regularly find late morning hunger an issue, here are the easy ways to manage it.

EAT TWO LUNCHES

For anyone who eats their first meal before 7am, exercises regularly and is relatively fit and healthy, three meals a day will not be enough. Rather you are likely to need an extra 300 to 400 calories spread throughout the day to compensate for the extra calories burnt during training and to adequately fuel your body.

So if your body is telling you to eat at 11am, one option is to simply eat two smaller lunches - one late morning and then one early afternoon. Not only will this approach mean that you shift your focus away from snacks to balanced meals but you will find that you are a lot more satisfied and thinking about food far less. A small wrap or half a large sandwich enjoyed at 11am, can then be followed by a salad, leftovers or the other half of a sandwich at 1 or 2pm which will then keep you full again until dinner.

MAKE BREAKFAST BIGGER

If eating something substantial late morning is not simply practical, the best option could be to have a bigger breakfast. Toast, smoothies, banana bread and coffee are all quick and easy options but lack the protein and calories of a meal that will fill you for five to six hours, rather than two to three hours. If your breakfast needs to keep you full until lunchtime, aim for options such as eggs, Bircher style mueslis or substantial shakes that contain 400 to 500 calories per serve and at least 20g of protein.

EAT BREAKFAST LATER

Eating something first thing in the morning is a great way to boost your metabolic rate after the night's fast. But for early risers, it may prove to be a useful strategy to start off with a quick, light breakfast such as coffee with milk, one slice of toast with cheese or a piece of fruit, followed up with something more substantial at 8am or 9am.
This way your main breakfast will keep your going for another three to four hours but you will still get the metabolic benefits of eating early.

SNACK ON THE RIGHT THINGS

When you find yourself hungry late morning with lunch an hour or so away, what you choose to eat can either compliment your lunch perfectly, or completely blow out your calories and hunger so you are not genuinely hungry again until late afternoon. To strike a balance between eating something and not spoiling your appetite for lunch, the key is to choose a low calorie, nutrient rich snack. A piccolo coffee or small cappuccino, some vegetable sticks or a slice of cheese are all calorie controlled options that will keep you going for another hour or two so you can enjoy your regular, balanced lunch when you were planning to.